What Makes an Airbag Inflate?

In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. Additionally, in the case of a “rollover capable” roof-mounted side impact airbag, the sensing system detects that the vehicle is about to roll over. The sensing system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which inflates the airbag. The inflator, airbag, and related hardware are all part of the airbag modules inside the steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the right front passenger. For vehicles with roof-mounted rollover airbags, the airbag modules, the inflator, and the airbags are located in the ceiling of the vehicle, near the side windows.

    See also:

    Turn and Lane-Change Signals
    An arrow on the instrument panel cluster flashes in the direction of the turn or lane change. For vehicles with the side blind zone alert system, an arrow in the outside mirror flashes when ...

    Electric Power Steering
    If your vehicle has electric power steering it does not have power steering fluid. Regular maintenance is not required. If power steering assist is lost due to a system malfunction, the vehic ...

    When the System Does Not Seem to Work Properly
    Occasional missed alerts can occur under normal circumstances and will increase in wet conditions. The system does not need to be serviced due to an occasional missed alert. The number of mi ...