Why didn’t the air bags go off ?

That hard hit to the front wheel is transmitted through the axle to the transmission. It will be better to have a car with serious damage totaled rather than repaired. If they fix it, when you get it back check very closely for anything that doesn't drive right or look right. Hidden damage is very likely. If there is hidden damage after the repair they may try to fix it a second time, but try for a total. Remember, if you get the total loss check and buy another Prime, you also get the tax credits for the new car.

I found this on the net regarding California: "The insurer will determine the cost of the repairs plus the scrap value of the vehicle. If this number equals or exceeds the actual cash value (ACV) of your vehicle before it was in an accident, your car will be totaled. If the number comes in lower than the ACV of your ride, the insurer may decide to repair it." Now it is your job to document how high the actual cash value of your car was the minute before it was wrecked. How low your mileage was, how great the body, interior, and mechanical condition were...much, much better than the usual yardstick of Kelly Blue Book "Good" condition.

 

With a previous car we took a broadside hit on the front/left wheel. A few years later the Tran seal was leaking on that side. About a year after that the transmission failed, and the car was traded in, essentially for scrap value. Also, salvage front suspension was swapped in on that corner, looked like hell. And it sounded like a rattle trap with every bump.

 

Is that specific to OP's model and year?

My differing model and year has passenger side "Air Bag On / Off" indicator lights, apparently depending on seat payload weight. In the back of my mind, it seemed this was an effort to protect rear-facing baby seats (improperly but still too commonly) mounted in the front passenger seat.

 

Then why is there a "warining" light indicating that the passenger side airbag is disabled ????

 

Reminds me of the " they aren't safe"reactions to the smart fortwo crash tests while the slow mo section showed how the structure diverted the force of a front impact around the cabin and into the rear of the car.

When my Taurus was rear ended, there was only paint damage visible. Years later, someone pointed out the trunk gaps were uneven, and I realized the frame had bent. Which was the cause of the hood being difficult to open, and the clunk made during hard right turns.

I agree it has to do with rear facing baby seats, but those lights started appearing before side airbags, so likely only refer to the front one in the dash. With the three point seat belt, having the passenger side bag deploy could benefit the driver in some crashes.

The assumption being that a light person is also short, and won't hit the airbag where a passenger is intended too.

Some two seater vehicles also have a manual off switch for that air bag, and I recall an older 4 seater car having it. For the aforementioned rear facing baby seats. Needed to key to turn the switch.

 

You aren't getting it.
It also does that with NOTHING in the passenger seat........just like many/most other modern cars.
You said: "Not in the US. The airbags will go off if necessary (even if there's no one in the front passenger seat)."
and the light says otherwise.

 

I don't think mine is, to be honest. If I remember right, a certain minimum weight turns it on. Now I feel like going out and checking.

Edit: nope, it sure isn't, not in my 2010 anyway. Have they changed the operation for the Prime?

In mine: on startup, the passenger airbag OFF and ON lights both light for 3 secs, then if the seat is empty, they both go dark. Lamp test.

If I put one ten pound dumbbell in the seat, nothing changes. Add a second dumbbell, and the airbag OFF light appears.

Add a little bit more weight, and the flashing seat belt light appears, still along with airbag OFF.

Take the dumbbells off the seat, the seatbelt light and airbag OFF light both go out again.

Put my own more-than-twenty-pound butt in the seat, and the airbag ON light appears (with the flashing seat belt).

So nope, when the seat is empty, neither light is on. Again, unless they've changed that for Prime, this being a Prime thread.

That surely illustrates another ingredient of the reports you keep getting. They can't just all be about the way Sam says the stuff he knows, because (to adapt the old saying a bit), it's the same way he says the stuff he knows that just ain't so.

 

The expected behavior of the front passenger occupant classification system in Prius Prime cars is described in the Owner’s Manual (PDF), pages 50–53. Briefly:

Adult: “AIR BAG ON”
Front passenger airbag: Activated

Child: “AIR BAG OFF” or “AIR BAG ON”
Front passenger airbag: Deactivated or activated

Child restraint system with infant: “AIR BAG OFF”
Front passenger airbag: Deactivated

Unoccupied: “AIR BAG OFF”
Front passenger airbag: Deactivated​

 

By front passenger airbag, do they mean the dash airbag in front of the passenger, or all the air bags protecting the front passenger seat?

 

One of the main reasons IS that people read things into my posts that ARE NOT THERE.
Your quote above is a perfect example.

 

And you have no basis for that statement. It is a LIE.

I NEVER knowingly claim something to be true when I know it is NOT.
NEVER.

Now,......everybody makes a mistake now and then and that includes me.
At least I try to own up to mine.

 

^^^ This! Both points.

 

Really confused now....

Where did these quotes come from? I don't see the quoted material in this thread at all....

 

You gloss over the things that are in your posts. And then read things into other people's posts that are not there, such as right here: