Up to 12.3 million cars across 10 brands have airbags that may not deploy in the event of a crash, says an ongoing investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. At risk are cars made since 2009 by Acura, Dodge, Fiat, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Mitsubishi, Ram, and Toyota, the suspected issue lies with an airbag control unit that's apparently at risk of becoming damaged or disabled by "stray electrical signals," reports Car and Driver. A total of eight traffic deaths are potentially related. The investigation was spurred on by a death resulting from a crash involving two Toyotas whose airbags did not deploy. The 2018 and 2019 model year Toyotas used an airbag control unit manufactured by ZF-TRW. The component had already been the subject of a previous NHTSA probe prompted by six crashes in which the airbags in Hyundai and Kia cars didn't deploy either, resulting in four deaths and six injuries. The two Korean automakers have since collectively recalled over a million cars over dysfunctional airbags. Before that, Fiat Chrysler recalled 1.4 million vehicles over an identical issue after three deaths and five injuries. Reportedly, stray electrical signals can cause "electrical overstress" if it enters wiring in between the ZF-TRW system's crash sensors and airbag control unit. This would potentially cause the frontal airbags, side airbags, and seatbelt pretensioners to fail. Notably, NHTSA says the million or so cars Hyundai and Kia recalled happened to have the "lowest levels of circuit protection" while other, unaffected models on Hyundai and Kia's lineups had "higher levels of protection." To be clear, this investigation is unrelated to Takata's airbag fiasco in which airbags are going off and sending shrapnel into people's faces. The parts supplier at the center of the new airbag problem, ZF, says it is cooperating with NHTSA and came forward once it noticed something amiss. In a statement to CNN, "ZF proactively notified NHTSA and vehicle manufacturers following initial observations of electrical overstress damage to airbag control units in certain vehicles in the field and has worked diligently with them since it was first discovered to understand this complex issue. ZF continues to cooperate with NHTSA and our customers in the investigation." From C/D, here's the full laundry list of affected cars: Acura 2012–2014 TSX, TSX Sport Wagon, and TL; 2015–2017 TLX; 2014–2019 RLX Dodge 2010–2011 Nitro Fiat 2012–2019 500 Honda 2012–2014 Ridgeline; 2012–2015 Civic; 2012–2016 CR-V; 2012–2017 Fit and 2013–2014 Fit EV; 2013–2015 Accord and 2014–2014 Accord Hybrid Hyundai 2013–2019 Sonata Jeep 2010–2012 Liberty; 2010–2018 Wrangler; 2015–2017 Compass and Patriot Kia 2012–2016 Optima Hybrid; 2013 Forte and Forte Koup; 2013–2019 Optima; 2014 Sedona Mitsubishi 2013 Outlander; 2013–2017 Lancer (Evolution included) Ram 2009–2012 Ram 1500; 2010–2012 Ram 2500 and 3500; 2011–2012 Ram 4500 and 5500 Toyota 2011–2013 Corolla Matrix; 2011–2019 Corolla; 2012–2017 Sequoia and Tundra; 2012–2018 Avalon; 2012–2019 Tacoma<doc-sep>Advertisement Investigation into deadly airbag crashes expands; check if your vehicle is on the list Share Shares Copy Link Copy U.S. auto safety regulators have expanded an investigation into malfunctioning airbag controls to include 12.3 million vehicles because the bags may not inflate in a crash. The problem could be responsible for as many as eight deaths.Vehicles made by Toyota, Honda, Kia, Hyundai, Mitsubishi and Fiat Chrysler from the 2010 through 2019 model years are included in the probe, which was revealed Tuesday in documents posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It involves airbag control units made by ZF-TRW that were installed in the vehicles.Is your car under a recall? CHECK HERE The case is another in a long list of problems with auto industry airbags, including faulty and potentially deadly Takata air bag inflators. At least 24 people have been killed worldwide and more than 200 injured by the inflators, which can explode with too much force and hurl dangerous shrapnel into the passenger cabin. The inflators touched off the largest series of automotive recalls in U.S. history involving with as many as 70 million inflators to be recalled by the end of next year. About 100 million inflators are to be recalled worldwide.On April 19, NHTSA upgraded the ZF-TRW probe from a preliminary evaluation to an engineering analysis, which is a step closer toward seeking recalls. So far, only Hyundai and Kia and Fiat Chrysler have issued recalls in the case. Four deaths that may have been caused by the problem were reported in Hyundai-Kia vehicles and three in Fiat Chrysler automobiles. NHTSA opened an investigation in March of 2017 involving the TRW parts in Hyundais and Kias.The upgrade came after investigators found two recent serious crashes involving 2018 and 2019 Toyota Corollas in which the airbags did not inflate. One person was killed.NHTSA will evaluate how susceptible the airbag control units are to electrical signals as well as other factors that could stop airbags from inflating. The agency also "will evaluate whether an unreasonable risk exists that requires further field action. "Last year, Hyundai and Kia recalled nearly 1.1 million vehicles because of the problem, about a year after NHTSA opened its investigation.Kia vehicles2010 through 2013 Forte compact cars and 2011 through 2013 Optima midsize cars in the U.S. Optima Hybrid Sedona minivans from 2011 and 2012Hyundai vehicles 2011 through 2013 Sonata midsize cars2011 and 2012 Sonata HybridIn 2016, Fiat Chrysler recalled about 1.9 million vehicles worldwide including the 2010 Chrysler Sebring, the 2011 through 2014 Chrysler 200, the 2010 through 2012 Dodge Caliber, the 2010 through 2014 Dodge Avenger, the 2010 through 2014 Jeep Patriot and Compass and the 2012 and 2013 Lancia Flavia.In a separate recall, millions of cars are still under recall from the Takata airbag recalls. Below is a list of the cars recalled from Takata:2003 Acura 3.2CL2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL2013-2016 Acura ILX2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid2003-2006 Acura MDX2007-2016 Acura RDX2005-2012 Acura RL2009-2014 Acura TL2009-2014 Acura TSX2010-2013 Acura ZDX2007-2013 Chevrolet Avalanche2007-2014 Chevrolet Silverado HD2007-2013 Chevrolet Silverado LD2007-2014 Chevrolet Suburban2007-2014 Chevrolet Tahoe2005-2015 Chrysler 3002007-2009 Chrysler Aspen2007-2008 Chrysler Crossfire2008-2014 Dodge Challenger2006-2015 Dodge Charger2005-2011 Dodge Dakota2004-2009 Dodge Durango2005-2008 Dodge Magnum2003-2008 Dodge Ram 1500/2500/3500 Pickup2005-2009 Dodge Ram 2500 Pickup2007-2010 Dodge Ram 3500 Cab Chassis2006-2009 Dodge Ram 3500 Pickup2008-2010 Dodge Ram 4500/5500 Cab Chassis2007-2010 Ford Edge2006-2012 Ford Fusion2005-2006 Ford GT2005-2014 Ford Mustang2004-2011 Ford Ranger2007-2014 GMC Sierra HD2007-2013 GMC Sierra LD2007-2014 GMC Yukon2007-2014 GMC Yukon XL2001-2012 Honda Accord2001-2011 Honda Civic2003-2011 Honda Civic Hybrid2001-2011 Honda Civic NGV2010-2015 Honda Crosstour2002-2011 Honda CR-V2011-2015 Honda CR-Z2003-2011 Honda Element2010-2014 Honda FCX Clarity2007-2013 Honda Fit2013-2014 Honda Fit EV2010-2014 Honda Insight2002-2004 Honda Odyssey2003-2015 Honda Pilot2006-2014 Honda Ridgeline2003-2008 Infiniti FX2001 Infiniti I302002-2004 Infiniti I352006-2010 Infiniti M2002-2003 Infiniti QX42007-2016 Jeep Wrangler2007-2012 Land Rover Range Rover2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV2014 Mitsubishi i-MiEV2016-2017 Mitsubishi i-MiEV2004-2007 Mitsubishi Lancer2004-2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback2006-2009 Mitsubishi Raider2001-2003 Nissan Maxima2002-2004 Nissan Pathfinder2002-2006 Nissan Sentra2007-2012 Nissan Versa2010-2016 Toyota 4Runner2003-2013 Toyota Corolla2003-2013 Toyota Corolla Matrix2004-2005 Toyota Rav42002-2007 Toyota Sequoia2011-2014 Toyota Sienna2003-2006 Toyota Tundra2006-2011 Toyota Yaris (Hatch Back)2007-2012 Toyota Yaris (Sedan)Editor's note: A previous version of this story linked to a recall list that only included Takata recalls. The previous version also only listed the vehicles under a recall for Takata airbags and not the vehicles in the ZF recall, which are now listed.<doc-sep>The TRW airbag investigation now includes millions of additional cars.Documents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that it is examining an additional 12.3 million vehicles, but has not issued a recall. The airbags may have defects that prevent them from deploying. "The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is expanding the investigation to include the equipment supplier and vehicle manufacturers (OEMs) using this unit," said the document from the NHTSA. TRW AIRBAG INVESTIGATION: Which Cars Are Affected? The vehicles involved in the investigation are from popular manufacturers like Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi and Toyota. Some of the vehicles have TRW (ZF) airbags that could fail during a crash event, according to the NHTSA. "These control units may suffer electrical overstress due to harmful signals (electrical transients) produced by the crash event, causing the unit to stop working during the crash," said the NHTSA document. Essentially, the NHTSA is examining whether the airbag control units used by these car companies are faulty and don't actually sense a vehicle crash in order to deploy the necessary airbags. There were two "substantial frontal crash events," one of which was fatal, in which the non-deployment was suspected to be due to this failure. The issue could also lead to the failure of seat belt pretensioners that help protect people in a crash as well. This expanded investigation comes after months of announcements regarding exploding airbags from the maker Takata that are potentially explosive. Those airbag inflators are involved in tens of millions of recalls. Anyone who's worried that their vehicle might be recalled for any reason whatsoever can check the status of their vehicle with the NHTSA or they can check with the specific maker of their vehicle. How To Check If Your Vehicle Is Recalled: To check recalls on their vehicle, drivers need to know the vehicle identification number, or VIN number. The VIN can be found on the lower left corner of their windshield or on the inside of the driver's side door. The VIN is a 17-digit number that is printed on the vehicle. It's also on the registration card for the vehicle. The VIN lookup tool from the NHTSA shows any safety recalls that are incomplete, any recalls from the past 15 years and safety recalls from major light auto retailers. CORRECTION (4/24/19 12:07 a.m. EDT): A previous version of the story referred to a recall of TRW airbags. To date, only Takata airbags have been recalled. TRW airbags are currently being investigated by the NHTSA but there has been no recall issued. Newsweek regrets the error.<doc-sep>
U.S. auto safety regulators have broadened a probe into potentially defective airbags that may have failed to deploy, causing at least eight deaths. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating about 12.3 million airbags made by auto supplier ZF-TRW and installed in vehicles from Fiat Chrysler, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi and Toyota. The airbags are used in model-year vehicles ranging from 2010 to 2019, according to a government document. They were installed on popular vehicles such as certain versions of the Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Sonata, Jeep Compass and Kia Forte. Investigators say the airbags may not deploy due to malfunctioning crash sensors. The defect may also prevent seat belt pre-tensioners from operating properly. "ZF is committed to motor vehicle safety and is working cooperatively with NHTSA and our customers in the investigation," ZF said in a statement. Airbag control units are complex devices that have bedeviled automakers in recent years, leading to numerous recalls and investigations. Used car dealers and deadly defects:How dealers wrote a law to avoid fixing cars Big Brother or a big help? Where are cameras in your car and what are they doing? Career advice:How the Celtics' Marcus Morris made it to the top In 2018, Hyundai recalled the 2011 Sonata, and sibling brand Kia recalled the 2012-13 Forte, covering 425,000 vehicles in total, to rectify the defect. The NHTSA investigation into those vehicles – which were potentially linked to four deaths, according to a government record – is now expanding. In 2016, Fiat Chrysler recalled 1.43 million vehicles to address the issue, including the 2010-14 Chrysler 200, Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger; the 2010-14 Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot; and the 2010-12 Dodge Caliber. Those vehicles had been potentially linked to three deaths as of September 2016, according to Fiat Chrysler. The expanded investigation comes after investigators potentially linked two deaths in Toyota Corolla crashes to the defect: one in a 2018 model and another in a 2019 model. It was not immediately clear which other vehicle models could be affected or whether additional recalls are coming. New York Auto Show hits and misses:4 winners, 4 losers from the show floor Compact pickup is poised for a comeback:Ford, Hyundai, maybe even VW revive the once-dead model Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.