A potential recall affecting millions of drivers across at least a dozen auto brands is a step closer to becoming a reality.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) held a public hearing on Thursday, which is a required step before seeking a court-ordered recall.
NHTSA has not yet confirmed whether it will seek one.
On Tuesday, the NHTSA made an initial decision that air bag inflators made by ARC Automatic Inc. are defective.
An eight-year NHTSA investigation concluded that 52 million air bag inflators could explode, which could also blow apart a metal canister.
The explosions happen in collisions, spewing shrapnel in rare cases.
NHTSA reported seven ruptures leading to serious injuries, including one death.
ARC, which is based in Knoxville, Tenn., has refused to issue a full-scale recall and denied there is a safety defect.
“ARC believes they resulted from random ‘one-off’ manufacturing anomalies that were properly addressed by vehicle manufacturers through lot-specific recalls,” a letter written by ARC to NHTSA stated.
ARC has not released a full list of vehicle models with this kind of air bag inflator, but the part is believed to be in about 25 million cars in the U.S..
Potential auto brands include Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Ford, Toyota, Stellantis, Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Porsche, Hyundai, and Kia.
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