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Will the airbags still work in my 1997 Mercedes-Benz C-Class?

I have owned a 1997 Mercedes-Benz C180 from new and it has now covered 97,000 miles. It has never been in an accident. I seem to remember that airbags when originally introduced had an expected life of about 10 years. Am I deluding myself in thinking that my airbags would deploy correctly after 15 years? This car has provided excellent service and a minimum of repairs, and I am a well satisfied customer.

Asked on 11 May 2013 by BP, Plymouth

Answered by Honest John
Who knows? That's the fact. Apparently an airbag worked on a 1972 Chevrolet that crashed, but it's impossible to accurately predict whether they will work on a car more than 10 years old or not whatever the warning lights tell you, or an MoT inspector.
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