What causes air bags to fail?

During an accident, you rely on your car’s safety features, including the airbags. Airbag deployment saves countless lives yearly, but the consequences are devastating when they fail. Your car’s airbags reduce the chance that you will hit your upper body or head on the vehicle’s interior.

Unfortunately, if an airbag malfunctions, your chance of severe injuries increases. Understanding why airbags do not deploy can help you know who to blame.

Airbag deactivation

In some cases, you may be able to install an on-and-off switch for your airbags. The NHTSA may authorize an on-and-off switch if you do not have a backseat in your car and need to place a rear-facing infant seat in the front. If your child needs to sit in the front seat because of frequent medical monitoring, he or she may need the on-and-off switch.

Some people may also have medical conditions that require no airbags. The person needs a doctor’s note to have an on-and-off switch for medical conditions. If you deactivate and forget to turn it back on for another passenger, it will not deploy.

Lack of airbag replacement

If you purchase a used car, you need to find out if the car has ever had any accidents. If the car had an accident, it might not have airbags. Once an airbag deploys, you have to replace it. However, some car dealers or sellers may not inform you that the car has no airbag.

Scammers may also replace airbags with fake airbags from the internet. Sometimes, even honest people make the mistake of purchasing a fake airbag and do not realize it.

If you have an airbag that malfunctions because of previous repairs, you may need to file a claim.