The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recalled almost a million GM midsized SUVs due to defective airbag inflators. According to NHTSA, deployment of the airbags may propel metal shrapnel into the passenger compartment, causing possible injury or death. The manufacturer of the modules, ARC Automotive, has rejected the government allegations. The company argues that single-digit failures in parts manufactured in quantities of million or more represent a sample size statistically too small to justify wholesale replacement.   * * *Want to watch this podcast as a video? This Week in Engineering is available on engineering.com TV along with all of our other shows such as End of the Line, Designing the Future, Manufacturing the Future, and the Engineering Roundtable.

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