If My Airbags Deploy in an Accident, Will My Car Automatically Be Totaled? - Cline Collision Center (2024)

FAQs

If My Airbags Deploy in an Accident, Will My Car Automatically Be Totaled? - Cline Collision Center? ›

Airbag deployment doesn't necessarily mean that your car will be totaled, but there are some cases where it might be. Here's a look at what you should know.

Whether your car is totaled depends on how much it will cost to repair your vehicle. If the repairs, including replacing the airbag system, cost more than the vehicle is worth, it is typically considered totaled.

Sometimes airbag deployment can make a car irreparable due to extensive damage caused by the airbags inflating. In this instance, the car may be considered a total loss. A total loss is when it costs more to repair the vehicle than its market value.

If it's an old car, then the value of the car will be lower. Therefore, the high car airbag deployed replacement cost causes the car to be totaled. However, if it's a newly bought car, the value will be higher, and the insurance company may decide it's better to cover the cost of replacing the airbags.

On average, expect around $1,000 to $1,500 per airbag that needs to be replaced. That doesn't take into consideration other parts that need to be changed; just the airbags themselves. Airbag module replacement will run another $600 and up.

For unbelted occupants, a front airbag will typically deploy when the crash is the equivalent of an impact into a rigid wall at 10-12 mph. For belted occupants, most airbags will deploy at a higher threshold — about 16 mph — because the belts alone are likely to provide adequate protection up to these moderate speeds.

While it may be legal to drive a car without replacing the airbags, it is not recommended.

Airbags usually deploy in moderate to severe collisions. The insurance company will see that there was more significant damage – resulting in airbag deployment. Accordingly, the company might provide more compensation to cover the costs associated with recovery from such a serious accident.

The airbag control module will need to be replaced or reprogrammed. The clockspring and any impact sensors that melted or were damaged in the collision will need to be replaced. This is in order for the airbag module to reset and work properly for the future.

Airbag replacement is a fairly straightforward process for an experienced technician, but it includes several steps. The old airbag must be unplugged from the wiring harness inside the steering wheel and then unscrewed so it can be removed.

Can you sell a car with deployed airbags? ›

Is it illegal to sell a car with airbag problems? In California, No, you cannot legally sell a vehicle with a faulty SRS/Airbag system. But it happens all the time in private sales. No one checks unless the car is being re-registered with a salvage title.

There is no average settlement for airbags not deploying. Every car accident case will have a unique set of recoverable damages based on the specific circ*mstances of the accident and of the injured party.

When purchasing a used vehicle, it is important to know if it had an airbag deployed. An airbag deployment requires that the airbag, the modules and the cover all be replaced. Moreover, all of the electronics involved in airbag deployment must be inspected and replaced if necessary.

Do NOT drive the vehicle again until your car is inspected by a mechanic. Your vehicle should be inspected to determine the extent of the damage. You should take pictures of the vehicle's damage in case it is needed later.

Airbags are like any other vehicle damage — if it is cheaper to total out the vehicle than to repair it, an insurance company will do it. Due to the high price of new airbag components and installation costs, many vehicles with a low actual cash value (ACV) will be considered a total loss if the airbags are deployed.

A blink of an eye is about 250 thousandths of a second, so an airbag is open for significantly less than the blink of an eye. A rollover crash typically lasts 5 to 6 seconds, so the safety canopy type airbags, they're airbags that are designed to protect in rollovers—those airbags stay inflated for about 6 seconds.

Frontal air bags are generally designed to deploy in "moderate to severe" frontal or near-frontal crashes, which are defined as crashes that are equivalent to hitting a solid, fixed barrier at 8 to 14 mph or higher. (This would be equivalent to striking a parked car of similar size at about 16 to 28 mph or higher.)

According to the NHTSA, some possible reasons your airbag didn't deploy during a crash might include: The conditions of the crash were not severe enough to warrant deployment. Seatbelts provide enough protection on their own during low-speed and low-impact collisions.