"About 1.5 million airbags are deployed each year in police-reported tow-away crashes, Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, said.
"The bags are marketed to auto repair and body shops as the real deal, industry officials said. * * * The counterfeit airbags were manufactured by purchasing genuine auto airbags that were torn down and used to make molds to produce the counterfeit bags. Trademark emblems were purchased through Honda, Toyota, Audi, BMW and other dealerships located in China and affixed to the counterfeit airbags.