ARC Airbag Inflators: How to Check a Used Car in 2026

Most cars with ARC airbag inflators are not under any recall right now, so a clean NHTSA recall search does not mean the inflator question is settled. NHTSA's 2023 initial decision covered roughly 52 million ARC and Delphi frontal inflators built through January 2018 across 12 automakers, but in December 2024 the agency paused to investigate further instead of ordering a recall. A few automakers recalled specific models on their own, most notably GM with about 994,763 2014-2017 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia SUVs. For a used buyer, the practical move is to run the VIN, know which models already have a fix, and check the airbag history on the car itself.

We read the Federal Register notice, NHTSA's investigation file and the GM recall paperwork on November 8, 2026. It is a frustrating subject, honestly. You are being asked to evaluate a safety part you cannot see, inside a steering wheel, based on a federal process that has been open since 2016.

What the ARC problem is

ARC inflators are a hybrid design: compressed gas plus a propellant, sealed inside a steel housing. NHTSA's theory, stated in the September 2023 notice, is that weld slag from the friction welding process can block the exit opening when the airbag fires. Pressure builds, the housing ruptures, and metal fragments go into the cabin. NHTSA counted seven confirmed ruptures in the United States, with at least seven people injured and one killed. The investigation that became EA16-003 was opened in August 2016, prompted in part by a fatal July 2016 rupture in a 2009 Hyundai Elantra in Canada.

The scope NHTSA proposed is huge: about 41 million frontal driver and passenger inflators made by ARC from 2000 until it started borescope inspections in January 2018, plus about 11 million driver inflators Delphi built under license. The automakers named in that notice are BMW, FCA (now Stellantis), Ford, GM, Hyundai, Kia, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Tesla, Toyota and Volkswagen.

The trail goes back further than most people realize. NHTSA's file says its earlier review, opened in July 2015, started with two injury ruptures: one in a 2002 Chrysler Town and Country and one in a 2004 Kia Optima, both with driver inflators ARC built in Knoxville, Tennessee. At that stage NHTSA estimated about 8 million inflators had been made through September 2004 for Chrysler, GM, Kia and Hyundai vehicles sold in the United States. The scope only grew from there.

Where it stands now

NHTSA issued a supplemental initial decision on July 31, 2024. Then, in a memo dated December 13, 2024, the agency said comments had raised technical differences between how the inflators were installed in different vehicles and differences between ARC's plants and lines, and that it would send new information requests to ARC, the automakers and airbag module suppliers before deciding how to proceed. That memo is the most recent NHTSA document we found on the question. We could not find a final recall order as of early November 2026, which means there is no blanket ARC recall for you to look up.

Look, that is an unsatisfying answer. It also means a seller who says "no open recalls" can be telling the truth and still be selling you a car with one of the inflators NHTSA called defective in 2023.

The GM SUVs that do have a fix

GM did not wait. Its recall 23V-334, acknowledged by NHTSA in May 2023, covers 994,763 2014-2017 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia vehicles. The problem description is blunt: the driver airbag inflator may explode during deployment and throw sharp metal fragments. Dealers replace the driver airbag module for free, and GM's internal number is N232404980. If you are shopping one of these three, this recall should be your first search, and a completed status should come with a repair order. Our used Enclave guide and used Acadia guide cover the rest of what to look at on these.

How to check a used car with a possible ARC inflator

• Run the VIN on NHTSA's recall search and on the automaker's own site. Our NHTSA recall check guide walks through it, and brand pages like Chevy recall lookup show the manufacturer side.
• Check whether the airbags were ever deployed and replaced. A post-crash replacement with a cheap or counterfeit module is its own risk, separate from ARC. Our post on airbag deployment on CARFAX explains what a report can show.
• Make sure the airbag warning light comes on at startup and then goes off. A light that never comes on at all is a red flag, because it can be hidden.
• Save the VIN and set a reminder to recheck it every few months after you buy. If NHTSA does issue an order, recall letters go to the registered owner, and you want that to be you with the right address.

If you have already been through the Takata mess on an older car, this will feel familiar, though the process is different. Our Takata recall check covers that one, where the recalls actually happened.

What a history report adds

A history report will not tell you who made the inflator. What it can show is a reported crash with airbag deployment, a salvage or rebuilt brand, or dealer recall work when that gets reported. CARFAX charges around $39.99 to $44.99 for a single report on its own site. We are a licensed reseller of CARFAX and AutoCheck reports, independent of both companies and of Experian; our recent pricing has been about $5.50 per guest report, $4.50 for members and $6.75 for the two together. That can change, so confirm at checkout.

Sources

• Federal Register: NHTSA initial decision on ARC and Delphi inflators (September 2023)
• NHTSA ODI resume, investigation EA16-003 (opened August 2016)
• NHTSA memorandum, continuation of ARC investigation, December 13, 2024 (court filing via CourtListener)
• NHTSA acknowledgment, GM recall 23V-334 (May 2023)