eBay is banning the sale of airbags and many airbag parts in the United States, joining competitors such as Amazon and Facebook Marketplace.
The ban follows a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation released in April. It found that certain substandard airbag inflators imported from China were responsible for a dozen deaths or serious injuries since 2023. In July, The Wall Street Journal traced several faulty, possibly counterfeit airbag components and found one had been bought as an aftermarket part on eBay.
eBay told NPR the decision followed “a comprehensive review of the risks these products may pose to eBay users.” The company said it will enforce the policy through seller compliance audits, filtering algorithms and AI-supported monitoring.
Safety advocates welcomed the move. Rosemary Shahan of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety said there are many dangerous airbags in circulation. But William Wallace of Consumer Reports cautioned that faulty airbags could still appear on other sites, calling the fight a game of Whac-A-Mole.
Amazon, Meta, Temu and Alibaba already prohibit airbag sales. The ban means American shoppers can no longer buy standalone airbags or inflators on eBay, though dealers and professional suppliers continue to operate through their own channels.