Airbag (SRS) warning light: your airbags may not deploy
The SRS or airbag symbol means the supplementary restraint system has detected a fault and has disabled itself. In a crash, the airbags or pretensioners may not fire.
Stop or act now — a safety or mechanical risk
Not a breakdown, but a genuine safety issue. Book it in rather than living with it.
Mechanically yes, but you are driving without airbag protection. Seatbelts still work and remain essential.
Common causes
- Damaged wiring or a loose connector under the front seats
- Failed clock spring in the steering column affecting the driver airbag circuit
- Faulty seat occupancy sensor or belt buckle switch
- Corrosion at a connector after water ingress into a footwell
- A previously deployed airbag or a control module that was never reset
What to do next
- 1Check whether the light appeared after seat adjustment, a valet, a car wash or footwell work.
- 2Avoid working on the system yourself — airbag circuits carry stored charge and can deploy.
- 3Have the SRS codes read; they usually identify the exact circuit at fault.
- 4Never fit a used airbag module of unknown history.
- 5Keep the repair recorded — buyers and inspections both look at SRS history.
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Ask the AI mechanicFrequently asked
- Will an airbag light fail a roadworthy test?
- In most markets, yes. An illuminated SRS lamp means a safety system is not functioning, which is a standard test failure item.
- Can I just remove the bulb or hide the light?
- No. That removes the only indication that occupant protection is offline, and it is treated as a serious defect at inspection.
General guidance only. Symbols and thresholds vary between manufacturers — always confirm against your vehicle's owner manual, and treat any red lamp as a reason to stop.
Other dashboard lights
- Check engineThe check engine light (an engine-block outline, usually amber) means the engine management system has stored a fault code. Steady means investigate soon; flashing means stop driving.
- Oil pressureThe red oil-can symbol means the engine has lost oil pressure. This is the most serious light on the dashboard — continued driving can destroy the engine in under a minute.
- ABSThe amber ABS lamp means the anti-lock braking system has disabled itself. Normal braking still works, but the wheels can lock under hard or emergency braking.
- Brake systemThe red brake light (an exclamation mark inside a circle) covers three very different things: the parking brake being applied, low brake fluid, or a hydraulic circuit fault.
- Battery / chargingThe red battery symbol means the charging system is no longer supplying enough voltage. The car is running on stored battery charge and will eventually stop.
- Coolant temperatureA red thermometer symbol means the engine is overheating. Continued driving risks a warped head, failed head gasket or a seized engine.
- Tyre pressure (TPMS)The amber horseshoe with an exclamation mark means at least one tyre is significantly below its target pressure — or the monitoring system itself has a fault.
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