ARC Airbag Lawsuit: Exploding Airbags
- Last Updated: November 20th, 2023
ARC Airbag Lawsuit: Exploding Airbags
ARC Automotive Inc is facing ARC airbag lawsuit claims for defective airbag inflators that may explode and injure vehicle occupants.
ARC airbag inflators are in numerous vehicles manufactured in the past decade, including several models of General Motors (GM), Ford, Volkswagen, Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
If you or a loved one have suffered injuries related to ARC Automotive’s defective inflators, you may qualify for an ARC Airbag Lawsuit.
Contact TruLaw for a free consultation or use the chatbot on this page to see if you qualify for legal action instantly.
Table of Contents
Lawsuit Updates
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November 2023 Updates:
November 6th, 2023:
The NHTSA recently recommended a recall of over 50 million airbag inflators from ARC Automotive and Delphi Automotive due to potential deadly explosions. These inflators were used in vehicles produced from 2000 to early 2018 by 12 automakers.
The hearing sought public input on the inflators’ safety risk. While the likelihood of rupture is low, the consequences are severe. This issue is linked to one U.S. fatality and seven injuries. Delphi and ARC manufactured these inflators, and an ARC executive argued against a recall.
NHTSA has been investigating airbag inflator ruptures for over 15 years, with the Takata recall being the largest auto safety recall in history, linked to more than 30 deaths worldwide.
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October 2023 Updates:
October 2nd, 2023:
The NHTSA continues to make progress in its efforts to ensure the safety of consumers by pushing ARC Automotive Inc. to recall a staggering 52 million airbag inflators, which have been identified as having serious defects.
Victims affected by the defective ARC Automotive Inc. airbag inflators can seek legal assistance and information by contacting TruLaw today.
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September 2023 Updates:
September 6th,, 2023:
The NHTSA has taken a substantial step toward compelling ARC Automotive Inc. to recall 52 million airbag inflators deemed defective.
The agency believes these inflators, which can potentially explode and eject shrapnel, have caused at least seven injuries and two deaths in the U.S. and Canada since 2009. Although a recall was previously requested in May, ARC has refused, prompting the NHTSA to schedule a public hearing on October 5, a necessary step before pursuing a court-ordered recall.
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August 2023 Updates:
August 1st, 2023
ARC maintains resistance to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall demand issued in May. Citing their internal investigations, the company maintains that no recurring issues related to the accidents have been found, and extensive product testing showed no instances of failure.
Individuals concerned about the possibility of ARC airbag inflators in their vehicles are advised to reach out to their vehicle manufacturers or dealerships to verify if their vehicle is subject to a recall.
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July 2023 Updates:
July 1st, 2023:
ARC Automotive Inc., a manufacturer of airbag inflators, is facing a substantial product liability class action in Tennessee Eastern District Court.
The lawsuit consists of two extensive volumes totaling over 800 pages and claims that ARC produced millions of faulty inflators currently installed in vehicles, posing a significant threat of severe injury or fatality.
The case aims to secure an order mandating Arc to notify all class members about the defect, arrange for repairs of affected vehicles, and seek substantial monetary damages.
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June 2023 Updates:
June 1st, 2023:
ARC is continuing to push back against the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s demanded a recall last month.
The company stated that their internal investigations revealed no recurring issues related to the accidents, and extensive testing of their product showed no instances of failure.
Drivers who have concerns about their vehicles potentially having the ARC airbag inflators are advised to contact their vehicle manufacturers or dealerships to verify if their vehicle is affected by a recall.
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May 2023 Updates:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is now demanding that ARC Automotive recall its inflators in the U.S. due to the potential of exploding and hurling shrapnel.
This is after at least two people have died and seven others have been hurt as a result of the ARC airbags.
ARC has responded by saying that its airbags have no defects and the issues are related to manufacturing.
The NHTSA may now schedule a hearing and could take ARC to court to forcibly make the recall.
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April 2023 Updates:
Lawyers are still accepting cases related to ARC Airbag lawsuits.
Consumers are expressing concerns over the safety of ARC Airbags after they’ve exploded in vehicles instead of deploying normally.
You may be entitled to compensation if you or someone you know has been the victim of an ARC Airbag related incident.
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March 2023 Updates:
Cases related to the ARC Airbag lawsuit are still ongoing.
There are no settlements that have been made, but our lawyers are still taking on cases.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be entitled to compensation due to a defect in the ARC automotive airbag, contact our lawyers for a free consultation.
About the ARC Airbag Lawsuit
ARC Airbag Lawsuits can be filed on behalf of individuals who were injured or killed by metal fragments or shrapnel expelled from defective airbag inflators.
These airbag inflators are present in a number of vehicles produced by the most popular car brands – an estimated 51 million vehicles on the road have ARC airbag inflators installed.
ARC Automotive Inc. is a global manufacturer of airbag inflators, supplying millions of vehicles with vital pieces that ensure airbags deploy when a driver is in an accident.
Though they are a safety company first and foremost, their defective products have unfortunately resulted in at least two deaths and countless injuries.
What’s Wrong with the ARC Airbag Inflators?
ARC Airbag Inflators, substantially similar to the Takata Airbags that injured and killed dozens of people, use ammonium nitrate as a secondary propellant to fill airbags upon collision.
Ammonium nitrate is a volatile and unstable chemical that can explode when put under extreme heat or pressure.
Ammonium nitrate has been used as a propellant, in explosive materials, in fertilizers and herbicides, and in countless other industrial applications for decades.
When deployed in a car accident, the airbag inflator has the potential to explode and send metal fragments into a vehicle’s cabin due to the unstable ammonium nitrate contained in the canister.
Both in accident reports and internal testing, ARC Automotive and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have found that ammonium nitrate is a dangerous chemical to use for airbag inflators and can injure or kill vehicle occupants even in minor collisions where people are not expected to be seriously injured.
Have ARC Airbag Inflators Been Recalled?
Despite the numerous reported issues and injuries and deaths associated with the exploding inflators, ARC Automotive has not been subject to a widespread recall that includes the entire fleet of vehicles with them installed.
There have been three limited recalls on certain vehicle models with ARC Airbag inflators, affecting a couple thousand of the tens of millions of cars that have been known to use ARC inflators.
ARC Airbag Inflators Linked to the Deaths of Two People
At least two deaths have been reportedly linked to the faulty ARC Airbag Inflators. The victim’s stories are listed below:
- Marlene Beadoin, a mother of ten children, was killed by metal fragments expelled into the cabin of her 2015 Chevy Traverse when involved in a relatively minor accident in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A wrongful death lawsuit was filed on her behalf against ARC Automotive, General Motors and Toyoda Gosei North America.
- A Canadian woman was killed by metal fragments expelled into the vehicle cabin of her 2009 Hyundai Elantra. This 2016 accident was said to be at low speeds and would not have resulted in major injuries or death if it hadn’t been for the defective ARC airbag inflator.
ARC Airbag Class Action Lawsuit
Multiple class action lawsuits have been filed for ARC Airbag Inflator defects.
These lawsuits have named the following companies as defendants:
- ARC Automotive Inc.
- General Motors
- Volkswagen
- Ford
- Audi
- Hyundai
- Kia
- Joyson Safety Systems
- Toyoda Gosei North America
One proposed class action lawsuit was filed in the US District Court: District of South Carolina in August 2022.
Another was filed in June 2022 in the US District Court: Northern District of California.
These class action lawsuits allege that ARC Automotive and vehicle manufacturers knew or should have known that their vehicle components were dangerous.
The class action suits further demand compensation for victims for the lost value of their vehicle, loss of use of their vehicles, and other costs related to the defective airbag inflators.
*TruLaw is NOT involved in the ARC Airbag Inflator Class Action Lawsuit.
Do You Qualify for an ARC Airbag Inflator Lawsuit?
If you or a loved one have been injured or killed due to a defective ARC airbag inflator, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit.
The safety components of a car are supposed to work in a way that protects vehicle occupants from accidents and danger, not put them at even further risk.
The ARC Airbag Inflator has the potential to explode and expel metal fragments into the vehicle cabin that can easily injure or kill vehicle occupants.
ARC Automotive and any other company complicit in the inaction to remove these inflators from the market must be held responsible.
TruLaw: Investigating Claims and Accepting Clients for the ARC Airbag Lawsuit
TruLaw’s network of expert attorneys is investigating claims against ARC Automotive and other vehicle manufacturers, and is accepting clients who have been injured or their loved one’s killed due to the faulty airbag inflators.
If you or a loved one have been injured or killed due to ARC’s defective inflators, contact TruLaw today for a free consultation.
You can also use the Instant Case Evaluator on this page to see if you qualify for legal action instantly.
Our product liability attorneys understand the difficulty of the situation and aim to hold the companies responsible.
Don’t hesitate to reach out – justice for victims cannot wait.
Experienced Attorney & Legal SaaS CEO
With over 25 years of legal experience, Jessie is an Illinois lawyer, a CPA, and a mother of three. She spent the first decade of her career working as an international tax attorney at Deloitte.
In 2009, Jessie co-founded her own law firm with her husband – which has scaled to over 30 employees since its conception.
In 2016, Jessie founded TruLaw, which allows her to collaborate with attorneys and legal experts across the United States on a daily basis. This hypervaluable network of experts is what enables her to share reliable legal information with her readers!
Here, at TruLaw, we’re committed to helping victims get the justice they deserve.
Alongside our partner law firms, we have successfully collected over $3 Billion in verdicts and settlements on behalf of injured individuals.
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