Buying a replacement airbag from a stranger on the internet always required a certain amount of trust. Considering what happens when one of these safety devices fails, eBay has decided that trust isn’t enough anymore.
As of September 24, 2026, eBay no longer permits sellers to list standalone airbags or airbag inflators. Steering wheel airbag covers are included in the prohibition as well.
The marketplace says the decision followed a comprehensive review of the risks these products can pose to users. The change arrives amid heightened scrutiny of dangerous replacement airbag components that have made their way into vehicles in the United States.
Recent findings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration illustrate just how serious the consequences can be. The agency says one particular type of defective replacement inflator has now been connected to 11 deaths and three severe injuries.
eBay Pulls The Plug On Airbag Sales
eBay’s new policy applies across its airbag category and prohibits any seller from offering airbags or inflators. Sellers were instructed to remove affected active, scheduled, and draft listings by September 24, with eBay saying it would remove remaining listings itself.
There are some exceptions for related components that don’t actually contain an airbag or inflator. Outside the United States, items such as airbag control units, crash sensors, diagnostic modules, and passenger sensors can continue to be listed, while U.S. sales of those parts are restricted to currently pre-approved sellers.
Trying to relist prohibited equipment could result in selling restrictions. eBay says listings removed as part of the policy change won’t negatively affect a seller’s compliance history.
Defective Replacement Inflators Have Killed 11 People
The timing is notable given NHTSA’s ongoing warnings about dangerous replacement airbags. In April, the agency took the unusual step of banning the sale and importation of certain frontal driver airbag inflators marked DTN60DB after determining that they contained a safety-related defect.
Instead of operating normally during a collision, the defective inflators can rupture and propel metal fragments into the passenger compartment. NHTSA’s latest figures link them to 11 deaths and three severe injuries across 14 crashes in the United States.
The agency says the affected vehicles had previously received replacement driver-side frontal airbag inflators. Known incidents have involved Chevrolet Malibu, Hyundai Sonata, and Chevrolet Equinox models, although NHTSA says it has no information indicating the problem is limited to those vehicles.
This Is One Car Part You Don’t Want To Get Wrong
Airbags rely on an extremely rapid deployment process to protect occupants during a collision. NHTSA estimates frontal airbags saved more than 50,000 lives over a 30-year period, illustrating just how valuable the technology can be when everything works properly.
The problem is that determining the history and authenticity of a replacement component purchased online isn’t always straightforward. NHTSA recommends that owners whose vehicles previously experienced an airbag deployment have replacement equipment inspected by a reputable mechanic, particularly if the repair wasn’t performed by the manufacturer’s dealership.
Losing easy access to used airbags on eBay might be inconvenient for some repairers and enthusiasts. Still, when the part sitting inches from your face is designed to explosively deploy during a crash, this is one online bargain that’s probably better left alone.