I just bought a used 1997 SE. The car had a dash cover and appeared to be in very good shape. After a week or two I decided to detail the interior and found that the passenger air bag panel on the dash didn't appear to fit properly. I then looked through the owners manual and tested for the air bag light when I first turned the ignition switch on. I didn't get the air bag light. I looked at the fuse for the air bag and its okay. It now seems to me that either the bag was previously deployed or someone tried to remove it. What do you guys think and what is my next step. Thanks

 

that jacked up talk to the prevous owner. i have factory plugs in my car cause i dont have airbags u cant tell at all. he probally got in acident or took them out their worth 800 each i got estimate, 2k for both installed sqrew tht !

 

You should have done a carfax report before buying the car, post the vin# and various people on this board have a subscription and they will gladly run it for you. If it has been in an accident, then that is what happened, they cost about a grand a piece to replace, and even then you don't know if they will work unless the car is in an accident where they are supposed to go off.

When airbags are deployed they release this chemical dust ( you'll cough it up about an hour or two after an accident, very gross ). Anyways this chemical dust is not good at all, I do not know the specifics, but I do know that if airbags are deployed in a car, the car has to be cleaned and a very expensive shampoo must used throughout the entire interior of the car to remove any particles of this chemical dust. This is actually a very expensive procedure, my only concern is if your airbags were deployed, and that this cleaning procedure was not done. It won't kill you tomorrow or anything, but its not something you want to expose yourself too, especially not your kids.


Chances are the air bag was not removed because although when they were first introduced theft was often, it is not nearly as often now, especially since Maxima's have a air bag bolt to prevent this from happening.

-Nate

 

the main reason maximas are broken into and stolen is for the airbags. they are expensive and almost any body shop will give the guys 400-600 for one. bastards...