If you’re buying a used car, there’s a chance you may become a victim of airbag fraud. In order to keep yourself and your precious cargo safe, check for these signs of airbag fraud when you’re buying a pre-owned vehicle.
Airbag Fraud Indicators
Airbag fraud commonly occurs when buying a used car. Dishonest sellers will often take shortcuts in order to save airbag repair costs, which could result in injury to you and your passengers. Below, you’ll find some of the most common indicators of airbag fraud:
- Gaps around the steering wheel panel or a different colored steering wheel panel. This likely means that the driver’s airbag has once been deployed.
- Wrong color seats belts: This is an indicator that the original seatbelt for the car has been replaced, most likely due to an accident.
- Pry marks, scratches, or uneven gaps on dashboard panels: This indicates that the passenger side airbag has been ejected once before.
How to Prevent Airbag Fraud
When buying a used car from an independent seller, it’s important to take measures to protect yourself from potential airbag fraud, here are some steps to take:
- Request a vehicle history report from the seller, like Edmunds or CARFAX. If the car was previously in an accident, clarify with the seller that the airbag module has been correctly reset.
- Have the car inspected, or have the seller put in writing that the vehicle’s SRS components are intact and functioning.
- If you’re suspicious, walk away. It’s not worth the risk of putting yourself and your passengers in danger because your airbags haven’t been properly repaired.
Contact My Auto Solutions
At My Auto Solutions, we provide fast, reliable airbag module reset services at a fraction of the dealership price. Our IPC-certified technicians are able to clear all hard codes or crash data, which cannot be cleared by normal dealer or scan tools.
For more information about our electronic auto part repair services, call (678) 778-8890, or contact us online.