One of the most common phone calls we receive is from consumers wondering why their air bag did not deploy during a crash. This article describes how air bag deployment thresholds are established, the kinds of crashes during which air bags should deploy, and crashes where they may not deploy. It also provides information on several different defects that may be responsible for the air bag failing to deploy when it should deploy. Air Bag Deployment Thresholds Conventional air bags are generally

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... esigned to deploy in certain frontal crashes above the thresholds selected by the manufacturer. Unfortunately, the consumer often cannot determine the thresholds for their car, as they vary widely between manufacturers, and even vary among different models from the same manufacturer. However, there are some general guidelines that are helpful for consumers.