I have a 1990 Dodge Spirit. A friend purchased it from an auction site that sold various cars, salvaged and whatnot. I need to know, if there is a LAW in the State of Oregon that states you HAVE to repair and replace the Airbag. I know its very very very expensive to replace with a dealer. I dont see a real need myself for an airbag, most of my cars I prefer to have are older than 1990 anyways, and never have an airbag. I need to know what my options are, except going to Doge to replace it. Its been cut off for now, its sitting on the passenger floor :P
The DMV told my roomate something about a waiver, but couldnt remember what it was about. Any advice would be appreciated.
I have seen several articles warning about the use salvage airbags. I don't understand why this would be the case so long as they are carefully removed and stored away from rain, snow, etc.
From what I have read, usually the places that sell salvage also sell repacked ones and their quality control for the explosive charge is somewhat lacking....
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
I've never seen a wrecking yard that sold repacked air bags. I cannot imagine one stupid enough to do so, the liability would be hideous. I have seen plenty of _deployed_ airbags in wrecking yards.
Frankly I think this repacked airbag thing is a scare tactic. Check on Ebay, for automobiles older than 3-4 years, there are tons of used airbags, most selling for under $100. It would cost more money than what the airbag was worth to repack it. It is only the very newest models where the airbag prices for used ones are in the stratosphere, and where sufficient incentive exists for someone to attempt to repack one. And these are 1-3 year old vehicles - and please, how many people driving such vehicles around AREN'T carrying comprehensive insurance? Do you think that the insurance companies paying out on a body claim are going to stand for the body shop to use a repacked airbag?
It seems to me that most places that sell salvage have little financial incentive to sell a repacked airbag. Rather, the only places that have real incentive to get involved in this are crooked bodyshops that specialize in buying totaled vehicles and fixing them up then washing the title and passing them off as new, unwrecked vehicles. And as what they are doing is criminal already, it would not be surprising if all their suppliers were criminals as well. As has been said before, it is difficult for these evil people to know when they are in league with each other and when they are cheating each other.
"Tests were conducted recently on products made by Quebec's only two known producers of rebuilt airbags: Coussins Gonflables Demers Inc. and National Sacs Gonflables Inc.
"The companies have installed defective replacement airbags in 10,000 cars, mostly Quebec and Ontario but some in Manitoba and the Maritimes.
"Court documents say when tests were performed, the airbags exploded, and small pieces of plastic and metal were sent flying at very high speeds.
"Quebec has applied for a legal injunction barring the companies from making the airbags."
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"Only a small number of motorists have removed dangerous defective airbags from their vehicles since the Quebec and Ontario governments issued warnings.
"Quebec yesterday 'reissued' its recall to motorists, repair shops and dealers after confirming a poor response to its November warning and demonstrating how the defective rebuilt airbags can seriously injure drivers and vehicle occupants.
Ontario issued its airbag warning last month.
The Quebec government revealed earlier it has data showing a Ste. Foy, Que., company had sold more than 11,400 defective rebuilt airbags for about 7,500 vehicles since January, 1998.
More than half of 4,000 airbags sold outside of Quebec ended up in Ontario.
Jean Desroches, chief of vehicle safety and engineering for the Quebec government's public auto insurance arm, said the response since November is "clearly insufficient."
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