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• If the vehicle hits a narrow object (like a pole), the
airbags could inflate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle hits a wide object (like a wall).
• If the vehicle goes into an object at an angle, the
airbags could inflate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle goes straight into the object.
Thresholds can also vary with specific vehicle design.
Frontal airbags are not intended to inflate during vehicle
rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts.
Single Stage vs. Dual Stage Airbags
Depending on the weight of your vehicle, you will have
either “Single Stage Airbags” or “Dual Stage Airbags.”
Vehicles that have a passenger sensing system
also have dual stage airbags. See Passenger Airbag
Status Indicator on page 3-31 or Passenger Sensing
System on page 1-69.
If the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) of your
vehicle is 8,500 lb (3 855 kg) or above, your vehicle may
have single stage airbags. If the GVWR is below
8,500 lb (3 855 kg) then your vehicle may have dual
stage airbags. You can find the GVWR on the
certification label on the rear edge of the driver’s door.
See Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-20 for more
information.
In addition, your vehicle may have dual-stage frontal
airbags. Dual-stage airbags adjust the restraint
according to crash severity. Your vehicle has electronic
frontal sensors, which help the sensing system
distinguish between a moderate frontal impact and a
more severe frontal impact. For moderate frontal
impacts, dual-stage airbags inflate at a level less than
full deployment. For more severe frontal impacts,
full deployment occurs.
Your vehicle may or may not have roof-rail airbags. See
Airbag System on page 1-57. Roof-rail airbags are
intended to inflate in moderate to severe side crashes.
In addition, these roof-rail airbags are intended to
inflate during a rollover. Roof-rail airbags will inflate if
the crash severity is above the system’s designed
threshold level. The threshold level can vary with
specific vehicle design.
Roof-rail airbags are not intended to inflate in frontal
impacts, near-frontal impacts, or rear impacts. All
roof-rail airbags will deploy when either side of the
vehicle is struck.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an
airbag should have inflated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs
were. For frontal airbags, inflation is determined by
what the vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down. For roof-rail airbags,
deployment is determined by the location and severity of
the side impact.
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