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Hello All,
I have two 1996 850 wagons and a 1999 XC wagon. Each one has a sticker from the factory located on the driver’s door jamb that recommends that 10 years from the date of manufacture, you should take your car to the Volvo dealer to “inspect/repair” the airbags system. Some questions:
1) Do you have to do this?
2) Has anyone brought their Volvo to a dealership for this “inspection/repair” of the airbags? If so, what triggered, other than the passage of time, the need to bring the car in?
3) If anyone has, what did this “inspection/repair” consist of and how much was the cost?
By way of anecdotal experience, I believe that every time you turn on the engine, the car automatically conducts a check of the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) which is another description of the airbags. That’s why I see the “SRS” light briefly flash when I turn on my three Volvos. Also, in December of last year, my bride crashed our 2002 S60 T5 into a telephone pole, and both front airbags deployed. This at the time was a 13 year old Volvo that had never had the airbags checked and they deployed the way they were designed. I hasten to add, my bride was unscathed, but the S60 was totaled.
Also years ago, I had a 1993 Honda Accord EX sedan (before I came to my senses and started buying Volvos). It too, had a similar sticker on the inside portion of the driver’s door. I called my local Honda dealer and for $125.00 it would hook a scanner up to my Honda to see if there was a problem with the airbags. Because no “idiot” lights were “on” at the time indicating there was a problem with the airbags, I took a pass. In retrospect I am wondering if that was a wise decision.
Thanks in advance to all who respond.
Hugh
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posted by
someone claiming to be BZ
on
Thu Nov 17 15:23 CST 2016 [ RELATED]
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Curiously, my SRS light just came on on my '07 V70 wagon. Dealer reset it, and said it was due to a low battery.
Cheers
Bernie
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Bernie,
I haven’t experienced that problem directly, but I have heard of other Volvo owners having experiences similar to one you described.
Hugh
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I have had my 1995 850 turbo sedan for about 22.2 years and it is well kept so far. The above discussion makes me think whether I should really have to worry about its airbags and possibly its turbo. I know that the sub-7 seconds from 0 to 60 mph is not there anymore, although its acceleration seems to be still better than that of the vast majority of cars out there. Any additional comments/feedback from fellow volvo owners would be greatly appreciated.
On a different note, I am still hoping for a diesel stick shift volvo on our shores, but I ... must be dreaming! By coincidence, my rental in Ireland this past summer was a 2016 V40, manual diesel that over 1000 miles had an average of 45 mpg, city and highway, with 4 people in it and fully loaded!
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Hi Hugh,
I found a good drivers seat at the bone yard this summer
before I sent the old one off in the trash truck, I smacked the
side air bag trigger with a long handled shovel, and it deployed
as good as new. Not bad after 21 years!
Happy motoring, Bill
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Bill,
That is both impressive and reassuring. I hope I never have to find out if the airbags on my two ’96 850 wagons (and my ’99 XC) still work.
Hugh
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I also have seen info on Volvo extending air bag life expectancy.
I have also read that Volvo did not like the fabric used on Takata air bags and did not use them.
While we older Volvo owners may bemoan parts prices, Volvos are built from quality stuff.
If you remove the side cover from your seat base, it should contain an orange guard to put over the side air bag trigger in the base of the seat and you will see see that the trigger is connected to a hose that goes up into the seat - not wires! In my used 850 seats, this guard was missing from the driver's seat, but the passenger seat had one.
There is also a seat height adjustment built into the base of the seat if you are tall. I lowered the 850 seats in my 544 about two inches using this adjustment - it did take some of the range out of the electrical height adjustment.
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So long as the SRS light doesn't come on, you should not have a problem. The electrical connections are 'gold' and do not corrode. The propellant should last forever. The only 'real' test would be to deploy the air bags and then replace the entire SRS system, a Volvo scanner will only duplicate what the SRS systems tests every time you start the engine.
Stupid stickers! Only the USA cars have those SRS stickers on them, and you cannot peel them off!
--
Keeping it running is better than buying new
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Klaus,
You speak common sense.
Hugh
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posted by
someone claiming to be gerard
on
Tue Nov 8 13:58 CST 2016 [ RELATED]
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My car is a salvage titled car, all the airbags went off in a crash and the cost to replace them totalled it. It drives perfect too.
Don't mess with them, they are very pricey.
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Hi Hugh,
Some time ago, I do know that Volvo issued a statement increasing the inspection time span to 15 years on their airbags. If memory serves me correctly, fairly recently someone here on the BB stated that Volvo had extended the airbag expected lifespan to lifetime. I do not know if that last statement is true. Personally, I have no intention of bringing my 21 year old, 250k 95 855 GLT to Volvo for an inspection.
Oh, BTW - It should be reassuring to all that older Volvo's do not use Takata airbags...:)
Jim
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Jim,
Thank you for your reply. I am starting to think I am “Trying to find a solution to a problem that does not exist”.
Also your last point that Volvo does not use Takata bags is so true and very significant.
For reasons I cannot understand, Volvo since the outbreak of the Takata airbag scandal, has never stressed to the public in ads or PR announcements that it doesn’t use Takata airbags and never has. MB, BMW and Audi all got stuck with Takata bags.
Volvo could easily take customers who are driving around in competitor cars that basically have a hand grenade propped up against their faces. Volvo wouldn’t even have to mention the name of their competitors, just that they don’t use Takata airbags.
Hugh
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