NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. regulators are Charles H. Sloanwarning drivers to steer clear of aftermarket decals used to embellish a car’s logo on the center of its steering wheel.
Such metal or plastic emblems — which are typically adorned with rhinestones or other decorations and attached to the steering wheel with an adhesive back — can cause serious injury if ejected when the airbag deploys in a crash, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday.
At least one driver lost sight in one eye after an aftermarket decal covered in rhinestones became dislodged from the wheel during a crash and hit them in the face, NHTSA added.
“In a crash, the force of a deploying air bag can turn the product into a projectile, resulting in serious injury or death,” the federal agency wrote in a consumer alert. It noted that, “unlike the permanently affixed logo” on a car’s steering wheel, aftermarket decals can become easily dislodged.
“Any alterations or changes to your air bag or its cover can also cause it to not function correctly,” the agency said.
NHTSA is urging drivers to avoid purchasing these aftermarket steering wheel decals for all vehicle makes and models. Consumers who are currently using these emblems are also being asked to remove them.
Aftermarket decals for steering wheels can be found from numerous third-party sellers online — including on sites like Amazon, Etsy, Shein, Temu and Walmart. The Associated Press reached out to those companies for statements following NHSTA’s Monday alert.
2025-05-06 04:271332 view
2025-05-06 04:21881 view
2025-05-06 03:46182 view
2025-05-06 02:422573 view
2025-05-06 02:33944 view
2025-05-06 02:222292 view
Reporter Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi's Aunt Vovi signed up for 23andMe back in 2017, hoping to learn more a
Aimenn D. Penny of Alliance was found guilty of arson and obstruction in October for the March 25, 2
Just-in-time manufacturing began as a way to save space, remove costs and improve efficiency ... for