arbees

2000 3.2 TL (non-nav)

I recently had some damage to the passenger side bumper/headlight, however the impact triggered the driver side wheel and passenger airbags (a little surprising since I had slowed down to a few miles/hour on a turn near the home but then accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the breaks and ran into some shrubs/small trees...but I guess it was doing its job).

The shop will give the estimate next week, however they are suggesting that replacing air bags can be expensive (in the $4-5K range), however if I search online for airbag parts, etc. I see them being available for ~$200-400, so I wanted to check here if someone had experience with replacing these and can help explain this discrepancy.

Thanks for any information you can provide.

Skirmich

Airbags that didnt deploy in a rear end are often sold as USED Replacement Air Bags which cost a fraction of what they cost NEW.

Buy them "used" as in "Not new from the Factory" and save your money.

3.2TLc

Yeah, sometimes the repair shops don't like to replace blown bags with "used" ones.

However if ya try a couple different shops, one of them will take the job on and save ya a bunch of money by doing so. They may make ya sign a liability waiver due to the "used" air bags being used.

It may be best to have the shop purchase the "used" bags so they will know that the bags are good and get all the extra misc stuff at the same time. The "SRS" system is rather finicky and requires proper skills when repairing it. Not a DIY friendly task.

01tl4tl

the bags may appear cheap but you will also need several key parts that activate and operate the airbag system
could run thousands of dollars

typically when a TL has a dual front airbag deployment- the insurance `totals the car` ie: repairing will exceed book value/value of similar TL sold in the area recently

Skirmich

^ Yah forgot about that! when Air Bags deploy the SRS Unit Fries or something.. In any case it must be replaced and it ain´t cheap.

fsttyms1

It doesnt fry, but It will need to be sent off to be reset. There are places online you can find to send it to to get that done

arbees

Yes, that's what I am afraid of, insurance totaling the car, even though it is running just fine. Maybe I can get everything else fixed by insurance, but the air bags from somewhere else.

3.2TLc

Hey Arbees, some minor clarification needed please......ya said that the car's passenger corner was damaged during a low speed impact, but the driver's side wheel was affected somehow.....as ya accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake. Then ya ran into some small shrubs setting off the airbags.

Hitting small shrubs normally won't trigger airbags, but a tree would.... IMO.
Your car isn't worth much, maybe $3000.....so if you're claiming this on your comprehensive insurance, ya probably have a deductible and the insurance adjuster will total the car if the bags are both blown. Take the money, buy the car back from the insurance company for salvage and repair it yourself.

arbees

Sorry, I meant "driver side steering wheel airbag", the driver side wheel was not damaged.

Yes, there was a medium-size tress and shrubs on the curb, so probably the impact on the tree activated the bags.

That's probably an option, but bummer, the car otherwise was driving just great (had ~130K miles on it).

01tl4tl

nice dream about insurance covers part of the repairs then you use some hokey airbags,,thats not how it works at all
both bags activated generally = total loss
Note insurance rules in your policy about how they value your car, recent work- mods, comparable TL in 100 miles for sale

you might be able to buy the car back for a 1000, run it without airbags like it was a car from the 70s = wear your seatbelt

01tl4tl

note: many cases of used/Rebuilt airbags installed are filled with crapola, not a functioning airbag!!
in the next accident the steering wheel bag deployed, revealing nothing but old newspapers and a stinky tennis shoe!
at least the mystery bad smell since repairs was diagnosed

3.2TLc

Yeah, if ya like the car ..... take the insurance check and do what ya want from there.
It's all a game when cars get older and are not worth putting the big bucks into repairing.

Keep it for a spare 2nd car and put the money towards something newer, maybe a 3rd Gen TL.