Seat reuse after airbag deployment

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Tim7139

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What steps are needed to reuse seats with blown airbags? Is it as simple as look for signs of integrity issues, swap in a bag, and sew a bit?
 

misfit77

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Technical sense...yes
Legal...probably can't

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smithwessn

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Install a new airbag and a new seat cover, you should be good to go.
 

goldeneyee

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I can't remember if the cloth pocket where the airbag fits into is part of the seat cover (skin) or part of the seat---may be damaged. In any event, I concur with smithwessn
 
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Tim7139

Tim7139

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Keep the fear alive!

It has been fairly common practice for qualified repair shops and end users to pull seats from vehicles that have been in accidents for years and I have yet to find any legal precedent in the US or Canada that indicate a need for concern.

Inspection and replacement of prescribed parts prone to damage and known one time use parts (like hold down bolts) should be straight forward, though I know it's a commonly skipped. I'm able to find other manufacturers prescribed post accident guidance (Honda lists replacement of SRS unit, Deployed side airbag(s), Front seat belt(s), Side impact sensor(s) (first+Seconds),B-pillar lower trim ,Seat frame and related parts) though I have not found RAM guidance. In my case since I have an undamaged vehicle so retaining items from the current vehicle addresses most concerns should be fairly straight forward.

Seat covers and airbags are still a common area of confusion. The discussions in this link talk about the matter of seam repair from the POV of upholstery service providers. You can see how the discussions evolve in later links like and importantly use of OE replacement covers eliminates their concern of risk for insurers, dealers, and upholstery service providers.
 

smithwessn

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I don't know who is pulling seats out of accident cars just because the airbag deployed. Body shops around here reuse seats all the time. They replace the airbag, replace the seat cover with a factory seat cover (no sewing the old one back up) and you're good to go. There's no reason, short of actual crash damage to the seat, to not reuse the seat. The deployed bag can't hurt it.
 
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