Airbag Replacements: What You Need To Know

When and how to replace these crucial automotive safety components.

Benjamin Hunting | 

Aug 8, 2023 | 3 min read

Mercedes-Benz

Airbags save lives, but once they're deployed what happens next? After a collision, a vehicle's airbag must be replaced for its safety systems to function correctly. This means heading to a qualified technician who can source new components for your car and ensure that the airbag hardware is correctly installed in preparation for potential future collisions.

Where To Find Airbags in a Car

Depending on the car, they can be found in the dash, steering wheel, seats, headliner, and even in the doors and center console.

When you hear the word airbag, chances are you picture the inflatable cushion that bursts out of the steering wheel or dashboard in the event of a serious collision. While these are the most common type of airbags, modern vehicles also employ additional units designed to protect the driver and passengers from impacts. These include airbags that deploy along the interior sides of a vehicle to protect the head and torso, from underneath the dash or the center console to protect the knees and legs, and full curtain airbags that create a cocoon inside the car for protection during rollovers.

Not all of these airbags will activate in every type of accident. In a more serious collision, however, multiple airbags may have to be replaced as part of the post-collision repair process. A new one must replace any airbags that have been deployed.

How To Replace an Airbag

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. In some cases, installing a new airbag simply reverses that process, but in others, the entire steering wheel or steering column must be replaced simultaneously.

A similar strategy is required when replacing airbags located in other areas of the vehicle. Not all trim panels will survive airbag deployment intact, which means side panels, dash panels, and even the console or roof panels may need to be replaced at the same time.

With new airbags in place, the technician must also reset the vehicle's airbag control module and potentially replace any crash sensors destroyed in the collision that triggered the initial deployment.

Airbag replacement costs vary greatly by make and model. Expect to spend between $250 and $2,000 for a single airbag and far more if a technician advises that additional sensors need to be replaced.

Since airbags can be integrated into the car's dashboard, seats, and headliner, you may wind up having to replace additional major components.

Do Airbags Expire?

Several airbag-related recalls over the past decade are tied to the Takata-built inflators that may not activate in the event of a collision. These recalls are related to a design defect rather than the airbag module's age.

In general, there are no age-related requirements for an airbag replacement. Even units installed 30 years ago when airbags first became standard equipment have been shown to operate reliably in an accident. A vehicle's airbag control module also routinely performs self checks to ensure the safety system is functioning properly.

Benjamin Hunting

Benjamin Hunting is a writer and podcast host who contributes to a number of newspapers, automotive magazines, and online publications. More than a decade into his career, he enjoys keeping the shiny side up during track days and always has one too many classic vehicle projects partially disassembled in his garage at any given time. Remember, if it's not leaking, it's probably empty.