When should an air bag deploy?

This vehicle is equipped with air bags. See Air Bag System.

Air bags are designed to inflate if the impact exceeds a specific air bag system deployment threshold. Deployment thresholds are used to predict how severe a crash must be to inflate the air bags and help restrain occupants. The vehicle has electronic sensors that help the air bag system determine the severity of an impact. Deployment thresholds may vary depending on the specific vehicle design.

Front air bags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal crashes to help reduce the risk of serious injury, mainly to the head and chest of the driver or front passenger.

Whether the front air bags inflate or do not inflate depends primarily on how fast the vehicle is moving. It depends on what was struck, the direction of impact, and how quickly the vehicle decelerates.

The front air bags may deploy at different deceleration rates depending on whether the vehicle struck an object directly or at an angle, and whether the object is fixed or movable, rigid or deformable, narrow or wide.

The front air bags are not designed to inflate in a rollover, rear impact, or many side impacts.

In addition, the vehicle has advanced air bag technology. Advanced front air bags adjust the air bag deployment based on the severity of the crash.

Seat-mounted side air bags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe side impacts, depending on the impact location. Seat-mounted side air bags are not designed to inflate in frontal impacts, near-frontal impacts, rollovers, or rear impacts. A seat-mounted side air bag is designed to inflate on the side of the vehicle that was struck.

Roof rail air bags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe side impacts, depending on the impact location. In addition, these roof rail air bags are designed to inflate in a rollover or severe frontal impact. Roof rail air bags are not designed to inflate in rear impacts. Both roof rail air bags will inflate when either side of the vehicle is struck or if the sensing system predicts that the vehicle is about to roll over onto its side or is about to experience a severe frontal impact.

In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air bag should have deployed based only on vehicle damage or repair costs.