Over the past two weeks, the American public has been inspired to panic, albeit mildly. On October 10, the Obama Administration warned motorists that in the event of car accidents, the air bags installed in their vehicles to protect them may either fail to inflate or may cause them physical harm.

Essentially, a quarter of a million vehicles are at risk for containing counterfeit air bags manufactured in China. Specifically, motorists who have replaced their air bags at a repair facility, excluding new vehicle dealerships, within the past three years are at greatest risk for containing the counterfeit bags.

The counterfeit bags may inflate only partially, fail to inflate at all or spit shrapnel when inflating. Tens of thousands of motorists will need to get their air bags replaced. Unfortunately, because the counterfeit bag issue is not associated with an official recall related to a manufacturing defect, motorists will be required to pay the cost of replacement themselves.

Air bags are a critical safety feature of modern vehicles. Motorists trust that if they are in a devastating crash, air bags will help to prevent severe injury or death. However, these counterfeit bags may actually cause more injury than if the affected vehicle had not been outfitted with a bag in the first place.

Motorists concerned that they may be affected by what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has characterized as "an extreme safety risk," can consult the government site www.Safercar.gov for additional information on affected makes and models.

Source: ABC News, "Counterfeit Air Bags Called 'Extreme Safety Risk,'" Joan Lowy, Oct. 10, 2012