{"id":31719,"date":"2022-09-26T08:11:25","date_gmt":"2022-09-26T00:11:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carsome.my\/news\/item\/car-safety-feature"},"modified":"2024-07-15T15:07:12","modified_gmt":"2024-07-15T07:07:12","slug":"car-safety-feature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carsome.my\/news\/item\/car-safety-feature","title":{"rendered":"Malfunctions in Car Safety Features and How to Check Them Before It’s Too Late!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last month, word has been going around about a Proton X70\u2019s airbags failing to deploy during a crash that was making waves on <\/span>social media<\/span><\/a>. Proton has yet to announce a recall for their airbags although recently, the CBU Proton X70 is the only variant involved, albeit it’s for <\/span>radiator fan assembly issues<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Air Bag faults and recalls are not rare in the automotive industry. Some time ago, the Takata Corporation issued a massive recall for all vehicles around the world that had their airbags installed due to <\/span>numerous fatalities<\/span><\/a> involving faulty airbags. <\/span>Consumerreports.org<\/span><\/a> reported that as of 2021, 67 million vehicles worldwide have been greatly affected by this recall.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With that being said if a driver or dealer is completely unaware of these recalls or intends to sell a faulty car to you, how do you know if the car safety features still work? How do you check for car safety features without a mechanic or tools involved? We\u2019ve got you covered in this article.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read More: <\/span>Buying a Car? Here Are 17 Safety Features You Need<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Start with the visuals. Walk around the car.\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"WalkModern cars have built-in sensors in the headlamps and grille. If the car you are buying has a forward collision sensor or adaptive cruise control, it will have a radar sensor built into the front. Take note if the bumper is replaced, misaligned, or has signs of damage \u2013 it usually means that the dealer has hastily replaced the bumpers on a car that has been in an accident and attempted to pass it off as accident-free. Moreover, those sensors would not work if the refurbishment process did not involve rewiring and reinstalling them back.<\/span><\/p>\n

Broken Seat Belt Buckle<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"BrokenSeatbelts are prone to malfunctions too! The seat belt consists of three major components: The seat belt, the male buckle, and the female socket. This guide here won\u2019t be going too much into detail on how to check the car, but we do have some tricks to inspect the seat belt without using tools to disassemble it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Start by yanking the seat belt hard. Put all your elbow grease and strength into pulling the seat belt like you\u2019re mimicking a car crash. A working seatbelt should tug itself sturdy and hard to <\/span>protect the occupant<\/span><\/a> from a crash. Another way to check for a working seatbelt is to inspect the female socket. Unbeknownst to the previous owner or seller, dirt and debris can get caught inside the socket, or the socket is plain damaged and worn from years of use.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Do the Airbags Still Work?<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"AirbagsAside from seatbelts, an airbag would determine whether you will be meeting your maker today if your car does get into an accident. To check<\/span> if the airbags still work,<\/span><\/a> insert the car keys and give the vehicle a half start. You should see all the indicator lights, including the airbag light.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If the airbags are fine, the airbag indicator light should come on momentarily and go out. If the light stays on or flashes, there is a problem with the airbag system, it might be a sign of a faulty airbag system or it has been tampered with to pass on as mint.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Windshields<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"WindshieldsDid you know your windshields are crucial for the deployment of your airbag? In the case of an accident, our vehicle windshields are designed to withstand impact. A windshield that is damaged or improperly installed may force the airbag out of the frame from a crash as <\/span>demonstrated here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, grab a flashlight, and look around the glass. If the windshield has been cracked and repaired, you should be able to spot <\/span>air bubbles, protrusions, or light cracks<\/span><\/a>. An improperly installed or damaged windshield would have gaps on the side frames. Thus, we\u2019ve also <\/span>compiled a checklist<\/span><\/a> to look out for in your windshield to see if it has been installed correctly:<\/span><\/p>\n