Resources

Model Legislation

A person shall not knowingly and intentionally manufacture, import, install, reinstall, distribute, sell, or offer for sale any device intended to replace a supplemental restraint system component in any motor vehicle if the device is a counterfeit supplemental restraint system component or a nonfunctional airbag, or does not meet federal safety requirements as provided in Section 571.208 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

A person shall not knowingly and intentionally sell, install, or reinstall in a vehicle, any device that causes the vehicle’s diagnostic systems to fail to warn when the vehicle is equipped with a counterfeit supplemental restraint system component or nonfunctional airbag, or when no airbag is installed.

City of London - London, UK - 9/23/24 - "Three Arrested Over Sale of Dangerous Counterfeit Car Airbags"

HSI - Washington, DC - 9/23/24 - "Automotive Safety Awareness Campaign Warns Consumers About Counterfeit Airbags"

CARFAX - Centreville, VA - 7/10/24 - "Millions of U.S. Vehicles At Risk of Getting Counterfeit Airbags"

NHTSA - Washington, DC - 7/10/24 - "Consumer Alert: NHTSA Alerts Used Car Owners, Buyers of Dangerous, Substandard Replacement Air Bags"

DOJ - Fresno, CA - 5/13/24 - "Defendants in Florida and Poland Indicted for Scheme to Import Used Airbags, Sold as New, into the United States."

DOT - Miami, FL - 3/20/24 - "Miami Auto Shop Owner Charged with Dealing in Counterfeit Airbags"

DOJ - Memphis, TN - 3/7/24 - "Memphis Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Counterfeit Airbags from China"

DOJ - Memphis, TN - 5/17/23 - "Memphis Man Charged with Trafficking Counterfeit Airbags from China"

CBP - Philadelphia, PA - 3/31/23 - "Philadelphia CBP Seizes Nearly $200K in Counterfeit Auto Parts from China"

DOJ - Philadelphia, PA - 2/9/23 - "Philadelphia Auto-Mechanic Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Hazardous Automobile Airbags from China"

CBP - Minneapolis, MN - 6/15/22 - "CPB Officers in Minneapolis Intercept Counterfeit Car Sensors"

CBP - Philadelphia, PA - 2/2/22 - "Philadelphia Man Charged with Trafficking Counterfeit Airbags from China"

CBP - Philadelphia, PA - 7/21/21 - "Philadelphia CBP Seizes Nearly $300k in Counterfeit Auto Parts from China"

CBP - Cincinnati, OH - 4/14/21 - "Cincinnati CBP Seizes 1,196 Fake Keys, Fobs, Decals Worth $103,101"

BSAC - Washington, DC - 3/23/21 - "Buy Safe America Coalition Applauds Introduction of Legislation to Protect Consumers from Counterfeit and Stolen Products Sold Online"

U.S. Senate - Washington, DC - 3/23/21 - "Durbin, Cassidy, Grassley, Hirono, Coons, Tillis Introduce Bill to Ensure Greater Transparency for Third-Party Sellers of Consumer Products Online"

IPRC - Washington, DC - 11/20/20 - "IPR Center Announces Recipients of 2020 Partnership Awards for Combating Intellectual Property, Trade Fraud Crimes at Inaugural Awards Ceremony"

ICE - Seattle, WA - 12/19/19 - "ICE HSI, Federal Partners Warn Consumers to Beware of Deadly Counterfeit Vehicle Parts Flooding the Market"

CBP - Los Angeles, CA - 11/12/19 - "CBP Foils Attempt to Smuggle Fake Airbags from China at Ontario International Airport"

DOJ - Buffalo, NY - 5/28/19 - "Counterfeit Airbag Supplier Sentenced to Prison"

DOJ - Buffalo, NY - 5/9/19 - "Cheektowaga Man Sentenced for Buying and Selling Counterfeit Airbags"

DOJ - Macon, GA - 4/1/19 - "Thomasville Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Importing and Distributing Thousands of Counterfeit Car Parts"

DOJ - Portland, OR - 8/21/18 - "Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Counterfeit Air Bag Covers and Nameplate Badges"

DOJ - Albuquerque, NM - 5/9/18 - "Mexican Nationals Plead Guilty to Trafficking in Counterfeit Goods by Operating Counterfeit Airbag Business in Albuquerque"

DOJ - Springfield, MO - 12/7/17 - "Ozark Man Pleads Guilty to Counterfeit Airbag Scheme"

ICE - Washington, DC - 11/17/17 - "ICE Teams with Industry to Fight IP Theft"

DOJ - Sacramento, CA - 5/31/17 - "Antelope Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Counterfeit Airbags Online"

DOJ - Albuquerque, NM - 5/4/17 - "Mexican Nationals Arrested on Federal Counterfeit Trafficking Charges"

DOJ - Buffalo, NY - 10/24/16 - "Two Men Charged with Importing and Selling Counterfeit Airbags"

DOJ - Spokane, WA - 11/13/13 - "Moxee Man Sentenced to 31 Months in Federal Prison for Selling Counterfeit Airbags on ebay"

FBI - Vancouver, WA - 9/20/13 - "Vancouver Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking in Counterfeit Airbags"

FBI - New York, NY - 2/19/13 - "Three Automotive Parts Suppliers Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Selling Counterfeit Replacement Parts"

ICE - Washington, DC - 10/10/12 - "NHTSA, ICE Alert Consumers to Dangers of Counterfeit Airbags"

DOJ - Chattanooga, TN - 2/16/12 - "Dai Zhensong Sentenced to Thirty Seven Months in Prison for Trafficking in Counterfeit Airbags"

Salt Lake City, UT - KSL-TV - 9/30/24 - "Authorities Seizing More Dangerous Fake Car Parts"

Pittsburgh, PA - KDKA - 9/25/24 - "Rising Threat of Counterfeit Airbags Leads to Public Safety Announcement"

Repairer Driven News - 9/25/24 - "Feds Launch Campaign Warning Consumers of Fake Auto Parts"

Aftermarket Matters - 9/24/24 - "New Campaign Puts the 'Brakes on Fakes' for Counterfeit Auto Parts"

Daily Mail - 9/24/24 - "Police Seize 500 'Dangerous' Fake Car Airbags and £140,000 in Cash as They Arrest Three Men in London Raids"

The Standard - 9/23/24 - "London Police Seize 500 Counterfeit Airbags and £110,000 'Wrapped in Nappies' During Dawn Raids"

The Kansas City Star - 8/28/24 - "'Counterfeit Airbag Goes Off 'Like a Grenade,' Kills Woman in Rental Car, OK Suit Says"

Repairer Driven News - 8/12/24 - "'1.6 Million Mercedes-Benz Counterfeit Parts Seized Last Year, Raids Up 20%"

GM Authority - 7/14/24 - "'U.S. Vehicles At Risk of Being Fitted with Counterfeit Airbags, According to CARFAX"

Fox Business - 7/12/24 - "'Nearly 2M U.S. Vehicles At Risk of Counterfeit Airbags, Carfax Says"

USA Today - 7/11/24 - "'Drive a Used Car? Check Your Airbag. NHTSA Warns Against Faulty Inflators After 3 Deaths"

Repairer Driven News - 7/11/24 - "'NHTSA Warns of 'Cheap, Substandard Replacement Air Bag Inflators"

Torque News - 7/11/24 - "'Used Car Shopping Warning that Could Save Your Life"

Autoblog - 7/10/24 - "'NHTSA: Here's How to Avoid Getting a Cheap, Dangerous, Substandard Airbag Inflator"

Forbes - 7/10/24 - "'NHTSA Warns Consumers of Counterfeit Replacement Airbags"

CBS - 7/10/24 - "'Replacement Airbags in Used Cars Have Killed 3 People and Disfigured 2, Feds Warn"

Kelley Blue Book - 6/25/24 - "'Counterfeit Airbags a Growing Danger"

The Wall Street Journal - 6/22/24 - "'Deadly Counterfeit Air Bags Are Making Their Way Into Vehicles"

The Wall Street Journal - 6/22/24 - "'Can You Spot a Fake Air Bag? What to Know"

Repairer Driven News - 5/22/24 - "'Lawsuit Alleges Mother's Death Caused by Improper Repairs on Totaled Vehicle"

Miami Herald - 5/18/24 - "'Counterfeit Airbags Sold on eBay Put Drivers at Risk, Feds Say. Man is Arrested"

Law & Crime - 5/18/24 - "'Detonated Like a Grenade': Young Mom Killed by Counterfeit Airbag that Exploded During Crash and 'Shot Metal and Plastic Shrapnel' All Over the Inside of Her Car, Lawsuit"

Miami Herald - 5/17/24 - "Young Mom Killed when Counterfeit Airbag Explodes 'Like a Grenade,' Florida Lawsuit says"

Radio Jamaica News - 4/9/24 - "CTOC Uncovers Counterfeit Engine Oil Operation in Clarendon"

Miami, FL - WPLG - 3/22/24 - "Auto Shop Owner Faces 300+ Felonies, Accused of Selling Fake Airbags"

Aftermarket Matters - 3/11/24 - "Memphis Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Counterfeit Airbags from China"

Repairer Driven News - 6/6/23 - "Tennessee Man Charged with Trafficking, Selling Fake Airbags"

CollisionWeek - 5/24/23 - "Memphis Man Charged with Trafficking Counterfeit Airbags from China"

Repairer Driven News - 3/9/23 - "Philadelphia Man Admits to Installing Counterfeit Airbags in Vehicles"

Daily Voice - 2/10/23 - "Philly Mechanic Admits to Putting Phony Air Bags in Cars: Feds"

Repairer Driven News - 8/10/22 - "Mercedes-Benz Warns of Rise in Global Trade in Counterfeit Parts"

Aftermarket Matters - 10/11/21 - "A2C2 Urges eBay to Prohibit Sale of All Airbags"

Repairer Driven News - 7/27/21 - "Customs: 5,700 Counterfeit Auto Parts Seized in Pa. Include Grilles, Bumpers"

Jobber Nation - 7/26/21 - "Counterfeit Parts Seizure a Reminder of Ongoing Aftermarket Concern"

The Brand Protection Professional - 3/21 - "How Honda Encouraged More than Half of U.S. State and Local Governments to Fight Against Counterfeit Airbags"

Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (Australia) - 2/19/21 - "Investigation Uncovers Counterfeit Conspiracy"

AGRR - July / August 2020 - "Crack Down: Car Makers Band Together to Stop Glass Counterfeiters"

Dallas, TX - KTVT - 2/25/19 - "I-Team: Fake Airbag Filled with Black Tape, Shop Rag Found in Deadly Crash"

Hammer & Dolly - 10/18 - "Thieves Among Us: Tackling the Counterfeit Parts Crisis" (p. 38-39)

The Brand Protection Professional - 9/18 - "The Auto Industry Taps the Power of Collaboration to Battle Fakes" (p. 18-19)

Miami, FL - WPLG - 4/5/18 - "Agent Robert C. Hutchinson Discusses Counterfeit Auto Parts"

Springfield, MO - KY3.com - 12/7/17 - "Ozark Man Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Sell Counterfeit Auto Airbags"

BodyShop Business - 10/24/17 - "Alibaba Takes E-Commerce Industry Lead to Block Sale of Airbag Components"

Albuquerque, NM - KRQE - 5/4/17 - "Siblings Charged with Running Counterfeit Airbag Business"

Forbes - 4/17/17 - "Why U.S. Can't Afford to Fall Behind in Intellectual Property Enforcement"

Miami, FL - WPLG - 5/2/16 - "Feds Warn of Counterfeit Auto Parts"

Fox News - 10/26/15 - "Video Highlights Potential Danger of Replica Wheels"

CNET.com - 4/20/15 - "Smarter Driver: How to Spot Counterfeit Car Parts"

Detroit, MI - WDIV - 3/9/15 - "Counterfeit Auto Parts are Threat to Auto Safety"

Houston, TX - Chron.com - 2/6/15 - "Brothers Who Bought, Installed Fake Airbags Admit Guilt"

Huffpost - 2/19/13 - "Fake Taxi Parts, including Brake Pads, Sold to New York City Cabs"

Don't Gamble with Counterfeit Parts!®