Airbag replacement costs in the UK, model by model
Deployed airbags scare bidders and hide real cost. What each airbag and its related parts actually cost to replace in the UK.
REPAIR · 4 min read
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Why airbags are mispriced
Bidders see deployed airbags and assume disaster, so the auction price drops more than the true repair cost on light hits. If you know the real numbers, that fear gap is your margin. But you must count every related part, not just the bag.
Cost per airbag
Using used modules, budget roughly £250 to £600 per airbag depending on the model, with premium German cars at the higher end. New OEM bags cost far more, which is why the used-parts network matters for flipping.
The parts people forget
Seatbelt pretensioners fire with the airbags and cost £150 to £300 each. The airbag control module often needs replacing or a crash-data reset, around £40 to £80 as a service. The clockspring behind the wheel, a torn dashboard and headliner damage from curtain bags all add up.
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The legal must-know
It is legal to sell a car with repaired airbags in the UK, but the system must work. An airbag warning light is an MOT failure. Never fit resistors to trick the light, it is dangerous and fraudulent, and it will fail an honest MOT anyway.
The verdict for buyers
Two deployed bags on a desirable car with light panel damage is one of the best risk-adjusted buys in salvage. Six bags with a bent shell is a parts car wearing a project's price. Count the full set of parts in the Analyzer before you decide.
Work out whether repairing beats selling it
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