Hank Investigates: Dashboard Deception

This body shop, just outside of Boston, is getting some unexpected visitors.

The police auto theft strike force and state inspectors swarm over the wrecked cars and stacks of auto parts. If they find stolen airbags, or ones that are illegally or improperly removed, it's you that could be in danger.

Hank Phillippi Ryan, 7News
"Couldn't they be putting in stolen parts? Salvage parts? Illegal parts?"

Martin McHardy
"Very possible."

Hank Phillippi Ryan, 7News
"So someone in Massachusetts could have an unsafe airbag in their car right now."

Trooper Joe Grant, MA State Police
"Yes, they could."

Hank Phillippi Ryan, 7News
"And not know it?"

Trooper Joe Grant, MA State Police
"Correct."

An airbag should have protected Damaris Gaithi in her head-on collision, but it never deployed and she was killed. Evidence photos prove why. Police found her car just had a fake airbag cover with remnants of a used bag stuffed behind it.

When Joyce Webb got suspicious of her used car's history, mechanics discovered her airbag compartment was filled with rags.

Joyce Webb, Airbag fraud victim
"When I found out I was devastated."

Nationwide, investigators find bags containing all kinds of junk--paper towels, shredded cigarette cartons. Drivers wouldn't know until it’s too late.

How often does it happen? Experts acknowledge that's impossible to know - but they do know why.

Jim Quiggle, Coalition Against Insurance Fraud
"The motive for airbag fraud is spelled m-o-n-e-y. Money."

Here’s how it works - after an airbag deploys in a crash putting in an authentic manufacturer's replacement is expensive: $500 to $2,000. But shady repair shops can pay much less for stolen, damaged or fake airbags, then bill the insurance company for the real thing. Big profits for them, but big problem for you.

Jim Quiggle, Coalition Against Insurance Fraud
"What you really have is a time bomb on four wheels."

Where do the black market bags come from? Anywhere there’s a car. This Norwood dealership installed massive security after more than a dozen bags were slashed out of new cars in their lot.

Hank Phillippi Ryan, 7News
"What did that tell you about the people who took them?"

Michael Shafman, VP of Operations, Boch Enterprises
"Well, it told us that these were not kids stealing something, these were professionals."

And police showed us these stolen airbags--seized in local repair shop raids-- bound for Massachusetts cars.

Hank Phillippi Ryan, 7News
"Are you still finding stolen airbags like this in body shops?"

Trooper Joe Grant, MA State Police
"Yes."

Questionable airbags also come from the Internet. We found hundreds for sale. Would they work? Who knows. They could be broken, junk, or harvested from flood-damaged cars.

Here, an airbag deploys at the proper speed. Remember, they have to work in milliseconds. Now, this industry test video we obtained shows an airbag salvaged from a water-soaked flood car.

You don't have to be an expert to predict the result of this terrifying dud.

George Kirchoff, Automotive Occupants Restraint Council
"You could receive an injury you would otherwise not receive, you could even be a fatality."

So how would you know if your airbag is OK? You wouldn't. Though federal law requires new cars to have them - it doesn't require deployed bags to be replaced.

What's more, Massachusetts annual safety inspections do not include airbags. In fact, the only way to confirm yours will work is to have a mechanic run a high tech computer scan.

It doesn't take long-- to find if you're truly protected or just think you are.

Jim Quiggle, Coalition Against Insurance Fraud
"This is a very real safety threat to every driver and every passenger who steps in to a car."

Those computers scans are available at reputable car dealers and repair shops.

For more information:

An airbag computer diagnostic scan usually takes approximately 30-60 minutes. The charges range from $45 to $100. Some dealers and mechanics may charge their hourly rate.

Experts say before buying a used car from a dealer or from a private seller ask to have this diagnostic check performed.

Vehicle history service company CARFAX gets airbag deployment accident data from 24 states. It helps potential car buyers see if a car has ever needed its airbags replaced. Massachusetts airbag deployment data will be included on CARFAX reports by the end of March 2005. Experts say even checking to see if a used car has ever been in a prior major accident is a good idea.

Links to vehicle history services:

http://www.carfax.com/cfm/purchase_options.cfm?partner=PRL_C
(make sure you check the pricing options!)

http://www.autocheck.com/consumers/gatewayAction.do?siteID=706

More resources on airbag fraud:

Automotive Occupant Restraints Council:
http://www.aorc.org/

Coalition Against Insurance Fraud:
http://insurancefraud.org/airbag_warning.htm

National Insurance Crime Bureau:
http://www.nicb.org/uploaded_documents/publicfactsheets/airbag.pdf

Consumer Affairs.com
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/airbag_fraud.html


If you are a victim of air bag related insurance fraud, you should contact your insurance company.

If you want to confidentially report a repair shop committing fraud:

MA Insurance Fraud Bureau:
http://www.ifb.org/default_java.htm

National Insurance Crime Bureau:
http://www.nicb.org/

To report a repair shop using illegal or stolen airbags or parts:

Auto Theft Strike Force
Executive Office of Public Safety
520 Fellsway
Medford, MA 02155
Tel: (781) 393-1200
Toll Free hotline: 1-800-HOT-AUTO (468-2886)
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/ciscig/l/l3.htm