I confess, packing an airbag with old shoes or empty beer cans isn’t something I’ve ever thought people would actually do, but according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), they say that about half of fatal accidents involving used cars with non-deploying air bags have missing, faulty or dummy air bags including airbags stuffed with all sorts of things, ranging from old shoes to packing peanuts, and all at the hands of crooked mechanics.  Other industry experts also caution that as many as one out of every 25 damaged vehicles inspected had nonfunctional air bags.

Dummy air bags are generally stolen or salvaged from other vehicles and don’t match the make and model of the vehicle they’ve been installed in. When a car is involved in an accident, the insurance company will pay to have the air bag replaced once it’s been deployed, however and unfortunately – not all of those who are paid to replace the airbag will use a new one.  Victims of air bag fraud have reported finding such things as paper towels, packing peanuts, and even those old shoes and empty beer cans I mentioned earlier, as well as almost anything else that can fit and fill the hole. Since most of us never experience air bag deployment except in the event of an accident, most of us wouldn’t know we’ve been hit in the face with paper towels or packing peanuts until it’s far too late.

So, what can we do to stay safe?  Here are some tips from the experts:

1. Get a Carfax vehicle history report and look it over, noting salvage or junk titles, accidents, or any  “air bag deployed” notations. If any of these situations rear their ugly head, the air bag may have been deployed, so to protect yourself, it’s a good idea to inspect it closely or have it inspected.

2. Take the vehicle to an ASE-certified mechanic for inspection prior to purchase to ensure the air bag matches the vehicle and will work properly.

3. When turning on the ignition, note that the air bag indicator light comes on momentarily and then goes out. If the indicator light remains on or flashes, this is a possible indication that an air bag system problem exists. If you run into this situation, take the vehicle to a qualified mechanic for further inspection.

4. If the air bag light doesn’t come on, it’s a high indicator that the air bag is missing and the bulb has been removed. You should know that air bag lights may also not come on if the previous owner had an on-off switch installed. Ask the owner or car dealer to provide a copy of the NHTSA letter authorizing the switch and have the air bag turned back on.

Experts say this is a scam that’s on the rise and that it’s almost impossible for the average consumer to know just by looking, if a vehicle has a bogus air bag.  If you’re in doubt about airbag safety on a used car, experts advise taking the car to a mechanic for a thorough inspection, as well as inspecting the safety features which are already on the vehicle to ensure that everything is working properly.

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