38 Safety

What Will You See After an

Airbag Inflates?

After an airbag inflates, it quickly deflates,
so quickly that some people may not even
realize the airbag inflated. Some compo-
nents of the airbag module - the steering
wheel hub for the driver's frontal airbag, the
instrument panel for the right front passen-
ger's frontal airbag or the ceiling of your
vehicle near the side windows - will be hot
for a short time. The parts of the bag that
come into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There will be some
smoke and dust coming from the vents in
the deflated airbags. airbag inflation does
not prevent the driver from seeing or being
able to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop
people from leaving the vehicle. In many crashes severe enough to inflate an
airbag, windshields are broken by vehicle
deformation. Additional windshield break-
age may also occur from the right front pas-
senger airbag.
• Airbags are designed to inflate only once.
After an airbag inflates, you will need
some new parts for your airbag system. If
you do not get them, the airbag system
will not be there to help protect you in
another crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly other parts.
The service manual for your vehicle
covers the need to replace other parts.
• Your vehicle is equipped with a crash
sensing and diagnostic module which
records information after a crash. See
Vehicle Data Collection and Event Data
Recorders on page 255.
• Let only qualified technicians work on
your airbag system. Improper service can
mean that your airbag system will not
work properly. See your dealer for ser-
vice.
WARNING
When an airbag inflates, there is dust in
the air. This dust could cause breathing
problems for people with a history of
asthma or other breathing trouble. To
avoid this, everyone in the vehicle should
get out as soon as it is safe to do so. If you
have breathing problems but cannot get
out of the vehicle after an airbag inflates,
then get fresh air by opening a window or
a door. If you experience breathing prob-
lems following an airbag deployment, you
should seek medical attention.
95_U S_M 07.book Page 38 Friday, June 9, 2006 8:58 AM