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[imafordboi69]

My car has the duel front airbags and im kind of wondering if an airbag has a life span. My car is now 14 years old and im curious if, in the event of an accident, the airbags would still deploy. Its kind of a grim subject, but i was curious if anybody here has been in a frontal accident in a taurus that was as aged as mine or older and had the airbags still deploy. The airbag computer is supposed to monitor the system, but can the computer really know that the airbag will inflate for sure? It kind of sucks that the only way to test the airbags is to actually get into an accident.

[Stocker]

The air bags themselves don't go bad AFAIK.

However, the impact sensors have a lifespan of about 10 years.

[RoGuE]

The air bags themselves don't go bad AFAIK.

However, the impact sensors have a lifespan of about 10 years.

How so?

[s2knott]

this is an issue that hasnt been adressed and honestly, its something i just thought of too, who would trust a 14 year old air bag...? doesnt seem safe, there should be like 2-3 year inspections on them.

[00tec-saTX]

Hook a 9v battery to 'em and find out



Don't really do that.

this is an issue that hasnt been adressed and honestly, its something i just thought of too, who would trust a 14 year old air bag...? doesnt seem safe, there should be like 2-3 year inspections on them.

Exactly how do you propose to inspect them? They are sealed units, you can't check resistance, Nothing to inspect but clockspring/ wiring harness.

[risoworker]

hit something if they deploy they are good, although they will need to be replaced.

[Qwertz9586]

As long as you're wearing your seatbelt, you're fine. Don't worry about it. You don't want a 200 MPH projectile flying into your face and burn your wrists anyways.

[TaurusKev]

I believe the bags would still be good. I know Davesfarm has detonated many older Ford Airbags without a problem

Personally, I don't care. I haven't heard any findings of airbags wearing out over age either.

[Millermagic]

As long as you're wearing your seatbelt, you're fine. Don't worry about it. You don't want a 200 MPH projectile flying into your face and burn your wrists anyways.

I would definitely be happier if mine DIDN'T go off.

[brightbus]

my grandparents have a 91 grand marquis..they had it checked out after an airbag sensor started flashing...it was nothing wrong with it really and was told the airbag was still operatinal..

[Stocker]

this is an issue that hasnt been adressed and honestly, its something i just thought of too, who would trust a 14 year old air bag...? doesnt seem safe, there should be like 2-3 year inspections on them.

Exactly how do you propose to inspect them? They are sealed units, you can't check resistance, Nothing to inspect but clockspring/ wiring harness.

Which isn't what goes bad anyway.

I've detonated airbags over 15 years old before. They blow just fine.

[Mediarocker]

this is an issue that hasnt been adressed and honestly, its something i just thought of too, who would trust a 14 year old air bag...? doesnt seem safe, there should be like 2-3 year inspections on them.

Exactly how do you propose to inspect them? They are sealed units, you can't check resistance, Nothing to inspect but clockspring/ wiring harness.

Which isn't what goes bad anyway.

I've detonated airbags over 15 years old before. They blow just fine.

Typically its the sensors and the wiring that will go out from old age (brittle from heat, weathering, and age) and the airbags will last typically the lifespan of the car.

At least, thats my understanding.

[Leftyizme]

Airbags do not have a specified shelf-life, and should last far longer than the vehicle that they are in. Your car does a self-test of the air bag system every time you start the vehicle. And problem with the wiring, clockspring,etc... would cause the airbag light to remain lit.

As for those who say they prefer one "Not" going off in a front-end crash....
I have been in 4 hard front-end crashes in my lifetime.
Crash #1- 1973 Ford LTD (me) head-on into 1985 Olds Cutlass @ 50+mph (no airbags)
Result: I lived, but had 8 broken bones. massive head injuries, and had to have 6 reconstructive surgeries to my face. The driver and passenger in the other car were killed.
Crash #2- 1996 Pontiac Bonneville SSE into large oak tree @ 45mph.
Result- I walked away with no injuries other than a little soreness in my shoulder from the seatbelt. The tree also survived with minor bark injuries.
Crash #3- 1994 Chevy S-10 (me) head-on into a 2001 Dodge Caravan @50+mph
Result: I walked away with minor bruising and a bad scrape on my right ankle (from the floorboard buckling), I also had a moderate sprain in my left wrist. The other driver also had only minor injuries.
Crash #4- 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan SE (me) into a 1975 Chevrolet Caprice @70+mph
Result- I almost died in this one, they took 5hrs to cut me free from the wreckage after a drunk driver crossed the median on the interstate... I was flown by LifeSaver to Carraway Trauma Center in B'ham Al.
I spent 2 months in ICU with massive internal injuries, 16 broken bones including a shattered pelvis, and assorted other injuries. The other driver was killed on impact, his head was severed by the sheer force of the impact and landed outside the vehicle.
There is no doubt in my mind that I would not have survived had that airbag not protected my head from the dashboard. I had no major head trauma, and all my internal injuries were caused by the firewall and dash area being crushed inward towards my seat.

Personally, I won't EVER get into another vehicle that doesn't have airbags...Just my 2 cents on the subject.

[Jeff K]

Airbags do not have a specified shelf-life, and should last far longer than the vehicle that they are in. Your car does a self-test of the air bag system every time you start the vehicle. And problem with the wiring, clockspring,etc... would cause the airbag light to remain lit.

As for those who say they prefer one "Not" going off in a front-end crash....
I have been in 4 hard front-end crashes in my lifetime.
Crash #1- 1973 Ford LTD (me) head-on into 1985 Olds Cutlass @ 50+mph (no airbags)
Result: I lived, but had 8 broken bones. massive head injuries, and had to have 6 reconstructive surgeries to my face. The driver and passenger in the other car were killed.
Crash #2- 1996 Pontiac Bonneville SSE into large oak tree @ 45mph.
Result- I walked away with no injuries other than a little soreness in my shoulder from the seatbelt. The tree also survived with minor bark injuries.
Crash #3- 1994 Chevy S-10 (me) head-on into a 2001 Dodge Caravan @50+mph
Result: I walked away with minor bruising and a bad scrape on my right ankle (from the floorboard buckling), I also had a moderate sprain in my left wrist. The other driver also had only minor injuries.
Crash #4- 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan SE (me) into a 1975 Chevrolet Caprice @70+mph
Result- I almost died in this one, they took 5hrs to cut me free from the wreckage after a drunk driver crossed the median on the interstate... I was flown by LifeSaver to Carraway Trauma Center in B'ham Al.
I spent 2 months in ICU with massive internal injuries, 16 broken bones including a shattered pelvis, and assorted other injuries. The other driver was killed on impact, his head was severed by the sheer force of the impact and landed outside the vehicle.
There is no doubt in my mind that I would not have survived had that airbag not protected my head from the dashboard. I had no major head trauma, and all my internal injuries were caused by the firewall and dash area being crushed inward towards my seat.

Personally, I won't EVER get into another vehicle that doesn't have airbags...Just my 2 cents on the subject.

Geez, talk about bad luck.

[imafordboi69]

Airbags do not have a specified shelf-life, and should last far longer than the vehicle that they are in. Your car does a self-test of the air bag system every time you start the vehicle. And problem with the wiring, clockspring,etc... would cause the airbag light to remain lit.

As for those who say they prefer one "Not" going off in a front-end crash....
I have been in 4 hard front-end crashes in my lifetime.
Crash #1- 1973 Ford LTD (me) head-on into 1985 Olds Cutlass @ 50+mph (no airbags)
Result: I lived, but had 8 broken bones. massive head injuries, and had to have 6 reconstructive surgeries to my face. The driver and passenger in the other car were killed.
Crash #2- 1996 Pontiac Bonneville SSE into large oak tree @ 45mph.
Result- I walked away with no injuries other than a little soreness in my shoulder from the seatbelt. The tree also survived with minor bark injuries.
Crash #3- 1994 Chevy S-10 (me) head-on into a 2001 Dodge Caravan @50+mph
Result: I walked away with minor bruising and a bad scrape on my right ankle (from the floorboard buckling), I also had a moderate sprain in my left wrist. The other driver also had only minor injuries.
Crash #4- 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan SE (me) into a 1975 Chevrolet Caprice @70+mph
Result- I almost died in this one, they took 5hrs to cut me free from the wreckage after a drunk driver crossed the median on the interstate... I was flown by LifeSaver to Carraway Trauma Center in B'ham Al.
I spent 2 months in ICU with massive internal injuries, 16 broken bones including a shattered pelvis, and assorted other injuries. The other driver was killed on impact, his head was severed by the sheer force of the impact and landed outside the vehicle.
There is no doubt in my mind that I would not have survived had that airbag not protected my head from the dashboard. I had no major head trauma, and all my internal injuries were caused by the firewall and dash area being crushed inward towards my seat.

Personally, I won't EVER get into another vehicle that doesn't have airbags...Just my 2 cents on the subject.

Remind me to take a separate car if we ever go on a road trip. Glad your still around to tell the tales though.

[austex04]

The older airbags can cause injuries becouse they only go off full force. The newer second generation bags have 2 levels of deployment, depending on how hard of impact and speed. I was riding in a older Grand Caravan that the driver hit a curb and set off the airbags. She had burns on her arms and a burns on her face from the drivers airbag. I had dust in my eyes from the other bag, since I was sitting farther away from it. My gen 2 Taurus I disconnected the airbags for that reason, and re-connected them before I sold it. My current Taurus I'm not afraid of the bags, they're the newer ones.

This post has been edited by austex04: Jan 3 2009, 09:11 PM

[TaurusKev]

Fords tend to have better crash sensors than Chryslers did back in the days...

Ford had their sensors at the grill, Chrysler had theirs mounted behind the wheel strut or some weird place. I have no idea if Chrysler ever revised this, I am betting they did.

[austex04]

I think they had a recall on those vans, the van was new-ish back then, I remember hearing about other people with them (and other Mopars) having airbags going off without crashes, but not Fords.

This post has been edited by austex04: Jan 3 2009, 10:54 PM

[HenrySel]

I think there's been cases where people were driving cars that they didn't even know had an airbag and it still worked after 20 years so yes they should last the life of the car.

Also the odds are that an airbag is more likely to save your life than without it.

[Dschinghis Kahn]

Fifth Gear put this question to the test:
http://videos.streetfire.net/video/243-Fif...rbag_178551.htm

[Stocker]

Like I said, 10 years is about the trustable lifespan of the impact sensors. The car in the video was 10 years old, so that video really doesn't do much for me.

My information comes from a friend who does auto body. I'm pretty sure he's had enough collision work to know this kind of thing. I've seen a couple myself.



Believe what you will, but I'm not expecting the airbags in my car to go off. Maybe they will, maybe they won't.

[Dschinghis Kahn]

Like I said, 10 years is about the trustable lifespan of the impact sensors. The car in the video was 10 years old, so that video really doesn't do much for me.

My information comes from a friend who does auto body. I'm pretty sure he's had enough collision work to know this kind of thing. I've seen a couple myself.



Believe what you will, but I'm not expecting the airbags in my car to go off. Maybe they will, maybe they won't.

But, as that video shows, the airbag is a supplementary restraint. Your seatbelt is what's supposed to keep you from hitting things.

Anyway, if you're that concerned about it why not have the system checked out or replaced?

[redtires]

I read a study done by a place called "Airbag Testing Technology Inc." back in 2001 with some sensors from 1992 and 1994 Taurus' actually. They were taken out of real cars that had been on the road and had new, uninstalled ones for the control. All the sensors functioned within spec with no issues. They also reported, at the time, that manufacturers design the systems to be 100% for the expected service life of the vehicle, which was fifteen years. I agree that if there was a problem in the sensor circuit somewhere, you would get a MIL of some sort. The inflating module itself should be of little concern as it is sealed and in the car. Although I don't know the "shelf life" as it were, of the chemical tablets in the module, but I would imagine it is a very long time!

[Evan E.]

I read a study done by a place called "Airbag Testing Technology Inc." back in 2001 with some sensors from 1992 and 1994 Taurus' actually. They were taken out of real cars that had been on the road and had new, uninstalled ones for the control. All the sensors functioned within spec with no issues. They also reported, at the time, that manufacturers design the systems to be 100% for the expected service life of the vehicle, which was fifteen years. I agree that if there was a problem in the sensor circuit somewhere, you would get a MIL of some sort. The inflating module itself should be of little concern as it is sealed and in the car. Although I don't know the "shelf life" as it were, of the chemical tablets in the module, but I would imagine it is a very long time!

In 2005, I lost my 1992 Taurus GL to being rear ended into the car in front of me. The car was stopped at a light and I was hit by a person going roughly 30 MPH. My airbag did deploy. My car was about thirteen years old at the time. I think you should be fine.

[Call_Me_Crazy]

I say if your that worried about it pull it out, stick 12 volts to it. If it blows, well atleast you know the replacement bag will last just that much longer. If it doesnt blow, then you need to replace them more often!