Counterfeit Air Bag Racket Blows Up

Hugh Pickens writes "According to Joan Lowy of the Associated Press, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has alerted the auto repair industry that tens of thousands of car owners may be driving vehicles with counterfeit air bags, which fail to inflate properly or don't inflate at all. Although no deaths or injuries have been tied to the counterfeit bags, it's unclear whether police accident investigators would be able to identify a counterfeit bag from a genuine one. The counterfeit bags typically have been made to look like air bags from automakers, and usually include a manufacturer's logo, but government investigators believe many of the bags come from China. Auto dealerships that operate their own body shops are usually required by their franchise agreements to buy their parts, including air bags, directly from automakers and therefore are unlikely to have installed counterfeit bags. But only 37 percent of auto dealers have their own body shops, so many consumers whose vehicles have been damaged are referred by their insurance companies to auto body shops that aren't affiliated with an automaker. Safety officials will warn millions of Americans that the air bags in over 100 vehicle models could be dangerous counterfeits, telling them to have their cars and trucks inspected as soon as possible. Dai Zhensong, a Chinese citizen, had the counterfeit air bags manufactured by purchasing genuine auto air bags that were torn down and used to produce molds to manufacture the counterfeit bags. Trademark emblems were purchased through dealerships located in China and affixed to the counterfeit air bags, which were then advertised on the Guangzhou Auto Parts website and sold for approximately $50 to $70 each, far below the value of an authentic air bag. The NHTSA has made a list of automobiles available that may be at risk for having counterfeit air bags."

Comments

Well, that explains it

[crazyjj]

I was wondering why my new airbag looked so much like beach ball attached to a can of Fix-a-Flat.

Re:Well, that explains it

[Jeng]

Considering this device performs a controlled explosion right in front of your face I would rather like my airbag to have had some form of assurance that their manufacturing techniques are sound and that they go though a rigorous QA process.

Re:Well, that explains it

[CubicleZombie]

Here's a video of a counterfeit airbag in action. The first one just didn't work. The second one grenaded in the dummy's face. Both defective and dangerous.

Re:Well, that explains it

[supervillainsf]

I don't RTFA, but there's not a single thing in TFS saying the "counterfeits" are defective or dangerous. Indeed, no one's been hurt. Sounds like it's just a case of trademark infringement, a practice that usually saves the consumer money.

Let me translate your post:

"I got really poor marks in reading comprehension and am way too lazy to actually click on a link and spend a whole 2 minutes of my life reading something that isn't distilled down to LCD levels, but I really felt the need to post something that demonstrates my bias"

Thank you for posting I am a better person for reading your intelligent comment.

Re:Well, that explains it

[geoskd]

Well then, why doesn't the article suggest performing such tests and checks, but immediately jumps to conclusion that they are all bad? Maybe they should just get certified and have the offending logos removed instead?

Because the offending air bags were just dummy mock ups. No incendiary, no detonator, just a chunk of plastic with the logo on it. We're not talking about pirate copies, we're talking outright fraud...

-=Geoskd

Re:Well, that explains it

[tragedy]

I didn't actually see that anywhere in the article. It did say that some fired shards of plastic or failed to inflate fully during testing. They don't say how well they actually compare to other airbags which very well may experience the same kinds of problems in some tests.

Won't be the last

[Ogive17]

I'm in the OE service part industry. We've been dealing with counterfeit parts from China for the past decade, one of the reasons why less companies are allowing any assembly to occur there. The Chinese subsidiary companies will even cheat their own US/Japan mother company....

I saw video comparing the counterfeit to the OE airbags. If the counterfeit bag even deployed, it was very delayed and rarely had enough pressure to actually prevent serious injury.

Re:Won't be the last

[Dupple]

It's not just car parts. It's happening in the aircraft industry and else where. There's also the issue of refurbished parts being sold as new...

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=67ee8eb6-54ae-403c-bcd5-3c76b6f95506

Re:Won't be the last

[tlhIngan]

It's not just car parts. It's happening in the aircraft industry and else where. There's also the issue of refurbished parts being sold as new...

Aviation is well known since the big busts in the 80s orcehstrated by fake FAA part tags and such. It was so bad it even got onto the presidential airplane (Air Force One, when he's on board).

The FAA went around a busted a bunch of dealers of counterfeit parts because it was such a huge problem that practically every commercial jet had at least one counterfeit. Even worse, they were documented as real so no one really knew (the counterfeiters were the ones profiting - the airlines and everyone else didn't know they were buying counterfeit parts).

When you consider a screw that costs 10 cents at Home Depot will probably cost $4-10 for aviation, the urge to counterfeit is very real. Even parts that are worn out or expired would get new coats of paint and resold as new.

Of course, if there's anything to show for it, is to show really how capitalistic the Chinese are - if there's a way to make a buck (scamming or otherwise), they'll do it. We've seen it happen through the many recalls - lead in toys and paint, melamine in milk (watered down - but melamine added to boost protein so hide watering down), etc. If there's a way to cut a corner, they'll find it.

China

[Sparticus789]

China - The first economy based of stealing other people's ideas and manufacturing it for less.

Re:China

[w_dragon]

Since Japan, you mean? And Germany before that? It's a pretty well-established way of getting to an industrialized economy. The only question is if they will be able to make the leap from cheap imitation crap to cheap imitation quality.

Re:China

[quintus_horatius]

Lets not forget the United States itself, which used to be a capital of intellectual piracy and cheap knock-offs in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Re:I do not trust Chinese manufacturing, BUT ....

[Ogive17]

the issue in cases like this, is the pure unadulterated greed that USA and other western nations display. Combine that greed with lack of regulations and we have results just like this.

How so? This is a bait & switch situation. US company orders a $50 part from China. Someone in China decides to send a $20 part in its' place and pocket the other $30.

Re:The time has come

[K. S. Kyosuke]

Your nukes have fake Chinese slapper detonators, they won't explode on hitting the target. You'll only be supplying them with cheap extra plutonium.

Beware the air bag.....

[SternisheFan]

You even need to be careful of the legit air bags.... http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57444565-71/airbag-saves-man-then-kills-him/

Extradition?

[Bob9113]

tens of thousands of car owners may be driving vehicles with counterfeit air bags, which fail to inflate properly or don't inflate at all. ... Dai Zhensong, a Chinese citizen, had the counterfeit air bags manufactured

Given how hard we've been trying to extradite Kim Dotcom for facilitating copyright infringement, I assume we will be getting at least as heavy handed with China over this guy's tens of thousands of cases of attempted fraudulent homicide (or whatever it is called).

Re:They really don't work

[Farmer Tim]

...the expulsion of metal shrapnel during deployment.

Finally! I've been advocating something like this for years: install a device that ensures certain death in a crash and everyone will drive way more carefully.

Re:Of *course* they came from China

[fustakrakich]

...it's just a matter of time before a major ingredients scandal hits.

Waddya mean 'before'?

Re:And to think....

[Quiet_Desperation]

What are our officials thinking!?!?

"Money. Power. Money. Power. Money. Fucking. Money. Power. Money. Power. Money. Fucking. Money. Power. Money. Power. Money. Booze."

And so on.

You people have *got* to stop thinking of politicians as sane, reasonable human beings. Honestly, much of the noise in the world starts to make complete sense when you just accept that.

Re:Of *course* they came from China

[stephanruby]

Speaking of which, watch out for packaged food in the supermarkets these days - a lot of it says 'Made in China' and it's just a matter of time before a major ingredients scandal hits.

Too late: Study: Most Honey Is Just Fake, Pollenless Goo

But I wouldn't blame the Chinese only. Our own Federal government is the one to blame. As long as the fake cheaper substitutes do not kill us, our own government won't intervene.

Vote with your feet people. Learn which stores carry fake honey. You never know what else they might be carrying that's fake. My local Safeway for instance still carries fake honey (even after the news came out), but my local Trader Joes' doesn't (it apparently never did).

Imports come from everywhere

[sjbe]

True, but doesn't most of the crap bought in the U.S. come from China?

Not even remotely. Year to date in 2012 the US has imported about $235 billion in goods from China (out of ~$1323 billion total imports) which accounts for a little under 18% of total imports. Not even under the most wild definition of "most" does most of the stuff we buy come from China.

Re:Imports come from everywhere

[Anonymous Coward]

depends on how you define "most". if it is china vs. not-china (everyone else combined) then you are correct it is
not more that 1/2 of total imports (18% as you say) but if the question is "which country do we import most stuff"
than the answers is China - top of the list at 18% (then Canada @ ~14% and Mexico @ ~12%, Japan @ ~6%
and then drops off rapidly)

Re:Imports come from everywhere

[Coop]

The share of Chinese imports gets substantially higher when you subtract oil from the total, at $400-500 billion per year.

Re:Of *course* they came from China

[Zeio]

China is the most dangerous country in the world today. And the information about how horrible the Chinese, despite them getting MUCH worse given the economic situation, the information flow has been nearly shut down since 2007 timeframe. There were big 60 minutes type exposes in 2007 but since then the Police State has seen that information regarding our forced consumption of Chinese Walmart Plastic with Federal Reserve Notes remains in place.

China tires bad:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118278927863547228.html

The organizing committee of Beijingâ(TM)s Olympic games has promised to investigate charges that official merchandise is being manufactured using child labor.

The PRC Chinese poison dog food:
http://www.themoneytimes.com/articles/20070523/chinese_protein_export_scandal-id-104033.html

The PRC Chinese poison toothpaste:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/02/us/02toothpaste.html?ex=1181620800&en=d26dab8b2bd85303&ei=5070

The PRC Chinese poison Children's Toys:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070614/thomas_recall_070614/20070614?hub=CTVNewsAt11
http://blogs.eastbayexpress.com/92510/2007/06/thomas_why_hath_thou_forsaken.php

Chinese Seafood Detained for Safety
http://www.topix.com/forum/food/TFSGN6836LFM2QFV7

Melamine put into milk formula, dog food, etc.
http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/got-melamine-53000-chinese-children-did-in-their-milk.html

- Cow milk so inundated with antibiotics you can not make Yogurt from it.

- Pigs force-fed waste water.

- Lard made from separating fats from sewage.

Made in China: tainted food, fake drugs and dodgy paint
http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,2118920,00.html

China Jails 2 Protestant Church Leaders
http://www.nysun.com/foreign/china-jails-two-protestant-leaders/58150/

The PRC Chinese government has murdered countless people:
"DEATH BY GOVERNMENT: GENOCIDE AND MASS MURDER"
http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/NOTE1.HTM
http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/COM.TAB1.GIF
http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/COM.FIG1.GIF

Given modern industrial process and productivity, I don't even see how using Chinese slave labor saves that much in the face of having to crate up and ship the goods from china to consuming markets.

The bean counters saved maybe 10% at best making product, and now with the price of shipping goods going up due to petrol, they are probably paying more to have it made in China.

The only real reason it may never come back to the US is a host of states (NY, CA) and The Fedzilla / US government that have a long list of anti-business laws making a return to the US difficult.

You want Made in the USA? Tell state and federal congress to stop doing everything to drive up the cost of business compared to China and India (the only two competitors that matter); stop buying Chinese crap where possible.

Slave Labor rented at a PREMIUM with low quality results is still apparently cheaper than coming back her

What, you think they contain propellant?

[Ellis D. Tripp]

Actually making a counterfeit functional would cut into their profits.

I would be surprised if these things actually contained any energetic materials at all. Probably just a short-circuited connector to fool the idiot light circuit, and an empty housing, filled with sand or whatever for weight.

The Chinese were caught sending counterfeit circuit breakers over here a few years ago, with nothing inside but a switch. No overcurrent protection at all. They have no qualms at all about faking safety-critical devices to make a buck...

Re:What, you think they contain propellant?

[X0563511]

People should be shot for such bullshit. That kind of thing kills people.