Air bags - what's the lifespan ?

[thstone]

Its not likely that you will be able to visually see anything that might contribute to an older air bag not working. The key concerns are the reliability of the electronics and the actuator mechanism itself which are not readily visible.

From what I've read, many automakers seem to target a 15-year minimum design life, but I've never read much about what the actual lifespan is expected to be.

Automakers seem to be a bit mum on the subject.

[shlim8]

Originally Posted by thstone

Its not likely that you will be able to visually see anything that might contribute to an older air bag not working. The key concerns are the reliability of the electronics and the actuator mechanism itself which are not readily visible.

From what I've read, many automakers seem to target a 15-year minimum design life, but I've never read much about what the actual lifespan is expected to be.

Automakers seem to be a bit mum on the subject.

Hmmm, good point, it's not just the airbags itself.