Airbag Replacement on Salvage Vehicle Effected by Takata Recall

Ok, so back in early 2017 I purchased a 178,000 mile Salvage Title Toyota Tundra. I love everything about the truck, and the last 15k miles have actually gone really smoothly (I'm at 192,000 now). Immediately after purchase I put a water pump and timing belt on it, so if nothing else fails I should be able to get at least 90,000 miles out of it. 

It wasn't a good deal, and I likely wouldn't make the same decision again. I rushed into purchasing the vehicle instead of waiting for a non-salvage example, and I shouldn't have done that.

The rebuild of the truck was pretty good. Externally and in the engine bay, it's very hard to tell that the truck was in accident. 

Airbag wise is a different story. 

The side airbags and curtains did not deploy. The seat belt charges did. The front airbags both did. The previous owner lied to me about replacing the airbags, he simply said "just replace the airbag control module and you'll be good." 

So, I need two seat belts, steering-wheel airbag and passenger-side airbag and airbag control module. 

I've got a passenger side airbag for $50. Score! 

I can get seat belts and airbag control module repaired and reset for $200. This is nice because they also replace the winders so saggy seatbelts will be fixed as well. 

I can probably get a new steering wheel airbag for $100. 

The problem is this: all the airbags are part of the Takata recall. Toyota won't replace them if they don't exist, so I've got to have them in order to be replaced. We all know how quickly the Takata Airbag recall is going...

Option 1) Get the system in good working order for around $400-$500 with shrapnel airbags, reset control module, and new seatbelt retractors with pretensioner charges reinstalled. 

Option 2) Get the shrapnel airbags and seat belts $250, let Toyota replace the airbags and airbag control module as part of the recall.

Option 3) Get the rebuilt seatbelts for $150, don't worry about anything else. 

Important Note: If tomorrow the motor of this truck blew up, I'd pay for it's replacement ($3000). If I wrecked it badly, it would be a total loss ($7000 invested). 

Option 2, then sell it and find a non-salvage version.

A salvage car gives you some freedom - get insurance on it, and then you are immune from accidents. A coworker rear-ended someone and made $2800 profit after buying her salvage title car back after writing it off. She didn't part it out, the insurance company gave her money to repair it but it was cosmetic damage on an ugly car so she just kept driving.

Option 2 seems the logical one, and keep the car. Although there may not be shrapnel bags in the supply chain anymore, maybe you'll end up with good ones.

My M5 is a salvage car. It's had two airbag deployments already, I think. And BMW just replaced the replacement for the replacement airbag with a replacement. The module was not part of the recall, only the explosive pillow.

Just to clarify that Option 2 would leave me with inoperable airbags until the dealer did the recall replacement. 

pheller said:

Just to clarify that Option 2 would leave me with inoperable airbags until the dealer did the recall replacement. 

I wouldn't sweat it.  You could get hit by a bus crossing the street long before you get in an accident wherein you need the airbags.

pheller said:

Just to clarify that Option 2 would leave me with inoperable airbags until the dealer did the recall replacement. 

Good, I was going to recommend unwiring them until the truck goes in for the recall anyway. Better to take your chances with no airbags than shrapnel-firing ones IMO.

1988RedT2 said:

pheller said:

Just to clarify that Option 2 would leave me with inoperable airbags until the dealer did the recall replacement. 

I wouldn't sweat it.  You could get hit by a bus crossing the street long before you get in an accident wherein you need the airbags.

I don’t know... part of me thinks like that, but at the same time I wear my seatbelts even though I may die of cancer. 

How many bags REALLY send out shrapnel? 

I am friends with the local Honda dealer.  He told me one of those stories that just produce facepalm memes with Captain Picard.  So- Guy buys car from salvage, with blown bags. Car will be covered by the recall.  He cannot buy the updated bags, and Honda won't accept a blown bag in exchange on the recall.  They also won't accept a bag with the wrong VIN assigned to it, so he can't install used ones. Therefore, he must buy new shrapnel bags at full price, then bring the car in for the recall, to have the improved bags installed...

I'm kinda ok with the guy having to pay for fresh bags, but to have to buy the old ones and immediately replace them seems a bit odd.  Supply chain problems, I guess.

pheller said:

Option 1) Get the system in good working order for around $400-$500 with shrapnel airbags, reset control module, and new seatbelt retractors with pretensioner charges reinstalled. 

Option 2) Get the shrapnel airbags and seat belts $250, let Toyota replace the airbags and airbag control module as part of the recall.

Option 3) Get the rebuilt seatbelts for $150, don't worry about anything else. 

Important Note: If tomorrow the motor of this truck blew up, I'd pay for it's replacement ($3000). If I wrecked it badly, it would be a total loss ($7000 invested). 

 

I'm not familiar with Toyotas specific recall but am very familiar with a different manufacturers airbag recall.  

I doubt the control unit is covered in the recall.  With the  recall I'm familiar with, the 1st step is to check the airbag/SRS light.  If it's on, that problem needs to be repaired before the recall is performed.