Functioning air bags are crucial to your vehicle’s safety system. The NHTSA estimates that as of 2017, over 50,000 lives have been saved by frontal air bags. But did you know that once they deploy, these and their connected components will need to be replaced?
It generally costs around $1,500 to $6,000 replace air bags, depending on the severity of the crash. The price may seem steep, but it makes sense considering these are single-use components. It’s also common to replace other components connected to your air bags.
The components that may need to be replaced when installing new air bags include your impact sensor, air bag control module, and clockspring.
Let’s take a closer look at what these parts are for and how much they cost to replace.
Some vehicles have their air bag impact sensors located behind the front bumpers and in the vertical supports within the A, B, and C pillars. These sensors detect crashes and send signals to the air bag control module to deploy the air bags. Others have a single impact sensor inside the airbag electronic control module. It depends on how many airbags the vehicle has and how they’re configured.
During severe crashes, one or more of these sensors could get damaged. Those that aren’t physically damaged reset automatically.
A new impact sensor may cost you somewhere around $210 on parts alone. Labor costs may set you back by another $100.
The air bag control module, also known as an electric crash unit, controls the bag’s deployment, and on newer vehicles, the module may include crash data storage, and information exchange with the engine controller via vehicle networks. A malfunctioning module may not deploy the air bags during collisions or it might deploy when there is no collision.
You can usually find the air bag module in the center of the vehicle—under the radio or behind the steering wheel. But don’t assume you’ll immediately recognize it, because today’s vehicles have all manner of modules of all sizes all over the place.
The average price of a new air bag control module hovers around $600 to $700 for parts and another $110 to 140 for labor. Prices may vary depending on the standard rates, taxes, and fees in your location.
The air bag clockspring is an assembly with a spirally wound flat ribbon that allows you to turn the steering wheel while maintaining a constant electrical connection to the air bag, horn, and other electrical steering wheel-mounted control.
Note: If the steering column is disconnected from the steering gear, the steering should be in the center and locked. If the steering wheel (and clockspring) are at one end or another of clockspring travel, and the steering rack is centered, the clockspring will be destroyed the first time the steering wheel is turned from stop to stop.
The clockspring also transmits signals from the steering wheel to the computer to allow the air bag to deploy. It’s located between the steering wheel and steering column, which means you’ll likely need to replace the clockspring once the air bags are deployed.
The average cost of a clockspring replacement is around $440, parts and labor included.
Lastly, the air bags themselves need replacement to ensure that the safety system functions properly. It’s best to seek the help of a qualified technician to ensure that parts are correctly installed and working.
Replacing the air bags typically costs around $750 in total. You’ll have to pay $500 for the replacement part and another $250 for labor. Labor costs may seem expensive, but the job requires time and advanced skills.
It’s not recommended for amateurs to replace the air bags themselves since these devices are crucial for road safety. One mishap in the process could cause the bags to malfunction and fail to deploy during the appropriate time.
Caution: Any time work is done on the airbag system, the battery should be disconnected and you should wait ten minutes before doing any work on the airbag system, because the capacitors in the airbag module may still deploy the bag.
If you want to know how a mechanic performs an air bag replacement, here’s what the process usually entails:
Caution: Any time work is done on the airbag system, the battery should be disconnected and you should wait ten minutes before doing any work on the airbag system, because the capacitors in the airbag module may still deploy the bag.
– Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician
On average, it only takes one to two hours for an experienced mechanic to replace an air bag. The process may take longer depending on the severity of the damage, vehicle model, and air bag type.
Modern vehicles have air bags that last as long as the car’s life span. Air bags don’t expire on newer cars, meaning you won’t need to replace them as long as they don’t deploy.
The opposite is true for older models. Some manufacturers require owners to change the air bags in older vehicles as part of their routine maintenance. This usually applies to models manufactured before the 90s. That being said, almost no vehicle before the 1990s had airbags, and people with vehicles that old don’t typically worry much about the airbags, anyway.
Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.