4 Possible Reasons Your Airbags Did Not Deploy

When it comes to airbags, people automatically assume that the airbags would deploy if the car were to bump anything. This isn't usually the case, meaning that airbags don't always deploy when you might have expected them to. This is because many airbags have been designed in such a way to only deploy under certain forces, meaning that if the collision wasn't deemed severe enough by the system, the airbags wouldn't deploy.

That being said, there are many other reasons airbags wouldn't deploy, and a slow collision is just one of the many reasons. Today, we're going to talk about the reasons your airbags may not have deployed during an impact:

1. The Wiring Has Been Damaged

The airbag system communicates data to and from each of its components through a series of wires, relaying information in real-time to deploy airbags when needed. However, when the wiring has been damaged or even completely severed, the signals can be impacted negatively, resulting in cases such as an airbag not deploying when it should have. This problem is common in vehicles where the wires are routed through areas susceptible to damage during an impact.

2. The Airbag Module Itself Is Faulty

Although built carefully to ensure it activates when it has to in an attempt to reduce injuries and even save lives, the airbag itself might come with defects. There have been a few cases where the airbags did receive the signals correctly, and the command to deploy the airbag was sent. However, it was the defective airbag module that did not fire, hence the airbag not deploying.

3. The Airbag System Wasn't Reliable

Sometimes, it can be the fault of the manufacturers that the airbag system did not deploy when it was supposed to. This can result from improper designing, testing, and even installation of the different parts of the system. Even errors in the software can occur that can cause an airbag to fail to deploy when it should have. In fact, it can even be that the manufacturer did not put enough sensors in the first place to cut costs.

4. The Crash Was Not in the Correct Location

Speaking of sensors, an airbag system relies on its sensors to detect where the crash is coming from, how impactful the collision is, and when to deploy the airbag. As such, if a collision occurs in a place that has no sensors, the airbag will simply don't deploy. For example, if your car was hit from behind, the front airbags will typically not deploy because there's no need to. Only with a front collision will frontal airbags deploy.

Conclusion

Generally, airbag-related problems are quite rare. However, they can happen once in a while. When they do, so many reasons can be the cause of it. It could be the specific circumstance of the collision itself, or it could have been the system's fault. Regardless, if you have been in an accident that clearly was supposed to deploy airbags, send your car in for repairs and have the airbag system checked. This way, if any problems were detected, they can all be quickly addressed to ensure that the next time you get into a collision, the airbags should be there, ready to protect you from serious injures or worse.

Repair My SRS is an accident restoration company in the US specializing in resetting SRS airbag modules, seat belt repairs, and more. Reach out to us today for our SRS repair services to get your airbag system fixed up and ready to keep you safe!