AUTONEWS

eBay bans airbag sales due to counterfeit parts

It was only a matter of time before it happened. eBay announced that airbags and related components would no longer be able to be advertised or sold on its online platform.

According to Collision Repair Mag, the ban is a direct response to the proliferation of counterfeit airbags on the market, as well as the fact that no one, including government agencies, seems to be able to determine where these parts come from.

eBay is a platform known for selling used car parts. Anyone can open an account and anyone can put something up for sale. Although stricter rules have been introduced in recent years about who can sell airbags, counterfeit parts have still found their way onto the platform, sold, and installed in cars without their owners knowing.

A history of airbag-related issues in the U.S...In 2025, a Michigan man was indicted for selling counterfeit airbags on eBay. At the time, the Michigan Department of Justice stated that more than 80% of counterfeit airbags do not function correctly.

Earlier this year, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that eight drivers had died in accidents involving airbag inflators that failed. According to the website Carscoops, the agency cited the company Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System.

Fatal incident...One such counterfeit airbag ended up in a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu driven by Destiny Byassee. According to Value Added Resource, the airbag later exploded in a car accident, killing her instead of saving her life.

Her family sued the manufacturer of the DTN, as well as eBay, arguing that eBay should have investigated the ad and removed it. The court dismissed the part of the lawsuit against eBay that claimed eBay did not create the ad itself or directly handle the counterfeit airbag. The manufacturer of the DTN was found liable and awarded $603 million in damages.

At the same time, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a separate subpoena to eBay requesting information about several user accounts that were selling DTN airbags.

NHTSA also requested information about the policies and procedures governing approved sellers, advertisements, and counterfeit airbags in particular.

Although the NHTSA did not accuse eBay of any wrongdoing, the pressure on the company was clearly intense. The ban on the sale of airbags is a way for eBay to completely withdraw from this risky segment.

What's changing as of September 24? As of September 24, 2026, eBay will no longer allow the sale of: airbags, pyrotechnic modules, and steering wheel airbag covers.

Sellers will have to remove existing listings for these parts by that date. If they don't, eBay will remove them.

In the U.S., the sale of airbag system components—including control units, crash sensors, passenger sensors, and diagnostic modules—will only be allowed to sellers who have been previously approved.

In other countries, sellers will still be able to sell these parts.

It was bound to happen someday, and now it finally has. eBay has announced that airbags and related components will no longer be listed or sold on its online auction platform. "This decision was made following a comprehensive review of the risks these products may pose to eBay users," said eBay in its announcement. Collision Repair Mag reports that the ban is a direct response to the proliferation of counterfeit airbags on the market and the fact that no one, including the government, seems able to figure out where they're coming from.

eBay is a great source for used auto parts. Anyone can make an account, and anyone can put stuff up for sale. Despite increasing restrictions on who gets approved to sell airbags over the years, counterfeits can and do make their way to the platform, get sold, and get installed in cars with their owners none the wiser. One of them found its way to Destiny Byassee's 2020 Chevy Malibu, an airbag that later exploded in a crash and killed her instead of saving her, according to Value Added Resource. Her estate sued manufacturer DTN, as well as eBay, who it claimed should have reviewed and dismissed the listing. A judge dismissed eBay's part of the lawsuit, since it did not create the listing or handle the counterfeit airbag itself. DTN was found guilty, to the tune of $603 million in damages.

At the same time, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a Special Order to eBay seeking information about several accounts that had sold DTN airbags. NHTSA also asked about policies and procedures involving approved sellers, listings in general, and counterfeit airbags in particular. While NHTSA has not accused eBay of any wrongdoing, the heat is clearly on. eBay's ban on airbag sales is its way of jumping out of the fire.