Air bag inflation conditions

Front air bags

Front air bags are designed to inflate in a frontal collision depending on several factors, including the severity of impact of the front collision.

Side and/or curtain air bags

* The actual air bags in the vehicle may differ from the illustration.

Side and/or curtain air bags are designed to inflate when an impact is detected by side collision sensors depending on several factors, including the severity of impact resulting from a side impact collision.

Also, the side and curtain air bags are designed to inflate when a rollover is detected by a rollover sensor.

Although the front air bags (driver's and front passenger's air bags) are primarily designed to inflate in frontal collisions, they may inflate in other types of collisions if the front impact sensors detect a sufficient frontal force in another type of impact.

Similarly, although side and curtain air bags are designed to inflate in certain side impact collisions, they may inflate in other types of collisions where a side force is detected by the sensors. For instance, side air bag and/or curtain air bags may inflate if rollover sensors indicate the possibility of a rollover occurring (even if none actually occurs) or in other situations, including when the vehicle is tilted while being towed.

Even if side and/or curtain air bags do not provide impact protection in a rollover, they will deploy to prevent ejection of occupants, especially those who are restrained with seat belts.

If the vehicle chassis is impacted by bumps or objects on unimproved roads, the air bags may deploy. Drive carefully on unimproved roads or on surfaces not designed for vehicle traffic to prevent unintended air bag deployment.

Air bag non-inflation conditions

• Air bags may not deploy in certain low-speed collisions where the air bag would not add any benefit beyond the protection already offered by the seat belts.

  

• Air bags are not designed to inflate in rear collisions, because occupants are moved backward by the force of the impact. In this case, inflated air bags would not be able to provide any additional benefit.

  

• Front airbags may not inflate in side impact collisions, because passengers move in the direction of the collision. Thus, in side impacts, frontal airbag deployment would not provide additional occupant protection.

  

• In an angled collision, the force of impact may direct the occupants in a direction where the air bags would not be able to provide any additional benefit, and thus the sensors may not deploy any air bags.

  

• Just before impact, drivers often brake heavily. Such heavy braking lowers the front portion of the vehicle causing it to "ride" under a vehicle with a higher ground clearance. Air bags may not inflate in this "under-ride" situation because deceleration forces that are detected by sensors may be significantly reduced by such "under-ride" collisions.

  

• Front air bags may not inflate in all rollover accidents when the SRS Control Module (SRSCM) indicates that the front air bag deployment would not provide additional occupant protection.

  

• Airbags may not inflate if the vehicle collides with an object such as a utility pole or tree. This is because the point of impact is concentrated in one area and the full force of the impact is not delivered to the sensors.