The above left image is what happened to this vehicle last December 2025 - in a huge snow storm. I saw the accident damage image and I did not think the airbag was deployed. We had looked at another Subaru that cost $4000 more but was a recent year model - and the dealer claimed that only bumper damage had occurred. I was able to trace down the accident report and it was a five car collision and the air bag was deployed! I called back the dealer and he insisted the air bag had never been worked on or repaired. By the law in my state the dealer is not required to state whether the airbag had been deployed or not!! The local news has covered how people try to trade in their used cars only to find out they've been driving without airbags...
You cannot permanently clear an airbag warning code or light without fixing the underlying issue. Subaru's Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) performs a continuous diagnostic check every time the car starts. If missing or broken airbags are detected, the system will immediately trigger the warning light on your...Subaru
So I do not think it is possible for the dealer to hide this and the side-swipe damage was not that bad so I don't think the air bag got activated - as per the image above in the manual stating the air bag would NOT be activated.
that was the side-swipe damage and that matches the image in the manual stating the airbags would NOT be deployed.
The accident report for the other subaru side that the bumper rear end damage caused the vehicle to then hit the car in front of it and the air bag WAS deployed - but the dealer tried to cover it up. I was able to track down the car accident in the news and the accident report as per state records...stating the airbag WAS deployed - so after the dealer asked if I had "seen the Carfax report" - I knew he was covering it up. This is a rampant scam in our state as the local news has covered...
There's an insane amount of warning signals on the Subaru that need to be decoded...
The "forward emergency brake off" signal threw me for awhile.
As did the "blind spot indicator monitoring" signal! Wow.
Also the "passenger air bag deployment off" signal really threw me.
Wow they don't even have that symbol up there - it shows up above at the top over the windshield. I found it explained in the manual - if there is no weight on the passenger seat than the "activation" of the airbag is turned off so it will not be deployed. Very strange.
Yes, replacing or altering the airbag Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) control module can erase, alter, or hide evidence of a previous airbag deployment from electronic scanning tools
So technically the dealer would hide the airbag deployment by replacing the module
as that vid shows how to do.
So that's why I went with this "side swipe" accident since I didn't think the airbags were deployed.
No, auction facilities (like Copart or IAAI) and insurance companies do not remove deployed airbags for damage photos. The vehicle is photographed exactly as it arrived at the facility to document the exact condition of the accident and the damage.
[1, 2] If you are looking at auction photos and don't see the airbags, consider the following key details:
- Evidence of Deployment: Deployed airbags are usually highly visible and hang out of the steering wheel, dashboard, or side pillars. If the bags are completely missing, torn out, or missing their covers, it is a red flag that someone may have tampered with or removed them after the accident. [1, 2, 3, 4]
- Safety Hazards: Deployed airbags are essentially trash and cannot be reused. Some junkyards or rebuilders remove them simply to clean up the interior or salvage usable parts, leaving empty cavities. [1, 2]
- The Check: If you want to confirm if the bags were originally deployed before the car got to auction, look for the original accident photos,
However, unscrupulous sellers, body shops, or vehicle flippers frequently alter or remove salvaged airbags and tamper with warning systems to conceal a deployment and boost the car's resale value
airbags cut out secretly
The curtain airbags from my Jetta were cut from my car and tucked under the headliner. This is a common tactic done by dealers at salvage auctions so buyers don't factor in the cost of expensive airbag replacements.
the cut and tuck - by a dealer who sold the car at auction...
Yes, you can physically trick a Subaru’s Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) sensors into bypassing blown airbags or missing occupant detectors using specific resistors or capacitors. Blown Airbags: Mechanics or owners will sometimes use an airbag emulator (typically a specific-ohm resistor) plugged into the harness to simulate the resistance of a functional airbag. This clears the dashboard warning light, but the actual airbag is disconnected
Occupant Detection Systems (ODS): If a passenger seat sensor is broken or a non-OEM seat is swapped in, capacitors or resistors are often wired into the harness to trick the SRS module into thinking an adult is permanently seated
OK so my passenger seat sensor STILL works - meaning that the module was probably not messed with !!
Detection: Modern Subaru safety-system technicians routinely scan for and detect hidden resistors, bypassed wires, and tampered circuits during inspection
how scammers hack airbag modules
if a car that has visible airbag deployment is going to be worth far
less, then why not spend a little time and money to make it look like
the airbags never went off so it sells for more at auction.
Doctoring cars before they are auctioned is pretty common.
Airbags aren't active if the car's ignition isn't turned on when it is hit. So if the car was parked... no airbags.
the dealer said the car was stationary when side-swiped - so parked. Fascinating.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAMechanic/comments/1juuqz4/why_have_airbags_not_deployed_in_most_wrecked/
Can this be applied to rusty surfaces?