How do airbags handle age?

[Chapap]

Most stuff just stops working: windows, locks, sensors… What about airbags? I assume they have an excellent fall-safe condition as I’ve never heard mention of anyone being worried about old airbags spontaneously detonating. My insurance accepted the airbag discount for my new ‘96 truck, but they’re bound to stop working eventually. Do they expire?

 

[broncc]

I think airbags are only good for ~15 years. I don't know how the process of getting new ones work. The only car I had ever seen get that kind of stuff replaced was my buddies old volvo 240 because it saw dealer service for like 25 years. Ford does not seem too keen on keeping older cars going so I don't expect much luck.

Call a dealer and report back if you have any progress.

 

[Curious Hound]

They'll hit you no matter how old you are.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Yeah, they degrade with time and heat, which is where a bunch of airbag recalls have come from. I have heard of delayed deployment and incomplete deployment. I also know I never want to be hit by one again.

 

[DILLARD000]

Like everything made of poly\plastic\rubber, they degrade\rot with time & exposure to heat\air.
Suspect they're formulated+machined to last longer than most items, but still eventually fail, as all things do.
Question is how long; believe MeanTimeBetweenFailures\MTBF is the engineering term?
Many other plastic items on these vehicles seem to get brittle & fall apart after 15~20 years of just LiteDuty,
so AirBags will likely be viable for something longer.

 

[19Walt93]

Have a dealer check the VIN for recalls, if they're Takata airbags the propellant/explosive gets more volatile as it ages, especially if exposed to heat and humidity. I wouldn't expect any car company to warranty anything at that age.

 

[oldgeek]

It depends if the airbag is a politi.......

 

[97RangerXLT]

I would imagine for deployment if the airbag light isn't on, they will deploy. Now whether they deploy as intended (too slow, throw shrapnel in your face) is another story.

I will say that getting punched in the nose by an airbag is not an experience that I want to relive. it took 3 days to get the taste of the propellant out of my mouth/ nose.

AJ

 

[superj]

Shoot, I am good then since I just took my 04 in for that airbag recall. 15 more years of being able get punched in the face if I get in a wreck, ha ha ha

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I think airbags are only good for ~15 years. I don't know how the process of getting new ones work. The only car I had ever seen get that kind of stuff replaced was my buddies old volvo 240 because it saw dealer service for like 25 years. Ford does not seem too keen on keeping older cars going so I don't expect much luck.

Call a dealer and report back if you have any progress.

It helps when Volvo made the same car for decades.

15 years at most brands dealers... good luck.

Yeah, they degrade with time and heat, which is where a bunch of airbag recalls have come from. I have heard of delayed deployment and incomplete deployment. I also know I never want to be hit by one again.

Most of the big recalls are for shrapnel. Having a claymore go off in your face doesn't help your survival odds.

 

[racsan]

air bags are easy to disable, just unplug and on the non-airbag side of the plug shove a stickpin through it so the dash light aint on. Tape it up & call it good.

 

[oldgeek]

I was riding with a couple in their car, the wife in the back seat, me in the front passenger seat. I looked on the dash and it said "Airbag". I said to her: "It's nice to have a monogrammed dash, but they have your name wrong." Violence ensued.