The government will reportedly warn car owners later today about the risk of counterfeit airbags.

According to published reports, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will say replacement bags installed in the past three years may fail or not inflate properly.

The agency will ask car owners to check a government website, Safercar.gov, or call their manufacturer or local dealership to see if their vehicle model is among those for which counterfeit air bags have been made.

The NHTSA says tens of thousands of cars may be affected.

No deaths or injuries have been tied to the counterfeit bags, but it's unclear if accident investigators would be able to identify a counterfeit bag from a genuine one.