One of the most significant advancements in automotive safety is airbags. 50,457 lives were saved by airbags between 1987 and 2017, and the number has tripled over the year 2025. Before they are involved in a crash, the majority of people don’t even consider them.
It will be necessary and expensive to replace the airbags in your car if it is involved in a serious accident that causes the airbags to deploy. If you buy a car that already has its airbags deployed, you’ll need to install a new one.
Well, in this guide, I’ll explore how much it will cost you to replace your car airbag, how long the replacement will take, and if insurance can cover airbag replacement.
Let’s begin!
You should learn about Clock Spring with this detailed guide!
How Much Does it Cost to Replace an Airbag System?
The price to replace an airbag in a vehicle and bring a full airbag system back to working order might differ significantly from case to case. The main cause of this is that no two collisions are exactly alike. In some collisions, the number of airbag system components that were impacted may vary.
Replacement of your car airbag will cost you no less than $1,500 per airbag, including parts and labor, and that might exceed $6,000 on high-end luxury vehicles. Airbags are expensive, but your car’s make, model, and year will be required to know the exact current price of your car’s airbag.
As a result, until a complete inspection can be completed, it is frequently challenging for a repair facility to provide a particular cost quote for airbag system repair. A person is able to fully assess the amount of damage as a result.
You should also learn about How To Reset an Airbag Light with this detailed guide!
Due to this, it may be best to analyze each individual case’s potential financial implications separately. The following list represents typical repair prices for some of the most frequently damaged airbag system parts:
Airbag Module
One should budget between $200 and $800 on average for each airbag module or assembly. The cost of labor is not included in this figure; it just covers the cost of parts.
Each additional airbag will easily cost between $150 and $300 for installation. This brings the total cost of replacing an airbag module or assembly to between $35 and $1,100 per unit.
Crash Sensors
To put it mildly, airbag crash sensors are expensive, with parts alone costing between $70 and $350 for each item. One should prepare to spend between $120-$450 on replacement after adding additional labor costs of $50–100.
Clock-Spring
The clock spring of a steering wheel is frequently shattered after airbag deployment. There is no other option but to replace this part as well. The cost of a clock spring ranges from $100 to $250 on average, while installation labor often costs between $100 and $150.
Seat Belt Pretensioner
A seat belt pre-tensioner needs to be manually reset or changed after a collision. It will cost between $150 and $250 to replace each seat belt, however, it is frequently possible to reset these units for far less money.
You should also learn about How Much It Cost To Change Tire Rims with this detailed guide!
Airbag Diagnostic (SRS) Unit
The airbag diagnostic (SRS) unit for the afflicted vehicle has to be either replaced or manually reset after one or more airbags have been deployed. While having such a unit reset can cost anywhere from $50 to $100, replacement (if necessary) might run anywhere from $500 to $1,000.
How Long Does an Airbag Replacement Take?
If you have the necessary skills and equipment, replacing an airbag is typically not a particularly difficult process.
One airbag can typically be replaced in 1-2 hours. However, if many airbags need to be replaced, repair periods will be substantially longer. In worst-case scenarios, it may take an entire day to replace all of the airbags in a single car.
Does Insurance Cover Airbag Replacement?
After a collision in which one or more airbags are deployed, a driver’s insurance coverage will often fully cover airbag replacement. However, your insurance company must first decide whether or not they will consider your vehicle a total loss before such a replacement or any other repair may take place.
No repairs will be undertaken if the decision is ultimately made to total your car. Instead, you will receive a check for what your car was worth before the collision that caused this degree of damage.
You should also learn about How Much It Cost To Wrap A Car with this detailed guide!
Conclusion
Airbag replacement is one of the major repair you’ll need, especially if you are recently involve in an accident as safety is one of the major features you’ll need to save your life. The replacement cost of an airbag range from $1000 to $6,000, but it depends on your car make, model, and the amount of airbag that needs to be replaced. This investment is neccessary to keep you and passangers safe and roadworthy.
It is importance to fix a new airbag if your airbag have deployed. Ensure you have a certified technician for your car repairs as this will guarantee proper installation and reliability. That is all for this article, I hope it was helpful. Kindly share with other!
FAQs
How much does it cost to replace an airbag?
Replacing a deployed airbag typically costs between $1,000 and $2,000 per airbag, depending on the vehicle’s make and model. If multiple airbags deploy during an accident, total replacement costs can escalate significantly, potentially exceeding $6,000.
Can you drive a car with a faulty airbag?
Driving a car with deployed airbags is unsafe and often runs afoul of inspection, registration, insurance, and traffic-safety rules. Arrange towing or a permitted short move and get professional repairs before driving the vehicle in normal use.
How long does airbag replacement take?
On average, a mechanic may take 1 to 2 hours to replace an airbag. Also, the actual time an airbag replacement takes will depend on the model of your vehicle and the type of airbag (passenger airbag, curtain airbag, knee airbags, or frontal airbags) the mechanic is replacing.
How much does it cost to replace an airbag spring?
The average cost for an Air Bag Clockspring Replacement range between $482 and $538. Labor costs are estimated between $120 and $176 while parts are typically priced around $362. This range does not include taxes and fees, and does not factor in your unique location. Related repairs may also be needed.
Can airbag damage be repaired?
The reasons airbags must be replaced rather than repaired include: Structural Damage and sensitivity of sensor. In the structural damage, The force of deployment can cause irreversible damage to the airbag system’s components. Sensitivity of Sensors: The sensors that trigger the deployment are extremely sensitive and can be compromised after an impact.
Can I replace an airbag myself?
The question should be: Can airbag replacement be a DIY project? The high cost of airbag replacement is a sticker shock for sure, but no, this is not a DIY project. Airbag replacement must be done by a certified mechanic or technician.