Do Insurance Companies Total Cars If Airbags Deploy?
Each state has its own threshold for declaring a vehicle a total loss—and airbags are expensive to replace. Here’s what you need to know.
Written by Bonnie Stinson
Reviewed by Bellina Gaskey
A car insurance company will declare a car totaled if the ratio of repair costs to actual cash value is higher than your state’s total loss threshold. Airbag deployment does not automatically mean that your car will be totaled.
- Your airbags deploying in an accident does not automatically mean your car will be totaled, but it can still happen.
- Insurance companies determine whether to total a car based on a loss ratio of the cost of repairs needed versus the value of your vehicle.
- Any time your airbags deploy, check with a mechanic to make sure your vehicle hasn’t sustained other damage that makes it unsafe to drive.
- Your airbags deploying in an accident does not automatically mean your car will be totaled, but it can still happen.
- Insurance companies determine whether to total a car based on a loss ratio of the cost of repairs needed versus the value of your vehicle.
- Any time your airbags deploy, check with a mechanic to make sure your vehicle hasn’t sustained other damage that makes it unsafe to drive.
Airbags reduce the chances of death in an accident by about 30%. But what happens after they go off? It’s a long and complicated process to determine what happens next after a vehicle gets into an accident. You’ll need to file a claim, and the insurance company will determine the amount of
car repair
they’ll pay for (if any).Here’s a quick guide to how
car insurance
companies handle airbag deployment in their claims process.Compare insurance quotes from 50+ insurance companies with Jerry in under 45 seconds
Compare insurance quotes from 50+ insurance companies with Jerry in under 45 seconds
4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ driversDo insurance companies total cars if the airbags deploy?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
If your airbags deploy in a car accident, there is no guarantee that the insurance adjuster will determine that the car is a totaled vehicle. Before they can make a decision, they must consider a variety of factors.
In addition to the airbag deployment, the insurance provider must consider the value of the vehicle (aka
ACV or actual cash value
) and the cost of repairs at a body shop.What causes an airbag to deploy?
The airbag deploys when the vehicle’s sensors detect a sudden impact. These sensors then relay information to the car’s computer, which deploys the airbags in the blink of an eye.
Airbags are designed to prevent serious injury in severe crashes where seat belts may not provide enough protection.
After the seat belt became mandatory in 1968, it took another 30 years to make airbags a mandatory safety feature in all vehicles.
When does a car insurance company consider a vehicle a total loss?
Every state has its own total loss threshold. This is the limit that determines whether the car is too damaged to repair.
This threshold may be anywhere between 60% and 100%, but it’s usually around 75%. Some insurance companies set their own ratios for total loss if it’s not established by state law.
Here’s an example that shows the process of how a claims adjuster might perform their calculations if you file an insurance claim.
Let’s say the value of your car is $6,000. You bought the car for $7,500, but due to depreciation its market value is now $6,000. After your accident, the repair costs are estimated to be $5,000. You live in
Texas
, where the total loss threshold is 100%. Next, your claims adjuster will compare the actual value of the car ($6,000) to the estimated repair cost ($5,000) to find a percentage. In this case, the repairs-to-cost ratio is 83.3%, which falls well below the Texas total loss threshold of 100%.
In this case, repairs should be covered by insurance, but the insurance adjuster will need to consider possible repairs beyond the initial estimate and the safety of the vehicle after repairs, too. The closer a vehicle gets to the total loss threshold, the more likely the insurance company will total it.
If the car is declared a total loss but you want to keep it, you can get it back with a salvage title (and a claims payout minus the cash value of the car). If you don’t want the car, the insurance company will take possession of it and auction it off.
Note that cars with salvage titles are not road-legal, and you'll have to complete some intense restoration to get them back in driving condition.
How much does it cost to fix a deployed airbag?
It costs approximately $1,500 to purchase all new airbags for a vehicle—but this doesn’t include labor costs.
The cost of a single new airbag is between $200 and $1,000, and side airbags cost more to replace than front airbags (like the one in your steering wheel). If you drive an older vehicle, you probably have fewer airbags than a new car.
When you add the mechanic’s fee for
airbag installation
, you can expect to pay a total cost of between $3,000 and $5,000 to fix your vehicle’s airbags.Will car insurance cover an airbag replacement?
It depends on the situation—and on your coverage.
Did you get hit by another driver? The at-fault driver’s liability coverage should kick in to replace the airbags on your vehicle. If they don’t have adequate insurance, then you may receive coverage if you have
collision insurance
on your policy.Did you cause the accident? Your collision coverage (included if you have
full-coverage car insurance
) may cover the cost of repairs to your vehicle, regardless of who caused the accident.The specific coverage levels in your insurance policy will determine whether your car insurance will cover an airbag replacement. Bear in mind that you’ll have to pay your deductible before you can tap into your full-coverage auto insurance for repairs.
This underscores the importance of balancing cheap car insurance rates with an adequate coverage level. Cheap car insurance isn’t worth it if you’ll be left to pay out of pocket for repairs to your vehicle after an unexpected collision.
“I was worried that adding my 16-year-old daughter would spike my insurance rates. I called and spoke to Tim, who was pleasant to work with and got me new rate savings.Jerryreally helped me save thousands.” —Marshall D.
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FAQs
What are the risks of having a deployed airbag?
Your car is technically
drivable after airbags deploy
, but it’s probably unsafe. If you are driving a vehicle where the airbags have been deployed and not replaced, you have no protection in the event of another accident. Often, a collision hard enough to deploy the airbags will trigger other issues with the battery, the computer, or other mechanical parts. It’s unwise to attempt to drive a vehicle in this condition.
What is the difference between a salvaged car and a totaled car?
A salvage car is a totaled car that has been given its salvage title. If you choose to retain your totaled vehicle rather than allow the insurance company to sell it, you will receive the salvage title.
In this case, you cannot legally drive the salvaged car until it is repaired, inspected, and re-titled with a
rebuilt title
.
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