Can Airbags Be Replaced? - Buying A Car - AutoTrader

If you’ve had an airbag deploy against your chest during an accident and lived to tell the tale, you will know that a ruptured airbag needs to be replaced as soon as possible to be able to save a life again in the future. Airbags can be costly to replace, and that’s why cars with ruptured airbags are sometimes totalled, even if the car itself can probably still be saved. To find out more about how airbags work, Chad Luckhoff explains the whole process here.

So, can I replace my car's airbags?

Fortunately, many South African companies will now test, remove, and reset the airbag module, or replace damaged airbags.

I contacted Mustafa at airbagrepairs in Cape Town on 072 458 64 63 (they have a Boksburg branch too), to get the latest prices for the reparation of the driver’s steering wheel airbag and the like. Interestingly, whether you are dropping off your Toyota Etios or BMW 3 Series for repairs, there isn’t a huge difference in price. They quoted me R2500 to R3500 to refurbish an entire steering airbag. You would also have to reset the ECU module (i.e., have the crash data wiped), and that costs +/- R2500, depending on the software. Refurbishment of the dashboard is priced at around R3500 to R6000.

You can also contact the following reputable businesses that do the same thing: airbagdoctor will give you a quote if you fill out the form with your vehicle details. Also, try airbagrepairssa.

Another company that contacted us is Airbag Team, which offers affordable airbags and has locations around the country.

Related: Is there a difference between airbags and SRS airbags?

Are airbags mandatory on SA cars?

Sadly, airbags on new cars are not mandatory, but there aren't any new passenger vehicles being sold without at least one (commercial vehicles excluded). However, there are still many cars on the road that don’t have any proper safety systems, such as anti-lock brakes and/or airbags.

GlobalNCAP as well as the AA have been pushing for legislation to make ABS and airbags compulsory, as well as other features like traction control and daytime running lamps. You can read more about it here.

Can I remove and replace an airbag myself?

Yes, you can, but remember that you do so at your own risk. AutoTrader recommends taking your car to the experts instead of doing it yourself. If you are involved in a car crash and a passenger dies because their airbag (which you replaced) didn't deploy, you'll have nobody but yourself to blame.

Are airbags reusable? Watch the video here.