Airbags are one of the most important elements responsible for safety in the car. However, sometimes we pay too little attention to them and do not care about their quality. Should they be replaced?
Airbags work as a combination of three components:
The scheme of operation of the airbag is relatively simple: fractions of a second after the impact, a signal is sent to the gas generator and the inflation of the airbag begins. Within 40 milliseconds of the event, the airbag must be inflated to cushion the impact of the driver’s body. It is not hard to imagine that without the introduction of airbags and seatbelts, road fatalities would be much higher.
Airbags have undergone a major metamorphosis in their more than 40 years of service in mass-produced cars. Initially protecting only the driver’s head, they have become very common in the last 25 years or so and are now a standard feature in cars – not only in the top range, but also in cheaper models. Today cars are also equipped with knee airbags or airbags protecting the passenger sitting in the middle rear seat. Caring for safety has become one of the priorities in modern motoring.
The question of whether airbags need to be replaced raises another one: how long do these systems last? Can they fail in an emergency in older cars? If so, which system component is most susceptible to failure? As a rule, the following potential failures are mentioned:
In practice, the service life of even very aged airbags is estimated to be quite long. During testing, relatively few (single cases out of 100 trials) tests result in a situation where the air bag does not work. In the past, information was posted suggesting that the air bag be replaced after a certain period of use of the car, usually 10 or 15 years. Today, this is not practiced according to the view that they are more durable than the car itself. However, you can only be absolutely sure that the air bag will work in accident-free cars that are less than 10 years old. Nevertheless, in older vehicles the probability of their proper functioning is still high.
There are situations when it is worth replacing the airbags in an older car. One reason is the prolonged exposure of the car to moisture. Similarly, when the car was flooded or previously subjected to amateur repairs, or alterations, about which we have no information or it is doubtful. In such cases, with a view to the safety of themselves and passengers should replace this important element responsible for safety.
Of course, it may be necessary to replace the airbag. This is especially true after an accident. Moreover, every time the red light of the airbag comes on, we should go to a mechanic. The most we will pay for replacement of the equipment protecting the driver’s head – even in the case of cheap in exploitation models it can cost 700 PLN. For passenger airbags you will pay about 200 zł less. In some models, however, prices for this type of repair can be much higher. It is important how the air bag system is placed in the car: in the case of a car with a uniform dashboard, opening of the air bag is possible due to its rupture. It is then necessary to labor-intensive complete replacement of this element. All this generates costs.
The catch: Are you worried about whether your car’s airbag will deploy at a critical moment? Find out if and when you should replace it
