Buying a car when airbags have been stolen?

[c_hayhurst 10+ year member]

I found a 2004 Sentra for sale with only 16000 miles and a price of $6000! I am going to check out the car tomorrow.

The catch: The dealer says "someone" stole the airbags out of the car, but the rest of the car is fine: good mechanical condition, interior and exterior in good shape, no rust, no dings, locks not punched out.

If someone stole the airbags, should I even bother considering buying this car? I don't need one (soon, but not yet), but would be willing to drive a car without airbags as long as everything else checks out.

Is there anything else I should look for when I go to see the car?

More importantly, should I even bother looking at the car?

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[tapout 5,000+ posts]

They werent stolen. They were deployed in a wreck. Car has a salvaged title.

Carfax that beeyotch.

Move on.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

If that's what they're willing to tell you, I'd be afraid of what they're not telling you.

They werent stolen. They were deployed in a wreck. Car has a salvaged title.

Carfax that beeyotch.

Or that //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[99grandprixGT 5,000+ posts]

ya id stay away........run

 

[Pioneer~Saturn 5,000+ posts]

Yea, I'd bet it's been wrecked

 

[Towncar 10+ year member]

They werent stolen. They were deployed in a wreck. Car has a salvaged title.
Carfax that beeyotch.

Move on.

exactly..

 

[SocMunky 10+ year member]

Wrecked is a pretty good possibility, I'd carfax it to be sure. Still, being stolen really isn't out of the question...those things go for a few hundred if I recall right. If that's all it really was, then it's not a *huge* concern, but definitely get it checked out front to back by a mechanic. If they balk at that, walk away.

 

[c_hayhurst 10+ year member]

Got it. thanks. Didn't think of that.

 

[Ohioguy 10+ year member]

first off you cannot steal any airbag out of a car. they come out at over 300mph. you need to unhook the battery and wait at least a half hour to be able to remove them without deployment. and to remove it, you need to remove the glove box in most cars because the two bottom screws are right behind it. if i were you, i wouldn't bother with that car. the frame could be twisted if the impact was so great the airbags deployed. move on and report to his insurance agency that he is driving the car without airbags.

 

[DNick454 10+ year member]

Regardless of whether it was wrecked or not, airbags are infact extremely expensive to replace, so there is actually a chance they were stolen, but being that they are so expensive, it's not worth it.

 

[faulkton 5,000+ posts]

ya

 

[Innovative:Cory 10+ year member]

first off you cannot steal any airbag out of a car. they come out at over 300mph. you need to unhook the battery and wait at least a half hour to be able to remove them without deployment. and to remove it, you need to remove the glove box in most cars because the two bottom screws are right behind it. if i were you, i wouldn't bother with that car. the frame could be twisted if the impact was so great the airbags deployed. move on and report to his insurance agency that he is driving the car without airbags.

That is wrong on sooo many levels.........

You CAN steal any airbag out of a car....they will NOT deploy by unplugging them with the battery hooked up....or by plugging them back in with the battery hooked up.... I have done both MANY times!! Now, however, I wouldn't connect/disconnect any airbag if the ignition is "on"... The only way they can "accidentally" deploy is to probe wires with a test light, apply power directly to them, or actually hit the front end of the vehicle extremely hard to trigger a impact sensor....all airbag systems have a controller that is directional installed in the car...the sensors are hooke directly up to this, this then triggers the bags in a fraction of a second to help protect you in case of impact...from either side ...(side curtain air bags, frontal airbags, etc, etc, etc...)

2004 Sentra doesn't have a frame...it is of unibody construction... only a few vehicles have frames anymore...

Theft of high dollar items on cars isn't uncommon, airbgs, hid headlight assemblies, wheels, video systems...all this stuff gets stolen on a regular basis from car dealerships....so it COULD be a actual case of theft...but I would still want to run a carfax on the vehicle...if its the front bags...look for body panel alignment in the front end...is the hood gap the same..fender door gaps the same, headlight assemblies mismatched (one discolored etc, etc)... test drive the car....does it handle funny? pull to one side? most frontal impacts can cause alignment issues that can never be solved...

 

[loudmofo 5,000+ posts]

That is wrong on sooo many levels.........

x2 airbags comeout in 5min no problem //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[Ohioguy 10+ year member]

That is wrong on sooo many levels.........

i might be wrong about the speed but how else is it wrong? you have to unground the car so it wont deploy. ive taken apart a few cars to do fiberglass work on a dash. ill tell you what, you make a video of you taking out an airbag without unhooking the battery or anything without it going off. we'll see whos full of shit in the end of that little video. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[loudmofo 5,000+ posts]

all you have to do is unclip it they dont go off without the bumper senor tripping it