NHTSA pursues forced recall of 52 million air bag inflators

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is taking another step toward enforcing a recall of 52 million air bag inflators made by ARC Automotive Inc., reported Local 10.

NHTSA said that the agency has deemed the inflators defective and has scheduled a public hearing for October 5. This is a required step before a court-ordered recall can be pursued.

The agency had originally called on ARC Automotive in May to recall the inflators, but the manufacturer responded that NHTSA’s judgment is based on conjecture and not data and that the NHTSA does not have the authority to issue a recall for a parts manufacturer. When asked for comment this week by Local 10, the company maintained this position.

NHTSA has been investigating the air bag inflators for eight years and has reported seven injuries and two deaths caused by them in the U.S. and Canada since 2009.