A fatal accident involving a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox occurred in Dallas on August 27. This incident marks the eleventh death in the United States linked to defective airbag inflators manufactured by the Chinese company Jilin Province Detiannuo Safety Technology Co, known as DTN.
The US government banned these specific airbag inflators earlier this year in April. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy stated that the ban was necessary due to the parts being responsible for 10 previous deaths. Authorities are now pursuing legal action against those importing or selling these components.
NHTSA reports indicate that the defective inflators can release shrapnel toward the driver during deployment. While this is the first reported death in a Chevrolet Equinox, previous incidents involved Chevrolet Malibu and Hyundai Sonata models. The company DTN claims the parts may be counterfeit.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advises owners of used vehicles that underwent airbag deployment since 2020 to seek inspections. Vehicles equipped with these dangerous parts can be identified by the DTN60DB marker on the inflator unit.
