Chevrolet Sonic Owner's Manual: How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions, even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety belts by distributing the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to help contain the head and chest of occupants in the outboard seating positions in the first and second rows. The rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to help reduce the risk of full or partial ejection in rollover events, although no system can prevent all such ejections.
But airbags would not help in many types of collisions, primarily because the occupant's motion is not toward those airbags. See When Should an Airbag Inflate?.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belts.
What Makes an Airbag Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing system sends an electrical signal triggering
a release of gas from the inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the airbag causing
the bag to break out of the cover ...
What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates?
After the frontal airbags and seat-mounted side impact airbags inflate, they
quickly deflate, so quickly that some people may not even realize an airbag inflated.
Roof-rail airbags may still be at ...
Other materials:
Rear Spring, Insulator, and Jounce Bumper Replacement
Rear Spring, Insulator, and Jounce Bumper Replacement
Callout
Component Name
Preliminary Procedure
Raise and support the vehicle. Refer to Lifting and Jacking the Vehicle.
1
Rear Spring
Proced ...
Replacing Airbag System Parts after a Crash
Warning: A crash can damage the airbag systems in the vehicle. A damaged
airbag system may not work properly and may not protect you and your passenger(s)
in a crash, resulting in serious injury or even death. To help make sure the
airbag systems are working properly after a crash, have ...
Instrument Panel Lower Compartment Replacement
Instrument Panel Lower Compartment Replacement
Callout
Component Name
Preliminary Procedure
Open the instrument panel lower compartment to the full open position.
Disconnect the instrument panel compartment dampener from t ...