is a car a total loss if airbags deploy

[OJoseph]

No, a car is not automatically considered a total loss just because the airbags deploy. The decision is based primarily on economics. An insurance company will declare a vehicle a total loss when the cost of repairs, including the deployed airbags, exceeds a certain percentage of the car's Actual Cash Value (ACV) before the accident. This percentage, known as the total loss threshold, varies by state but is typically between 70% and 100% of the ACV.

The deployment of airbags is a significant event because it is often accompanied by other substantial damage. Replacing airbags is expensive; a single front airbag module can cost between $1,000 and $3,000, and the total bill for replacing multiple airbags, sensors, and the airbag control module can easily exceed $5,000 to $10,000. When this cost is added to repairing the collision damage that triggered the deployment (like a bent frame or extensive body work), the repair total can quickly surpass the vehicle's value.

The following table illustrates how different scenarios might play out for a car with an ACV of $15,000, assuming a total loss threshold of 75%:

Scenario	Estimated Repair Cost (Airbags + Collision)	Cost vs. ACV (75% = $11,250)	Likely Insurance Decision
Minor frontal impact, 2 airbags deploy	$9,000	Below Threshold	Vehicle Repaired
Moderate side impact, 4 airbags deploy	$13,500	Above Threshold	Total Loss
Severe frontal impact, 6+ airbags deploy, frame damage	$18,000	Far Above Threshold	Total Loss

Beyond cost, severe structural damage (a bent frame or unibody) discovered during the estimate often makes a vehicle unsafe to repair properly, pushing it toward a total loss regardless of the specific repair cost. So, while airbag deployment is a major red flag and a costly repair, the final determination always comes down to the insurance company's repair estimate versus the pre-accident value of your car.

[MacDylan]

Not necessarily, but it's a very strong indicator. Think of it this way: airbags only go off in a serious collision. That kind of impact usually causes other expensive damage you can't see immediately, like to the frame. If the bill to fix everything—airbags included—gets too close to the car's actual value, the insurance company would rather just write you a check for the car's value than pour money into a badly damaged vehicle. It happens more often than not.

[JeffreyLynn]

I learned this the hard way when I was rear-ended. My airbags didn't even go off, but the repair estimate was still high. The mechanic told me that when airbags do deploy, it's a whole different ballgame. It's not just the bags themselves; it's all the sensors and the computer that triggers them. That stuff adds up fast. So, it's less about the airbags themselves and more about the story they tell: the crash was hard enough to trigger a major safety system, which means there's likely a lot of other damage underneath.