WHEELERSBURG, OHIO - When  expensive air bags deploy in an auto accident, consumers should have body shops replace them with new original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts.  But, more and more, consumers are opting to save money by utilizing replacement air bags retrieved from salvage vehicles that have not yet detonated. Slightly worse, a few consumers buy stolen air bags from black-market vendors at huge discounts, or opt to forego replacement of the deployed air bags altogether, leaving their vehicle’s occupants without the benefit of this life-saving protection.

A March 23, 2005 news release by Farmers Insurance quoted the California Highway Alliance, which reported that this scam occurs in as many as one out of every twenty-five previously damaged vehicles. While statistics are not available for the tristate area consisting of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia, Safe Collision Repairs’ WreckCheck inspections reveal the problem is significantly worse today than it was just two or three years ago, and it shows no signs of letting up.

The most violent offenders in our area are not mainstream body shops who have a lot to lose, but rather auto rebuilders who buy total loss vehicles from salvage auctions and work on them in the evenings in home garages to supplement their incomes.  Often, these home-schooled mechanics sell their grossly inadequately rebuilt vehicles to family members and friends who may even realize the shortcuts that have been taken, and are willing to accept them in order to obtain a relatively new vehicle at a bargain price.

“While a buyer may be willing, even legally entitled, to make a choice that puts his/her own life in jeopardy, passengers who occupy a vehicle and are not knowledgeable of the fact that air bags may be inoperable or nonexistent have the risks forced on them,” writes David Williams, Safe Collision Repairs’ founder.

Williams says that he has encountered improperly repaired vehicles during his inspections that had modifications performed to air bag units and wiring to make the system appear to be working properly when, in fact, they were nonfunctional.  It’s not always easy to tell if a vehicle’s air bags are intact and operable without proper diagnostic scan tools, because aftermarket part vendors have stepped up to meet the demand for cosmetic covers that can fool even some of the most knowledgeable collision repair technicians.  There are wiring kits being marketed as well to those who fail to reinstall air bags.  These kits mimic operable air bag warning lamps that display on a car’s dash.

For the average passenger, watching the instrument panel to make certain the warning lamp goes out before proceeding onto the road is about the best one can do to determine that the supplemental restraint system is functioning, as it should.

If a consumer is buying a used car with a crash history, Williams suggests taking the car to a reputable repair center that employs ASE certified technicians to have diagnostic tests performed that will reveal the true condition of the air bags and their many electronic components.  A buyer should want to determine that the air bags would provide protection for passengers in the event of an accident as the manufacturer intended.  Williams also recommends not driving or riding in vehicles that have  known-compromised restraint systems.

content & design 2002-2008 David Williams and SafeCollisionRepairs.com

About Safe Collision Repairs

For more than ten years, David Williams of Wheelersburg, Ohio's Safe Collision Repairs has worked with consumers and attorneys in the tri-states of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia to expose unsafe auto repairs and maximize recovery on auto insurance claims. Some of the company's services include Post-Repair Inspections, Prepurchase Inspections, Auto Damage Assessments, Lemon Law Investigations, Expert Court Testimony and Diminished Value Calculations using an advanced version of Network Information Communication's WreckCheck program.

Inquiries can be directed to: Safe Collision Repairs David A. Williams Post Office Box 70 Wheelersburg, Ohio 45694 (740) 456-1111 (740) 355-4056

Disclaimer

The content expressed on this website and in the article above represents the opinions of David A. Williams. Williams is neither an attorney nor public insurance adjuster, but is an expert, consultant, and writer specializing in the field of automotive collision repair and valuations. The information provided herein is not intended to be a substitute for legal or insurance advice. Because collision repair is a continually evolving science, any text, materials or links found herein are provided without claim or guarantee to their accuracy or completeness.