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Why does an Air Bag Light Fail Virginia State Inspection?

Posted on March 23, 2015 in Blog, Car and Minivan, Car Shocks, Car Struts, Crossover, Trucks and SUVs, Uncategorized

Why does an SRS light fail a Virginia State Inspection? If you have an air bag light or SRS light lit on your dash it means a vehicle sensor has detected a problem. When that light is displayed there is a good chance if you’re involved in a collision the air bags will not deploy.

When any dash lights are lit it is a result of a vehicle sensor detecting a problem or change from computerized component within the vehicle. Many commonly seen dash lights include Tire Pressure, Check Engine, and Gas. Many times a light is telling you to do simple maintenance like an oil change or to fill up with gas. Often after a maintenance service or repair the light will go away because the “problem” the vehicle computer found has been fixed. Other times a diagnostic is needed to identify the problem or the vehicle computer needs reprogramming.

Virginia State Inspection is an annual inspection which requires the passenger air bags to be working properly as well as many other vehicle systems. Click here to read a complete list of inspection items.

The Titan Auto & Tire Team is here to help…. email us with questions about your Virginia State Inspections or schedule your inspection today.

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29 Comments

John McIntosh says:

May 25, 2016 at 8:00 am

Hello,
I am in a bind. I have a 2006 Toyota Corolla S that has an airbag recall. Toyota’s current method of fixing the matter is to disconnect the front passenger airbag and not allow anyone to sit in the front passenger seat. They are doing this because the part the dealerships need is on back order and my car won’t be able to be fixed for another 8 months. I was wondering if I would be able to pass inspection since Toyota would be able to fix my car properly during the year that the inspection sticker would last. This is my only car and I don’t drive with other people in my car. Thank you.

Reply
- Titan Auto says:
  
  May 25, 2016 at 12:15 pm
  
  Hi John,
  Sorry to hear you’re having an issue with your air bag. Based on you’re comment; here is the advice we can offer. A recall doesn’t necessarily mean that your vehicle air bag will not work. A recall is a mass warning to consumers saying that the year , make and model of their vehicle may have some manufacturer defects that were found in a group of the same vehicles. As a rule an air bag light will fail a Virginia State Inspection. Because your concern is from a manufacturer recall, I would have the dealership perform the state inspection because they must assume responsibility for their state inspection as well as the air bag recall. Hope this helps. Please let us know if we can help you with another automotive question or vehicle issue. Have a great day. Kim Taylor
  
  Reply
melvin link says:

September 12, 2016 at 10:41 am

the airbag light on my 2005 pathfinder is blicking. will it pass inspection

Reply
- Titan Auto says:
  
  September 12, 2016 at 12:03 pm
  
  Hi Melvin,
  If the air bag light is blinking you probably have an electrical/sensor issue which needs to be diagnosed. For your safety please get this looked at as soon as possible to make sure your air bag will respond properly in the case of an accident. Please give us a call soon 804-524-9115 South Chesterfield or 804-739-9323 Moseley. The Titan Team
  
  Reply
Tony Stottlemyer says:

September 12, 2016 at 4:24 pm

Will a abs dash light make my truck fail inspection

Reply
- Titan Auto says:
  
  September 13, 2016 at 11:21 am
  
  Hi Tony,
  The annual Virginia State Inspection is required to keep unsafe vehicles off the road and to protect you and your loved ones. If the light is red the truck will fail. If its yellow it will pass. However anytime you have a lit dash light your a computer sensor has detected a problem. I would have the ABS code read and diagnosed to make sure there is no serious mechanical issues. Your safety is our first concern. Give us a call today 804-524-9115 South Chesterfield or 804-739-9323 Moseley. The Titan Team.
  
  Reply
Randi says:

September 18, 2016 at 4:22 pm

I live in NC I have a 2012 hyundi Atlanta the red air bag light comes on and off no codes should I be concerned

Reply
- Titan Auto says:
  
  September 19, 2016 at 1:31 pm
  
  Did you have the diagnostic done at a full service repair shop or at an auto parts store offering free codes read? Codes are only the start of the diagnostic. A red light is an indicator of a sensor malfunction which is serious. I would be concerned and the next time the red light appears head for a reputable repair shop where they can run a full diagnostic.
  
  Reply
John Deane says:

January 2, 2017 at 3:41 pm

Hello, I just brought an truck from an used car dealer and it was sold to me as wholesale. They took it to get inspected and it failed. What is on the dash saying that the tpms is reading on the desk and the air bag need service something like that is aaying. I would like to know will this pass inspection being these two things are reading across the message on my truck. It an 2009 chevy 1500 ext can 4×4

Reply
- Titan Auto says:
  
  January 2, 2017 at 4:26 pm
  
  Hi John,
  Yes an airbag light is an automatic fail for Virginia State Inspection. We would be happy to look at the vehicle and help you with any repairs needed to pass the Virginia State Inspection. Give us a call to schedule a visit or call us for further questions 804-524-9115 South Chesterfield or 804-739-9323 Moseley.
  Happy New Year, The Titan Team
  
  Reply
Tom Bui says:

January 6, 2017 at 1:32 pm

My wife Odyssey 2000 just failed the VA safety inspection due to problem with SRS.
The inspector stated that when turn the ignition key, the SRS light should be on for a few seconds then off. Mine is not turned on at all during this short period.

Could this be a problem of SRS light bulb, fuse?
How do I check to confirm the cause.

Thanks a lot in advance

Reply
- Titan Auto says:
  
  January 6, 2017 at 2:18 pm
  
  Hi Tom,
  Yes the SRS light staying on will fail a state inspection. Did the Honda’s light remain on? One of our Techs said Honda ignitions can be tricky and the timing between a full turn of the ignition can cause a dash light malfunction. The only way to truly diagnose the problem is to bring it to one of our stores and let the techs turn the ignition and test any electrical or sensor issues there may be. Please call us at our South Chesterfield store 804-524-9115 or Moseley store 804-739-9323 to schedule an appointment. Thank you and have a great afternoon.
  
  Butch & Kim Taylor, Owners
  
  Reply
Elle B says:

August 4, 2017 at 4:55 pm

I have a SRS Airbag Service Urgent message on my 2003 Volvo S60. The mechanic we sent it to received the code Faulty LED burnout in the instrument cluster and said that the dealer would have to repair it. But he didn’t think it would fail inspection. Is this correct?

Reply
- Titan Auto says:
  
  August 7, 2017 at 12:29 pm
  
  If the airbag light is on than its an automatic fail. If you have any other questions feel free to call one of our service advisers, 804-524-9115 South Chesterfield and 804-739-9323 Moseley. Have a great day,
  
  Reply
Timothy L. Howard says:

November 1, 2017 at 2:15 pm

My 99 Buick Century failed inspection because when he turned the key to the on position the airbag warning light did not light up. It’s digital and there are no bulbs and there’s no information on the internet on dummy lights that don’t turn on. Is there a fix for it? If it’s difficult how much would you charge to fix it? I don’t see any tears in The wires under the seat

Reply
- Titan Auto says:
  
  November 7, 2017 at 7:04 pm
  
  Hi Timothy,
  That is a great question and difficult problem to fix. It sounds like you need to have a diagnostic run on the car to determine the cause of the electrical problem. I wish there was a quick answer for your issue. Please call our Titan Team at 804-524-9115 South Chesterfield or 804-739-9323 Moseley to speak with one of our service advisors.
  
  Reply
- Priscilla Robertson says:
  
  September 28, 2019 at 7:47 pm
  
  How much does it cost to check the airbag light that continues to flash I was told it was the module
  
  Reply
  - Titan Auto says:
    
    September 30, 2019 at 4:04 pm
    
    Diagnostic costs depend on the time spent. Please give us a call to discuss your airbag light and any other issues we can help you with.
    
    Reply
Chrissy says:

January 18, 2018 at 4:11 pm

I failed inspection due to the airbag light not showing up on dash. They said they ran a diagnostic and nothing came up and don’t see anything wrong , but didn’t tell me if maybe it’s a fuse dash or light bulb is out…it’s a 1996 Toyota Tacoma,

Reply
Titan Auto says:

January 22, 2018 at 3:21 pm

Let’s hope it’s a simple as a light bulb. What did they reccomend you do to pass inspection? If they recommended an expensive repair I would sugguest getting a second opinion.

Reply
Why has the Virginia State Inspection fee increased? - Titan Auto & Tire says:

May 19, 2019 at 7:18 pm

[…] Related Articles: Why Does an Air Bag Life Fail Virginia State Inspection? […]

Reply
Johnnie Raulerson says:

January 3, 2020 at 10:02 am

I live in Virginia and I failed inspection because my airbag light does not come on when you turn the key. The bulb is not the issue. Is this something that really can fail me?

Reply
- Titan Auto says:
  
  January 6, 2020 at 4:42 pm
  
  Absolutely your airbag light is required to be working condition in order to pass the Virginia State Inspection.
  
  Reply
Robert K Miller says:

May 6, 2020 at 7:05 pm

I live in VA and my 2004 Chevy Impala airbag light doesn’t come on so the car failed inspection. What can I do because I have had the car for 5 years and there has never been an airbag indicator light and it has always passed.

Reply
- Titan Auto says:
  
  May 11, 2020 at 5:36 pm
  
  An air bag light usually indicates there is a problem with your air bag and it should be diagnosed to find the source of the malfunction. Since the air bag is a key safety component on your car, the Virginia safety inspection requires the sensor light to be off indicating the air bags are properly working. Any reputable repair shop with a licensed state inspector should have failed your vehicle for the air bag light.
  
  Reply
Robert K Miller says:

June 8, 2020 at 2:31 pm

My driver’s srs airbag light on my Chevy impala 2004 doesnt even show on the dash but it passed last
year

Reply
- Titan Auto says:
  
  June 8, 2020 at 7:11 pm
  
  The state inspection station who inspected your Impala should not have passed it with a air bag light on.
  
  Reply