Older Airbags and Hard Four Wheeling (1 Viewer)

[landtoy80]

I sold my FZJ80 last winter and I will be in the market for a replacement vehicle next month. Not sure if its going to be a truck or SUV yet. I am looking at all my options and wondering if I should be worried if the vehicle has passenger airbags or not?

I have not owned a 4x4 (that I go off road with) that has passenger airbags and wonder if it will become an issue as they age? Will they get brittle over time or start to deteriorate? Will years of bumpy roads and hard four wheeling take a toll on them?

I have been considering 100 series and pre 1995 Toyota trucks. 100's have airbags and pre 1995 trucks don't. I have owned 5 pre 95 trucks and upgraded to the Land Cruiser (60, 62, 80) when the kids couldn't fit in the extra cab any more. Kids are all grown up now so I can buy what ever I want. I would be looking at 2002 to 2005 100 series if I go LC again. I hope the purchase will last me 10 to 15 years. So the airbags will be 25 to 30 years old while I am four wheeling it.

Am I over thinking this? I don't want to have to invest in $$$$ replacement air bags several years down the road.

 

[GoISU]

Are you worried about them deteriorating and throwing a code requiring service or are you worried that they'll be too old and dusty to function if needed? I'm no airbag specialist but I'm guessing that anything short of regularly submerging them in dash deep water crossings shouldn't effect their functionality. A lot of engineering went into them and I'd assume they're intended to survive anything up to and including a collision. They're basically a bomb that's always ready to detonate, they're either unexploded or they've fired, don't thing there's any moving parts to fail, just a charge waiting for an electrical impulse to detonate. Just my .02.

 

[hoser]

Well.... there were certain 100's that were part of the Takata airbag recall. Sometimes they replace the front airbag(s) and that might put your mind at ease. But sometimes they only replace the side airbag module, sometimes they don't replace anything. You can look it up by VIN.

 

[landtoy80]

I am more concerned about them getting old and going off when you hit a hard bump wheeling.

 

[hoser]

Valid concern. If buying 2005'ish vehicle, at least there will have been 10 years of trucks before you with airbags.

 

[RoaringFork]

I am more concerned about them getting old and going off when you hit a hard bump wheeling.

As far as an airbag deploying going over hard bumps, that would be more up to the crash sensors/Airbag module, not the bag it’s self. The module deploys the bag based on various inputs(obviously)... if the module is disconnected the airbag can’t deploy, (unless both wires somehow shorted, 1 to ground and 1 to power). Just like you wouldn’t expect a bullet to fire sitting in a box. So if you don’t mind an airbag light(depending on vehicle, the light could be disabled/removed) accidental deployment could be avoided on any vehicle.
In my profession career at a dealer(Audi/VW 10+ years)I can only recall 1 instance of a customer complaining about accidental deployment. An 04ish body Jetta had the right curtain bag go off over a pot hole. The car was in ok shape but the passenger rocker panel was bashed in hard... VW helped the customer out with some $$$, but the speculation was there about the damage...my gut said if they hit a “pot hole” big enough to dent the rocker that bad, then the airbag system did it’s job, no other airbags deployed telling me the only sensor to report impact was the side sensor, approx. 24” from smashed rocker...
Having said that, back when I was in tech school, the rule of thumb was replace airbags after 15 years, well that was back when most vehicle had 2 airbags max., which might not be that expensive to do. Since being in the auto industry for 10+ years, I have not heard or seen an airbag replacement schedule, or been encouraged to sell these repairs for safety or “upsell” reasons. Also cars can be equipped with 10+ airbags, which would be so expensive no one would replace them based on time.
My worry with buying an old vehicle with airbags is expecting them to work in an accident and improper/no inflation to occur due to old/degraded accelerants.
The deal with takata is the accelerant used absorbes atmospheric moisture. when it come time to deploy they can ignite too fast, turing it into a bomb and hurting people with shrapnel, or ignite to slow causing insuffienct bag fill or worse delayed ignition.
In a nut shell, if you decide on a vehicle that has airbags, you do have options. If you want the system in tact and your worry is accidental deployment, maybe freshen up the crash sensors first.

 

[flintknapper]

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