I’ve got a 2007 Mazda 5, 100k miles on it. Recently the air bag warning light came on. The local mechanic pulled an error code indicating an open circuit associated with the drivers side airbag. The didn’t want to tackle it because of the amount of potential troubleshooting, so they recommended I take it to a dealer. The dealer initially said it was a bad air bag, and replaced it. That didn’t fix the problem. A couple days of troubleshooting later, they said it was a bad clock spring. When I asked if the original airbag was actually bad, or if it was just the bad clock spring triggering the warning light, they said the bad clock spring damaged the airbag, and both had to be replaced. 1200 dollars later, I’ve called a couple of local mechanics, and none have ever heard of a bad clock spring damaging an airbag. So, can a bad clock spring damage an airbag, or did i get charged for the replacement of a perfectly good air bag? Any thoughts?
The clock spring did not damage the air bag. When I went school thru a dealer for air bags I was told you always replace the clock spring if you pull the air bag. IMHO The clock spring would have been what I would have replaced first. Air bags rarely go bad. I can see how a clock spring could damage a air bag.
You got ripped off. Get your money back or take it to Mazda customer relations. The air-bag system will have a step by step troubleshooting chart. “Replace the airbag” will be the LAST thing to do, not the first. The clock-spring is a common failure part and should always be replaced before the bag. Just check to see if they followed their own troubleshooting protocols.
I agree with Caddyman. The dealer just wanted to sell you an airbag. Would you buy a new wheel because your tire went flat?