Asbestos exposure in mechanics and automotive workers is an ongoing problem. Clutches, brakes, and other materials contained asbestos for decades, putting mechanics and others at risk of mesothelioma. Workers replacing or fixing these parts or cleaning up in the workplace are at risk of exposure even today.[1]
How Was Asbestos Used in Vehicles?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned asbestos in many but not all capacities. Most new car manufacturers stopped using asbestos in the 1990s because of the health risks. Today, the biggest risk to automotive workers is in older, aftermarket, and imported car parts.
Car parts that may contain asbestos include:[2]
- Hoodliners
- Brake pads and brake linings
- Clutch assemblies
- Gaskets
- Valve rings
- Thread seal tape
- Friction materials
- Seals
- Spark plugs
- Electrical insulation
- Air conditioning housing
- Undercoating
- Soundproofing
- Adhesives
- Body putty
Do Vehicles Still Have Asbestos?
Many mechanics falsely believe that asbestos is no longer a risk for them. While many uses of asbestos have been outlawed in the U.S., there is no complete asbestos ban.
Older car parts still contain asbestos, and it is perfectly legal to keep using them. When mechanics work on older cars or with these older parts, they are still at risk of inhaling asbestos fibers from the dust created during maintenance and repair work.
Older cars and car parts pose a risk, but so do aftermarket parts. Any parts that come from overseas, especially those from India or China, can contain asbestos. Even some new, high-end, and luxury cars imported from other countries may have asbestos in certain parts.
Asbestos Exposure in Automotive Plants
Most American car companies do not use asbestos parts in the manufacturing of new vehicles. However, past workers risked exposure to asbestos when assembling vehicles using asbestos components.
Manufacturing plants also likely contained asbestos in construction materials and machinery. Many factories of all types had asbestos in:
- Insulation
- Pipes
- Cement
- Pumps
- Boilers
- Machinery
- Gaskets
- Valves
- Seals
How Are Mechanics and Automotive Workers Exposed to Asbestos?
Asbestos that is contained and not disrupted poses a low risk of exposure. However, when the fibers break loose from a material, a person nearby may inhale or ingest them without even realizing it.
Any dust produced by automotive work with asbestos-containing parts could lead to exposure:[3]
- Hoodliners and heat shields in older cars can cause exposure for people who tear them out to be replaced. The disturbance of the material can expose the asbestos and loosen the fibers.
- With brakes, the dust gets trapped in the housing just through normal use. When a mechanic removes the brakes, the dust can get into the air and on surfaces.
- The same is true with clutch parts. Dust accumulates in the assembly and is released when taken apart.
How Does Asbestos Harm Auto Mechanics?
If you inhale or ingest asbestos fibers, you may not get sick. The bigger risk is heavy and prolonged exposure.
How Does Asbestos Cause Illness?
Those tiny fibers that you may not even notice can get lodged in tissues in the body, like little needles. There, they can cause damage and inflammation that lead to disease.[4]
It usually takes decades to feel the consequences of exposure. Respiratory symptoms may include difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, chest pain, and coughing.
Asbestos may trigger damage in and around the lungs that causes pleural mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis, a progressive lung scarring.[4]
Ingested fibers can trigger peritoneal mesothelioma or other cancers of the abdominal organs and tissues. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include swelling and pain in the abdomen, a feeling of fullness, bowel obstruction, constipation, nausea, weight loss, anemia, and diarrhea.[5]
How Common is Mesothelioma in Auto Workers?
Although they have not been extensively studied, some research confirms that auto workers are at a greater risk of developing mesothelioma and other asbestos illnesses.
A recent study was published in 2018 and looked at both pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma in brake mechanics. It found hundreds of cases of asbestos illnesses in mechanics in the U.S. and worldwide. The researchers determined that asbestos exposure in mechanics is an ongoing problem.[6]
A study from 2000 sampled dust from six different auto repair shops in different states. The researchers found that most of them contained asbestos and that mechanics and other workers in the shops were at increased risk for mesothelioma.[7]
Which Types of Auto Workers Have the Highest Risk of Asbestos Exposure?
There are many jobs associated with automotive plants and mechanic shops. Anyone in these workplaces where asbestos is in use could be exposed. The workers with the highest risks included:
- Mechanics replacing brakes and clutches
- Mechanics working on vintage cars
- Workers installing asbestos parts on assembly lines
- Workers responsible for cleaning plants or mechanic shops with asbestos
What Companies Made Asbestos Auto Parts?
Many companies supplied the auto industry with parts. Some of those companies made asbestos-containing parts at least through the 1980s:
- Abex Corporation
- Anchor Packing
- Bendix Corporation
- Borg-Warner Corporation
- Chrysler Corporation
- Dana Corporation
- Ford Motor Company
- General Motors
- John Crane Company
- Raybestos-Manhattan
- Uniroyal
How to Stay Safe as an Auto Mechanic
If you are an auto mechanic, even if you don’t directly handle these parts that can contain asbestos, it is essential to understand and follow the safety guidelines outlined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
OSHA outlines specific practices, step-by-step, for working safely with clutches and brakes specifically. There are a few different acceptable methods for safe brake and clutch work:[8]
- Workers must use a negative-pressure enclosure with a HEPA vacuum system. This encloses the components and uses a vacuum to remove any asbestos fibers released. The enclosure is clear and fits around the parts so that mechanics can still see and work on them.
- Another method is to use low-pressure sprays to wet brake and clutch assemblies. The water keeps fiber dust down and prevents it from being inhaled. The runoff is collected and disposed of in a safe way.
- For shops that only do occasional clutch and brake jobs, OSHA suggests that a wet wipe method is adequate. This involves using a spray bottle to wet parts and then a cloth to wipe them down and remove dust.
OSHA also recommends that mechanics assume that all brakes and clutches contain asbestos. It is not possible to look at a clutch assembly or the dust from clutches and brakes and know if asbestos is in the dust. Assuming that it is there keeps workers safe.
Car Enthusiasts and Asbestos
Even if you don’t work in the automotive industry or as a mechanic, you could be at risk of asbestos exposure if you work on your own car. If you use aftermarket car parts, especially brakes and clutches in your project cars, they probably contain asbestos.
How Home Mechanics Are Exposed to Asbestos
While new car manufacturers rarely use asbestos in components today, older parts and aftermarket parts still contain asbestos. Many aftermarket parts that project car enthusiasts choose are from overseas because these are cheaper options.
Most of the parts imported from India or China contain asbestos. According to a report on this issue, the number of imported asbestos brakes used in the U.S. increased by 83% between 1996 and 2006.[1]
How to Work on Cars Safely
Choose higher-cost brakes and clutches made in the U.S. for your project car to avoid exposure, and if you do work with aftermarket parts, make sure you do so safely. Use protective clothing and a respirator. Wet asbestos-containing parts as you work with them, and clean up carefully and safely.[9]
Working with cars can still be hazardous to your health because of the potential for exposure to lingering asbestos in certain components. Mechanics regularly working on clutches and brakes face the biggest risks, but anyone working in a shop or on their own cars must avoid exposure.
EPA Bans Asbestos in Aftermarket Car Parts
The EPA issued a new rule in March 2024 that finally bans the import of chrysotile asbestos to the U.S. This ban will eliminate asbestos from some of its remaining industrial uses, for instance, the manufacturing of chlorine in chemical plants.
The ban will also affect automotive parts. It bans aftermarket asbestos brakes, linings, and gaskets that continue to put some people at risk of exposure. The ban is expected to take effect six months from its announcement.[10]
Lawsuits Against Asbestos Parts Companies
Some mechanics and auto workers have fought back against the companies that harmed them and own important verdicts:
- Jerry Coogan worked as a mechanic. He often worked with brakes, clutches, and other asbestos parts made by NAPA and Genuine Parts Company. Coogan developed mesothelioma and died at the age of 67. His widow sued the car parts companies. A jury awarded the family $81.5 million. The companies appealed. The case went to the Washington Supreme Court, which upheld the award.[11]
- In 2022, a Washington jury awarded Tomas Sorrentino’s family and estate $5.75 million. Sorrentino was a mechanic in Spokane who replaced brakes and clutches on Volkswagen automobiles. He developed mesothelioma and died in 2021 after starting the case against the auto manufacturer.[12]
- A Missouri jury awarded mechanic Bill Trokey and his wife $20 million after he developed mesothelioma. Trokey worked with and was exposed to asbestos through Ford brakes in the 1960s. His lawyers successfully argued that Ford knew of the risks of asbestos but failed to warn workers.[13]
What to Do if You Were Exposed to Asbestos Through Automotive Work
Whether you were a professional mechanic or a weekend enthusiast, you could have been exposed to asbestos if you worked on cars. See your doctor to talk about the risks and any screenings you need.
If you worked on cars and already have a diagnosis of an asbestos illness, contact an experienced asbestos lawyer to help you decide what to do next. They can review your case for free and provide advice and information on companies responsible for your exposure.
You might be able to file a lawsuit against the manufacturers of brakes, clutches, and other asbestos car parts. If those companies go bankrupt, a lawyer can help you find an asbestos trust fund and determine if you are eligible to make a claim.
Guidance from an asbestos lawyer gives you the best chance of getting the compensation you deserve, but don’t wait. Your opportunity to get justice will not last forever.
