Chevrolet Cruze Owners Manual: When Should an Airbag Inflate?

Chevrolet Cruze Owners Manual / Seats and Restraints / Airbag System / When Should an Airbag Inflate?

This vehicle has advanced technology frontal airbags. Frontal airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal or near frontal crashes to help reduce the potential for severe injuries, mainly to the driver's or front outboard passenger's head and chest.

However, they are only designed to inflate if the impact exceeds a predetermined deployment threshold. Deployment thresholds are used to predict how severe a crash is likely to be in time for the airbags to inflate and help restrain the occupants.

Whether the frontal airbags will or should inflate is not based primarily on how fast the vehicle is traveling.

It depends on what is hit, the direction of the impact, and how quickly the vehicle slows down.

Frontal airbags may inflate at different crash speeds depending on whether the vehicle hits an object straight on or at an angle, and whether the object is fixed or moving, rigid or deformable, narrow or wide.

Thresholds can also vary with specific vehicle design.

Frontal airbags are not intended to inflate during vehicle rollovers, in rear impacts, or in many side impacts.

Advanced technology frontal airbags adjust the restraint according to crash severity.

Frontal knee airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal or near frontal impacts that exceed a predetermined deployment threshold.

The 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, airbags inflate at a level less than full deployment. For more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs.

The vehicle has seat-mounted side impact airbags and roof-rail airbags.

Seat-mounted side impact and roof-rail airbags are intended to inflate in moderate to severe side crashes depending on the location of the impact. In addition, these roof-rail airbags are intended to inflate during a rollover or in a severe frontal impact. Seat-mounted side impact and 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 rear impacts.

A seat-mounted side impact airbag is intended to inflate on the side of the vehicle that is struck. Both roof-rail airbags will inflate when either side of the vehicle is struck or if the sensing system predicts that the vehicle is about to roll over on its side, or in a severe frontal impact.

In any particular crash, no one can say whether an airbag should have inflated simply because of the vehicle damage or repair costs.

Where Are the Airbags?

The driver frontal airbag is in the center of the steering wheel. The front outboard passenger frontal airbag is in the passenger side instrument panel. The driver knee airbag is below the ste ...

What Makes an Airbag Inflate?

In a deployment event, the sensing system sends an electrical signal triggering a release of gas from the inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the airbag causing the bag to break out of the cover ...

Other materials:

Removal Procedure
Warning: Refer to Approved Equipment for Collision Repair Warning in the Preface section. Warning: Refer to Collision Sectioning Warning in the Preface section. Warning: Refer to Glass and Sheet Metal Handling Warning in the Preface section. Disable the SIR System. Refer to SIR Dis ...

Hood Primary Latch Release Cable Replacement
Preliminary Procedure Remove hood primary latch release cable handle. Refer to Hood Primary Latch Release Cable Handle Replacement. Remove the front bumper fascia. Refer to Front Bumper Fascia Replacement Remove the radiator grille support. Refer to Radiator Grille Reinforcem ...

Starting the Engine
Place the transmission in the proper gear. Notice: If you add electrical parts or accessories, you could change the way the engine operates. Any resulting damage would not be covered by the vehicle warranty. Automatic Transmission Move the shift lever to P (Park) or N (Neutral). The engine wi ...