Car airbags may only have one function – to keep you safe from harm during a car accident – but they are harder to replace than you might think. Airbag configuration and deployment vary not only from model to model, but from year to year. Manufacturers are always working to improve the safety in their cars and adjusting deployment sensitivity and force. So, can car airbags be replaced?
Can Car Airbags be Replaced?
The short answer about whether car airbags can be replaced is that it depends. Some vehicles have curtain or side airbags which further complicate the question. Some newer cars even have knee or rear airbags to reduce your chances of injury during a collision.
Airbag replacement, then, is a multi-layered question. While the component can be physically replaced, you’ll need to know whether or not the rest of the affected in addition to the installation makes the vehicle as safe to drive as it was prior to your car accident. After all, your airbag isn’t the only part that is damaged during a car accident. Damaged steering wheels, steering wheel covers, and other damage to the vehicle’s interior are just a few of the things to think about when your airbag has deployed during an accident. Your replacement airbag may also need to be reprogrammed depending on the year of your vehicle.
Add to all of this the complicated question of where the replacement airbag is coming from, and you’ve got even more variables to consider. If you have to purchase a replacement airbag, then make sure you’re buying a new component and not one from a salvage yard. Parts from used cars may not be in good condition and can be damaged during the removal process.
Whether your airbag can be safely replaced depends on a multitude of factors and should be considered on a case-by-case basis. T3 Atlanta recommends that you do not attempt to replace an airbag on your own, and that you should call a certified mechanic for your safety.
Do Car Airbags Expire?
The answer to whether car airbags expire or not is more complicated than it may seem. The short answer is yes: car airbags can expire. We discuss the longer answer below.
Car Airbags in Newer Vehicles
Newer vehicles are equipped with airbags that do not expire, or at least, not quite. The airbags are designed to last for the life of the vehicle.
Vehicles manufactured after 1998 and after are equipped with dual front airbags, which are different than dual-stage airbags.
- Dual front airbags: Two separate airbags for the driver and passenger.
- Dual-stage airbag: A single airbag that deploys in two separate stages, improving safety for the vehicle’s occupants.
Whether your car has front, side, rear, or any other type of airbag, the airbags in newer vehicles generally won’t need to be replaced for as long as you have the vehicle.
Car Airbags in Older Vehicles
Older vehicles generally feature airbags that work on a different system – if they have airbags at all. The first airbags appeared in the 1970’s. With the technology being so new, manufacturers at the time were uncertain how long airbags could last and still be effective.
Standard recommendations at the time were to have the airbag inspected every few years to ensure that the component was still in good working order. Over time, manufacturers recommended that airbags be replaced every 10 – 15 years. Even this figure depends on the condition of the car, the type of airbag, and the components used during the manufacturing process.
Replacing airbags in older cars is tricky because replacement older airbags may have expired, been removed improperly from a salvage yard, or the component itself is faulty.
Car Airbag Repair at T3 Atlanta
If you have recently been in a car accident or have an older vehicle, you may be looking to have your airbag replaced. If you have a Lexus, Toyota, Nissan, or Infiniti, call T3 Atlanta! Your safety is our top priority. We’ll consult with you and advise the best course of action to replace an airbag for your specific situation.
Buying a car is an investment, so it’s important that you do your research before you buy. The more informed you are, the better equipped you are to spot problems with candidates.
In addition to these more general research points, you should also take an in-depth look at the specific vehicle you plan to purchase. A car that has a lot of repairs, especially if they appear to be for the same thing, is at an increased chance at being a potential lemon.
While you may not be able to identify mechanical problems on your own, a visual inspection can still tell you a lot about the car. Check the inside and outside of the car to look for engine, structural, and water damage that can cause long-term problems. Of these, water damage is by far the worst from a long-term cost standpoint. After all, water and mechanical parts don’t mix!
After-market accessories like mufflers, electronics, speakers, or other electrical system add-ons might sound attractive, but there are a lot of hidden dangers with these neat extras.
There’s nothing like the excitement of new car ownership crashing to a stop because of an unexpected repair bill. T3 Atlanta recommends that you have any vehicle that you are strongly considering inspected before you buy. If the dealer you’re planning to shop with refuses to let the vehicle be inspected by an independent mechanic, that’s a red flag you should not ignore.
A sun screen is an affordable and easy way to not only keep the temperature inside your vehicle cooler but prevent damage to your dashboard and electronics caused by regular exposure to heat and UV rays.
Just like keeping your car’s window open for your dog can help keep Fido cooler while you’re at the store for a few minutes, keeping your windows cracked can help keep your vehicle’s electronics from getting damaged.
While this may not always be a possibility, parking in the shade can help keep the temperature in your car cool. When combined with a sun screen or keeping your windows open a crack, your car will be a comfortable temperature when you’re ready to go.
Ethanol, also known as bioethanol, is a type of alcohol produced by certain crops. Corn, sugar beets, barley, potatoes, sunflower, grains, wheat, and many other types of crops can all be converted into ethanol.
That means manufacturers can offer consumers a cleaner-burning, cheaper fuel that doesn’t sacrifice power. However, ethanol does reduce fuel efficiency in cars that are not optimized to run on ethanol. Vehicles that are designed to run on fuel that contains ethanol will have a smaller margin of decreased fuel economy.
You may that certain gas stations also feature a standalone pump that, much like diesel, advertises its own selection of fuel. Flex fuel contains up to 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline and can only be run by certain types of vehicles.
It’s possible that an overly enthusiastic pull on your parking brake can cause it to become stuck. In this case, the parking brake has become clamped against the brake shoes too hard and may actually require a professional to unstick.
Ice can actually freeze your parking brake in place. While this isn’t a common problem in the Atlanta area, it’s a possibility to keep in mind if you’re traveling out of town during cold weather.
There are a lot of fluids in your car at a given time: transmission fluid, oil, brake fluid, and coolant, to name a few. Transmission fluid often appears dark, slick, and shiny like oil, but unlike oil, it usually has a burnt smell. Leaking transmission fluid generally appears around the front or middle of where your car is parked.
Gear slippage refers to a few different possible symptoms. These directly impact how your car performs. In turn, they can lead to safety issues if your engine performance means you cannot respond promptly to changes in traffic.
There are many types of fuel grades, but the ones most commonly seen at U.S. gas pumps are 87, 89, and 93. The numbers refer to what’s known as the ‘octane rating’ – a number that measures how much pressure fuel can withstand before igniting. The lower the rating, the more readily the fuel will combust. The higher rating, the more resistant the fuel is to ignite.
It might seem like a great idea to put Premium gas in your car, but the truth is that manufacturers have done a lot of testing and calibration to optimize engines for certain grades of gas. Putting Premium gas into an engine that runs on Regular may actually do more harm than good, and vice versa.
Air-ride suspensions can improve your car’s fuel efficiency by lowering your vehicle’s profile, which improves air displacement when you’re traveling down the road.
Vehicle emissions refer to the colorless, odorless gases produced by your vehicle during normal operation. Emissions are the result of an incomplete combustion of gasoline or diesel and air. Emissions contribute to pollution and smog, which you can often see over the Atlanta skyline, especially during the summer.
During cold weather and snow, salt is added to the roads to help prevent freezing and ice. While this makes roads safer to drive in the short term, salt can corrode the undercarriage of your vehicle. Corrosion takes time to cause significant damage, but when it does happen, it can lead to expensive repairs. Having regular car washes can help prevent the buildup of salt so you can avoid corrosion down the road.
Regularly replacing your vehicle’s fluids is an essential part of preventive maintenance. Keeping up with this part of car ownership helps prolong your vehicle’s life. Spring is the perfect time to check your vehicle’s fluids.
