# Can you disable the airbags in your car? And what car/year have you got?



## suzanne108

I'm car hunting :flower:


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## MissRhead

We have a ford fiesta zetec s and you can disable it but you have to buy something to do it from the ford dealer and that costs nearly £200 how crazy is that!? X


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## rach321

yes we have a 57 reg seat altea ( you just use the ignition key and turn a keyhole in the glove box)


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## Blaumba

Renault Clio and there is a switch on the drivers side you just turn and it tells you its off with a ight display when you turn car on. I had to call Renault and ask how to do it though as I wanted LO to be in the front.


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## xdaniellexpx

we have a audi q5 and there a button on the dash u presss simplesss


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## Rhiannon

we have 08 chevrolet matiz and you cant disable the airbags at all, also you cannot fit a car seat in without a base!!


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## doolittle

yes, renault grand scenic, dead easy


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## dougie

306 xs - easy, ignition key turns a dial


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## Marydoll

2002 citreon xsara, turns off with key at side of passenger door. child locks also work same way.


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## Pookie 73

Hi - we have an Audi A3 and you can disable the airbag on ours. Happy car hunting!


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## shamrockerjo

We have a Ford Focus, in the newer models you can apparently disable them however on ours you can't. Booo.


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## hattiehippo

We've got a Nissan Note 2006 and a Fiat Panda 2007. In both you put the ignition key into a slot on the far side of the dashboard by the passenger door. Really easy to do.


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## LdS39

We have a Mazda 6 2009 and its very easy to disable the airbag... In the glove compartment there is a switch which you turn off with the ignition key.. Easy!


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## Rags

Hi, Citroen C3, use the ignition key in a slot on the drivers side of the dash board.


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## sb786

i have a toyota celica coupe does anyone know if you can disable the airbags on it?


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## truly_blessed

yes, you can on my passenger seat with the ignition key. it's a 55 reg peugeot 307 convertible.


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## suzanne108

Thank you girlies this is so helpful :D


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## flower01

we are yet to find out! we have a Honda CRV and we cant figure it out!!


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## Mum2b_Claire

Have a 206 (pretty old though, 2001 I think) and yes you can.


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## mrsraggle

Yup we can - Renault Clio 52 plate.


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## Hayley90

Renault clio (2005 model) and yes we can. There is a "switch" in my passenger door which the driver key has to go in to turn it to "off" i think liam has a switch on his dash aswell but the key needs to be in the pass. door for it to work ... :flower:


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## ouchwithNo.2

We are always changing cars!
57 plate ford focus ST3
Y reg audi S3
04 plate skoda fabia VRS
Y reg skoda octavia VRS
56 plate nissan navara
07 plate renault laguna estate (renaults really are family friendly, this is MIL car)
02 plate vw golf v6 4motion


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## firegirlv

Does anyone know if you can on a 2001 beetle ?
Thanks


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## Jolinar

Yes, Nissan Qashqai :)


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## Laura2919

MissRhead said:


> We have a ford fiesta zetec s and you can disable it but you have to buy something to do it from the ford dealer and that costs nearly £200 how crazy is that!? X

Same car as my OH, they said its £200 without VAT to us!!! We said stick it lol!! his is a 57 plate

I have a vauxhall astra registered 2008 and you can turn the airbag off!


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## bambino156

I don't want to seem nagative but although we have a car where we can turn off the passenger airbag, we don't because we just don't trust that it won't go off in an accident. My oh works with airbags in the motor trade and has seen, despite them being a safety device, just how deadly they can be. Apparently it only takes the smallest amount of static charge to set them off in an accident and we simply don't rely on an off switch and a light on the dash to say that its disabled and that there is no connection to the airbag. What if it did go off?
So, despite how awkward and inconvenient I find it to hump the baby seat round to the back of the car and then being unable to see lo when driving I always put her in the back.


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## suzib76

skoda octavia 54 plate - key in glove box to deactivate it, in fact i am always forgetting to switch it back on when i go out to work :dohh:

huby had a v reg corsa and it doesnt even have passenger airbags pmsl


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## ouchwithNo.2

ref bambino 156, this is very true. My OH used to work in a garage and he had known of airbags going off in an impact even when deactivated.
Really any child under 12 should be in the back.
Safest seat for a baby is in the middle, assuming it is a real size seat and proper 3point belt.
My OH audi S3 is rubbish.
It has isofix but you cant get a baby seat in the back without shoving it in, 3 door. What about in an accident?
I would only ever put a kid in the front in an absolute emergency. Too much distraction also.


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## princess_bump

firegirlv said:


> Does anyone know if you can on a 2001 beetle ?
> Thanks

nope! i've never found a switch on my beetle.

you can however in our A-class merc, switch my the handbrake :)


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## Boony

bambino156 said:


> I don't want to seem nagative but although we have a car where we can turn off the passenger airbag, we don't because we just don't trust that it won't go off in an accident. My oh works with airbags in the motor trade and has seen, despite them being a safety device, just how deadly they can be. Apparently it only takes the smallest amount of static charge to set them off in an accident and we simply don't rely on an off switch and a light on the dash to say that its disabled and that there is no connection to the airbag. What if it did go off?
> So, despite how awkward and inconvenient I find it to hump the baby seat round to the back of the car and then being unable to see lo when driving I always put her in the back.

I agree, children under 12 are safer in the back anyway. I would never put my son in the front unless i absolutely had no other choice.


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## Emz1982_in_uk

I have a 5 door 307 which could fit a small house in and there is a keyhole next to the handbrake so that you can turn the airbag on and off as you please x


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## Gingerspice

bambino156 said:


> I don't want to seem nagative but although we have a car where we can turn off the passenger airbag, we don't because we just don't trust that it won't go off in an accident. My oh works with airbags in the motor trade and has seen, despite them being a safety device, just how deadly they can be. Apparently it only takes the smallest amount of static charge to set them off in an accident and we simply don't rely on an off switch and a light on the dash to say that its disabled and that there is no connection to the airbag. What if it did go off?
> So, despite how awkward and inconvenient I find it to hump the baby seat round to the back of the car and then being unable to see lo when driving I always put her in the back.

I've always thought this. When we had an accident, the fireman, before looking into the passenger side of our vehicle asked if there was an airbag. (They were checking the fuel turn off thingy to prevent petrol leaking everywhere) We said there wasn't and asked why he was asking. He said because if there was an airbag, even if it is turned off, had he stuck his head in and it had then gone off, the power given off by the airbag deploying is sufficient to break a mans neck. He had seen this happen to a fellow fireman. He said also, sometimes they don't go off at all, even when turned on, in which case they are then even more likely to engage at any time after an accident, so he said to ALWAYS be wary of them going off (if ever first to scene of accident or looking at cars in scrap yard for example) after an accident and best to put children in rear because there is no guarantee it won't go off.


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## suzanne108

I won't be putting LO in the front all the time, if at all!

But I would like the option. We have a lot of long journeys to make so I'd rather have her in the front than her screaming in the back.


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## LuckyStarr

We have a Peugeot 308 57 plate and a BMW 1 series 58 plate and they both turn off with the key x x


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## kerrie24

We dont have a car but when we travel in my mums fiat multipla (the ugly ones with 3 front seats!)she disables the airbags


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## Embovstar

Hyia

I have an 03 Toyota Yaris that has no airbag and we also have an Audi TT, in which you can disable it.

Nicola xx


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## moomoo

It invalidates your insurance to turn off airbags XX


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## suzib76

moomoo said:


> It invalidates your insurance to turn off airbags XX

why? there is a switch in my car to turn it off


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## cupcake23

From the department of transport;

*Although there is no specific legal requirement for cars on the road to have an airbag, disconnection would be very much a last resort, since the airbag forms part of an overall safety package specifically designed for the particular vehicle. Therefore manufacturers do not generally recommend disconnecting airbags, although it may be appropriate in some exceptional circumstances.

In these cases it would be reasonable for a manufacturer to impose certain conditions before disconnecting an airbag, such as requiring replacement of the steering wheel and possibly the seat belt since these components may have been specifically designed and approved for use with an airbag. They may also require you to accept the responsibility for having the airbag disconnected and for any effect the disconnection may have on any other driver of the car. Of course, the airbag should be reconnected before the car is eventually sold. Finally, your insurance company should be consulted and kept informed.*

More info on here
https://www.childcarseats.org.uk/faqs/index.htm

I have a ford focus 09 reg you can't disable the airbags.


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## Foogirl

Peugeot 407, ignition key disables it.

Incidentally, I think all peugeots have this.

There is also absolutely nothing in my policy document which states insurance is invalid if you disable the airbag.

I would suggest the only reason you would need to tell your insurance is if you are having the car adapted to permanently disable the airbags as that would be classed as a modification.


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## bambino156

moomoo said:


> It invalidates your insurance to turn off airbags XX

Thats interesting, it wouldn't suprise me if it invalidates insurance, lets face it, i'm sure there are lots of insurance companies which just look for loopholes for getting out of paying up!


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## suzib76

it does not invalidate the insurance if there is a switch

if it is disabled by a garage in any other way it is best to check with the insurance company

using a switch provided with the car is perfectly legal and safe to do


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## lynnikins

bambino156 said:


> I don't want to seem nagative but although we have a car where we can turn off the passenger airbag, we don't because we just don't trust that it won't go off in an accident. My oh works with airbags in the motor trade and has seen, despite them being a safety device, just how deadly they can be. Apparently it only takes the smallest amount of static charge to set them off in an accident and we simply don't rely on an off switch and a light on the dash to say that its disabled and that there is no connection to the airbag. What if it did go off?
> So, despite how awkward and inconvenient I find it to hump the baby seat round to the back of the car and then being unable to see lo when driving I always put her in the back.

We have an 08 VW Golf Match and even though the airbags do go off then i have NEVER put the boys in the front for exactly this reason, id rather have a small mirror attached to the back seat adjusted so i can see it in an additontal rearveiw mirror than risk either of my boys to the chance it might go off even when switched off, 

oh and i had a car accident on Saturday and none of the airbags deployed ( was going under 10mph but still i was a little annoyed ) and i have whiplash


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## Heavencanwait

We have disabled the airbag on the passenger side only in our car. It is an old model and there is no switch/key to do it, so we had to remove the fuse, it was easy to do. LO still sits in the front seat in a rear facing carseat. 
I rang the insurance company, they said it wouldn't affect the policy.


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## suzib76

Heavencanwait said:


> We have disabled the airbag on the passenger side only in our car. It is an old model and there is no switch/key to do it, so we had to remove the fuse, it was easy to do. LO still sits in the front seat in a rear facing carseat.
> I rang the insurance company, they said it wouldn't affect the policy.

are you 100% that has disabled the airbag? all the stuff i have read on it seems to be a lot more complicated then that, whatsmore dealers wouldnt be able to get away with charging circa £100 for removing a fuse


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## Foogirl

suzib76 said:


> whatsmore dealers wouldnt be able to get away with charging circa £100 for removing a fuse

Of course they would. If people accept that is the price to disable an air bag then that is what the dealers will charge no matter what it takes to do it.


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## suzib76

Foogirl said:


> suzib76 said:
> 
> 
> whatsmore dealers wouldnt be able to get away with charging circa £100 for removing a fuse
> 
> Of course they would. If people accept that is the price to disable an air bag then that is what the dealers will charge no matter what it takes to do it.Click to expand...


ok so they can charge what they like in dealers i get that, what i was really meaning was there is more to disabling airbags than pulling the fuse


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## Foogirl

suzib76 said:


> Foogirl said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> suzib76 said:
> 
> 
> whatsmore dealers wouldnt be able to get away with charging circa £100 for removing a fuse
> 
> Of course they would. If people accept that is the price to disable an air bag then that is what the dealers will charge no matter what it takes to do it.Click to expand...
> 
> 
> ok so they can charge what they like in dealers i get that, what i was really meaning was there is more to disabling airbags than pulling the fuseClick to expand...

I guess it depends on the make, model and age of the car. In some it may well be as simple as that. If a simple key switch disables mine, then clearly an electrical process is in place. It is entirely possible that pulling a fuse can disable an airbag in some models.


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## suzanne108

When I was pregnant I rang my local Vauxhall garage to ask if I could disable my airbag and he said the only way was to cut the wire/fuse whatever. He said he wouldn't do it but some garages would although it would invalidate my insurance and my car wouldn't pass its MOT because a light would appear on the dash. 

I didn't want him to cut the wire anyway but he was just giving me all the details!


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## Foogirl

suzanne108 said:


> When I was pregnant I rang my local Vauxhall garage to ask if I could disable my airbag and he said the only way was to cut the wire/fuse whatever. He said he wouldn't do it but some garages would although it would invalidate my insurance and my car wouldn't pass its MOT because a light would appear on the dash.
> 
> I didn't want him to cut the wire anyway but he was just giving me all the details!

Blimmin vauxhall dealers! They told my sister's partner that he was ok to drive his car with a failed MOT until the date that his previous MOT ran out. This is of course illegal as he found to his cost when he was stopped by the police on a spot check and got a £100 fine . And these are supposed to be professionals?

Your car won't fail an MOT because of an illuminated light on a dashboard, unless it is something which may result in the car becoming unroadworthy. My car has a light on the dashboard because my tyre pressure sensor is buggered and I refuse to pay the £100 the dealer wants for a sensor valve in the tyre. I got a bog standard one done for £13.09 from National. My car went through its MOT with this light AND the one for the airbags being turned off and passed no problems at all.


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## suzanne108

Foogirl said:


> suzanne108 said:
> 
> 
> When I was pregnant I rang my local Vauxhall garage to ask if I could disable my airbag and he said the only way was to cut the wire/fuse whatever. He said he wouldn't do it but some garages would although it would invalidate my insurance and my car wouldn't pass its MOT because a light would appear on the dash.
> 
> I didn't want him to cut the wire anyway but he was just giving me all the details!
> 
> Blimmin vauxhall dealers! They told my sister's partner that he was ok to drive his car with a failed MOT until the date that his previous MOT ran out. This is of course illegal as he found to his cost when he was stopped by the police on a spot check and got a £100 fine . And these are supposed to be professionals?
> 
> Your car won't fail an MOT because of an illuminated light on a dashboard, unless it is something which may result in the car becoming unroadworthy. My car has a light on the dashboard because my tyre pressure sensor is buggered and I refuse to pay the £100 the dealer wants for a sensor valve in the tyre. I got a bog standard one done for £13.09 from National. My car went through its MOT with this light AND the one for the airbags being turned off and passed no problems at all.Click to expand...

Lol....well when he said it I was like eh...why would some garages do it if it means that your car will never pass its MOT ever again?! 

I just sorta smiled and nodded (as much as you can over the phone anyway :winkwink:)


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## Foogirl

suzanne108 said:


> Lol....well when he said it I was like eh...why would some garages do it if it means that your car will never pass its MOT ever again?!
> 
> I just sorta smiled and nodded (as much as you can over the phone anyway :winkwink:)

You just gotta laugh. When I asked one about a problem with my car he suggested going onto the motorway at 80 then dropping the car a gear to up the revs to clear something out.

Turned out I actually had a clutch that was days away from needing replaced.:dohh:

I just don't listen to anyone but my dad any more! (and sometimes Mr Foo.....):winkwink:


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## Heavencanwait

suzib76 said:


> Heavencanwait said:
> 
> 
> We have disabled the airbag on the passenger side only in our car. It is an old model and there is no switch/key to do it, so we had to remove the fuse, it was easy to do. LO still sits in the front seat in a rear facing carseat.
> I rang the insurance company, they said it wouldn't affect the policy.
> 
> are you 100% that has disabled the airbag? all the stuff i have read on it seems to be a lot more complicated then thatClick to expand...

Yes because the airbag symbol on the dashboard is lit up.


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## MrsVenn

Nope we can't, we have a Nissan Murano.


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## tinkerz23

2008 Toyota 4runner....passenger airbags are disabled unless you are over a certain weight limit. But, yes you can turn it off.


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## polo_princess

VW Polo and yes you can turn them off on it :)


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