I HAVE A 2005 TACOMA AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON?? SHOULD I TAKE IT TO THE DEALER?
Sure, take it in. Have $400-$800 ready. Or continue to live without airbag protection. What the heck, you have made it this far…
No need to go to the dealer. In fact there is no need to go to a dealer other than to buy the car or have them do FREE warranty work.
I suggest you get the codes read to find out why that light is on. The codes should help a lot when it comes to figuring out why the light is on. Some auto part stores will read the codes for free. Bring the results back here and post them as a reply. They should be in the format [P1234].
Chances are you do not have functioning air bags right now. I wish my father’s had air bags on his 1960 Corvair I would still have my two front teeth (17 car chain reaction accident)
If your car is out of warranty there is no need to ever return to the dealership. Find an independent shop and get an estimate.
The trouble is that too many mechanics insist on replacing just about every component in the airbag system even if you only need a simple sensor. You have no way of knowing. Take your time, you can continue driving without working airbags.
Does this vehicle have front side air bags and power seats?
I had a same air bag light problem with my van and found the air bag connection under the drivers seat was loose and dirty.
Loose from constant back and forth adjustment when the wife or myself drove.
I pulled the connection apart, cleaned the connector with an electrical contact cleaner and plugged the connectors back together and applied a light layer of dielectric grease on the connection to keep dirt and moisture (from humidity) out and have had no problem since.
Test with the key to the ON position and while watching the light, activate the switch to move the seat forward and back. Wiggle the electrical connectors under the seat too. If not the drivers side, try the passengers seat.
The dealer is best for airbag problems. Many good independent shops and none of the auto parts stores have the correct scanner to work on airbags. All replacement parts will be dealer only anyway, so its not worth it to try and go the independent shop route.
There are aftermarket scanners that will diag. SRS systems.One of the regulars on this forum sent me to flatratetech.com,one of the open forum topics was the features of the new scanners on the market,expensive but capaple.From the standard people Mac,Matco,Snap-on.