eBay will stop allowing airbags, airbag inflators and steering wheel airbag covers to be sold on its marketplace starting September 24, 2026, after federal investigators linked counterfeit and defective inflators sold online to at least 11 deaths, according to NHTSA’s own safety notice.

Key Points

• eBay’s policy update, posted to its own seller announcements board, bans standalone airbags, inflators/gas generators, and steering wheel airbag covers worldwide.
• eBay says the change follows “a comprehensive review of the risks these products may pose to eBay users,” per the same announcement.
• NHTSA’s final decision found inflators marked “DTN60DB,” made in China and typically installed as cheap aftermarket replacements, can rupture and send metal fragments into a driver’s chest, neck, eyes or face.
• Sellers have roughly 30 days from the announcement to pull affected listings before eBay begins removing them automatically.

What’s Affected

Under the new rule, airbags, inflators and steering wheel airbag covers can no longer be listed on eBay at all. Airbag-related components that don’t include an inflator — control units, crash sensors, diagnostic modules and passenger sensors — remain listable outside the U.S., but inside the U.S. only sellers who go through eBay’s pre-approval process can offer even those parts, according to eBay’s policy page.

The move traces back to a specific defect. NHTSA’s final decision, issued in April 2026 against manufacturer Jilin Province Detiannuo Safety Technology Co., found the DTN60DB inflators were likely imported illegally and sold as budget replacements after a vehicle’s original airbag had deployed or the car had been stolen and recovered. The agency says 11 people have died and three others were severely injured in 14 crashes tied to the part, with documented cases concentrated in older Chevrolet Malibu and Hyundai Sonata models, though NHTSA warns the problem may extend to other vehicles.

eBay has faced legal pressure over listings like these. A Florida jury awarded $603 million to the estate of a driver killed by a ruptured replacement airbag in a case involving a part sold online, underscoring the stakes behind the platform’s decision to exit the category entirely rather than police it listing by listing.

What Owners Should Do

• Check your vehicle’s repair and airbag-deployment history, especially if the car was ever in a crash, stolen and recovered, or bought used with unclear service records, per NHTSA’s guidance.
• Have a certified dealership technician inspect the airbag system — NHTSA warns against removing or inspecting an airbag yourself.
• Do not drive the vehicle if a DTN60DB-marked inflator is found, until it’s replaced.
• Report suspected counterfeit inflators to NHTSA at 888-327-4236 or through the agency’s website.

eBay pulling airbags from its marketplace closes off one major channel for these parts, but it doesn’t undo the ones already installed in cars on the road today — which is exactly why NHTSA is pushing owners to check their own vehicle’s history now.