Car is total lost, but airbag did not work.. picture

Viper GTS

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
38,107
433
136
Did you rear-end someone?

The damage looks like what you would expect to see if you rear-ended a vehicle while braking to try to avoid them - ie your nose is practically on the ground. There doesn't appear to be much real damage (look at the bumper), the hood buckling like that really increases the appearance of damage. I did the same thing to my Tercel three years ago, the hood + radiator were pretty well f***ed but there was no real structural damage.

Viper GTS
 

txgixer

Senior member
Jun 12, 2002
591
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Fix your link . . . . :)

Agree, looks mostly like cosmetic damage trying to really avoid rear ending another car. I did the same to a '97 Accord several years back.

 

Jzero

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
18,834
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I agree with ViperGTS. I'm far from an expert on this type of thing, but it doesn't look like the kind of damage that would trigger the airbag, and in fact, your mother who was thankfully uninjured might well have been injured by the airbag going off unnecessarily.
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,422
14,337
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I'm just throwing a guess out there.... but it looks like your mom rear-ended a larger vehicle (SUV or truck?) while evading left. The car nose-dived under panic braking and the impact was all above the front bumper in the center and right side, probably at about 15mph or a little less. Mind you I am totally guessing from the pics, but that's what it looks like to me. In a lower speed collision like that, the airbag is not supposed to go off, as the chance of injury is higher from the airbag than the accident itself.
I'm sorry your mom got in an accident and I'm glad she's okay, but you shouldn't do anything about it except work with your insurance.

 

dude

Diamond Member
Oct 16, 1999
3,192
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71
Hey! Is that your windshield wiper fluid tank hanging out like that? I could use one of those. How much? :D


j/k. Wouldn't fit my Yugo anyways. :D
 

Evadman

Administrator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
Feb 18, 2001
30,990
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It looks like the impact was not enough to set off the sensor. there is a certain G number that must be exceeded for it to go off. In my truck, I have to hit a brick wall at about 34-35 mph for the air bag to go off. I would assume your car would be 25-30 or so. if you hit something moving the opposite direction as you, the speeds would add together to increase the G rating. I hit a BMW doing about 30 mph with my truck and my air bag did not go off. I also thought it was defective. According to the inspector, it was because my speed was slowed as I drove up over his trunk. the decelleration was not enough to set off the sensor.

Look into what it would be on your car. you were probably well under it. Glad to hear everyone is Ok.

<edit>
It looks like the frame ( or what would be a frame on a sub frame car ) is not even bent. The doors all look like they match up well.
 

Viper GTS

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
38,107
433
136
Originally posted by: PSYWVic
I'm just throwing a guess out there.... but it looks like your mom rear-ended a larger vehicle (SUV or truck?) while evading left. The car nose-dived and the impact was all above the front bumper in the center and right side, probably at about 15-20 mph (possibly a little less). Mind you I am totally guessing from the pics, but that's what it looks like to me. In a lower speed collision like that, the airbag is not supposed to go off, as the chance of injury is higher from the airbag than the accident itself. Also, IIRC, the airbag actuators are inside the front bumper (but I might be wrong about that).
I'm sorry your mom got in an accident and I'm glad she's okay, but you shouldn't do anything about it except work with your insurance.

It actually wouldn't have to be a higher vehicle, I rear ended a 1999 Taurus in my Tercel. The lowered front end from braking makes you hit them extremely low, all the damage I did to her was below her rear bumper.

Viper GTS
 

FSUpaintball

Banned
Jun 12, 2001
768
0
0
A girl I knew had a Camaro that didn't turn on the airbag during a collision at 35 MPH. She sued and won. Now, they give her a new chevy every year.
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
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Originally posted by: FSUpaintball
A girl I knew had a Camaro that didn't turn on the airbag during a collision at 35 MPH. She sued and won. Now, they give her a new chevy every year.
Didn't you just say she WON the case?

 

TNTrulez

Banned
Aug 3, 2001
2,804
0
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Originally posted by: Skoorb
Originally posted by: FSUpaintball
A girl I knew had a Camaro that didn't turn on the airbag during a collision at 35 MPH. She sued and won. Now, they give her a new chevy every year.
Didn't you just say she WON the case?

lol
 

flot

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2000
3,197
0
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HAHAHAHAHA "even when you win, you lose."

On the original topic, I won't theorize if the air bag was or wasn't defective, but if your mom isn't hurt, then call it even and be thankful it didn't go off, some people get really F-ed up from airbags wacking them in the face...
 

Sluggo

Lifer
Jun 12, 2000
15,488
5
81
I'm no expert, but I would assume that the airbag sensors are behind the bumper and have to have the bumper pushed back into the sensors with enough force to activate them.

Since the majority of the damage on the car is above the bumper ( the core support ,hood and fenders seemed to bear the brunt of the damage) the airbag sensors never received enough pressure to activate.
 

Luden

Platinum Member
Jul 15, 2001
2,269
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I dont think there is anything you can do besides be glad that there were not injuries. But in todays court system you could probably make a few million :disgust:
 

DaiShan

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2001
9,617
1
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Doesn't the ECU record stuff like that? IIRC the airbag only deploys when the car slows down at a certain rate (IE faster than if you simply slammed on the breaks without hitting anything) So if she slowed down from like 35-0 like if she rear ended a stopped car, the air bag should have deployed, but if she hit another car, and they were both moving, it may not have slowed down at the specified rate, other things to consider are, Airbags only help in situations where you slow down so quickly that your body would be thrown against the stearing wheel, causing your head to hit the wheel, or dash, You would NOT for instance want it to deploy if you hit a car at 5 mph because when the airbag comes out at 200 mph your body is not in the right position to take advantage of the cushioning, which can cause damage in and of itself.
 

Nick5324

Diamond Member
Aug 19, 2001
3,267
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wow, messed up the car good, but i agree, looks like quick braking to try to avoid rear ending someone