I haven’t done it but you fix it like you wouldnanything else, but where the seam is suppose to split you use a thinner thread like 69.

I know I sound like a broken record here (sorry for that). But if you're gonna fix an airbag seam without the type of certified machinery and processes that seat cover manufacturers use, consider talking to a lawyer to get some language printed on your invoice that will protect you in the event it doesn't deploy.

TImes have most certainly changed...no matter how you fix it. unless its certified? (truth be told I dont even know what that means.) its lawyer time. That is.. if some one gets hurt or worse yet dies. and they determine your shop is involved. same with seatbelts. etc.. Back in the 70's 80's I have done countless seatbelt mods.. now? Not even a chance. to me its not worth the risk. just my 2 cents.

I have to agree with @Sam Rod completely. I have always told my customers that I do not want their family living in my house, after they sue me for the death of the car owner.

Unless you have the proper equipment and training to certify a repair, why would anyone even consider repairing these items when there is so much to loose if a problem develops. I know that there are plenty of good paying projects out there that do not require you to risk everything.

I'm with Sam and Fred, If it has an airbag I won't touch it. Seatbelts are always a problem also, If the owner puts the hardware in or if the factory installed them, I will replace them with owner purchased seat belts. (just bolting them down) I won't sew up or repair seat belts. It just isn't worth it.

When I do this, I always first examine how a strong thread was used on both sides of the original cover (sometimes # 40 + # 40, sometimes # 30 + # 40, sometimes # 30 + # 80 ...) and what was the stitch length and I it same.

Since no one will take the initiative, and make a video of a repaired seat with the proper thread, I guess my question would be, If you saw a video and you knew the air bag would properly deploy, after the repair was done, would you still refuse to work on an air bag seat?

Last time i phoned one of the larger oem thread manufactures for air bag thread i was asked a load of questions to which i had know idea!, as a result they didn't fancy selling me some thread lol (fair enough)

I do have some airbag thread and its not like cotton, polly or nylon..i think?, what its made of though or constructed i have no idea.

In the past when i was a employee we used to use a lighter gauge thread or air bag thread for new car retrims or repairs and never heard of a problem....

someone did do a video of a repaired seat (using a lighter thread i believe) and it deployed perfectly as you would assume really with the force they come out.

My opinion is even a disclaimer won't hold up in court. This is a huge liability that could put a lot of shops out of business.

I would still say no, unless there was some way that I could prove that I was certified to do that type of work.
When the lawyer for the injured party asks how I knew the proper way of repairing an air bag seat, I would want to have a better answer than "I watched a video on you tube".

I have heard of a shop that is dot approved to sew airbag seats....I wonder what that entails

I think it means that the sewing machine is using a computer that checks if everything is sewn properly like this Durkopp Adler machine:
https://www.duerkopp-adler.com/en/main/products/MS_11_engineered/550-867.html

sorry to rattle this cage again but here goes ……………..
I have been going for 22 years now and bought air bag thread many years ago and now need more .
so I rang my suppliers (6 of them ) and none of them sell it any more !! I also rang a supplier that just sells thread in the uk and they wont sell to me as they will now only supply the big main dealer franchises !!!! so it looks like I will have to now turn away half of my work load as I can not re trim or repair interiors that contain air bags anymore !!!

is this the same for everybody else in the uk ? and elsewhere ??

I can’t imagine the insurance to have on your self or the shop to cover something like air bag repairs would even be cheap, even if nothing ever came back on you legally. The only way I have done airbag seats was a customer using them in a street rod and the airbags removed from the seat. So no way they’ll go off

We just use normal thread.

i have waisted 2 days now trying to get a straight answer and from what I know now keith DONT DO IT !!! . ive already tried to get a solicitor involved who is a friend and he wont touch it with a barge pole !!!! without typing all the details the long and the short of it is as everyone else has already said …………………. a simple £70 repair could land you with massive fine or worse end up behind bars !!!

im still no further forward with this !!!!! so can anyone answer these questions ???

so if im not aloud to touch airbags anymore ………… who says so ?
how do I get in contact with that person ? website or number

if there are standards I have to meet to be able to work on air bags where can I get the rules and regs ??
as far as me being a small shop im sure that the money I would have to spend out to meet all these standards are not cost effective but if ive got no one official to speak to me how could I ever make this happen anyway ??
the only help Ive had is you guys saying don't do it but thats no different than a mate down the pub giving advice to be honest .

is it just me in this boat or is everyone else hiding behind the sofa ??

come on guys and gals give me some pointers

Chris,
You may want to read this article...(RVE Vehicle Enhancement - VEHICLE SAFETY
https://www.rve.co.nz/leather-safety)
It gives you some idea as to the effort and engineering put into sewing the airbag seat, not to say you can't. I, personally won't work on one, but that's up to you.

It's all about if you are willing to take the risk. Chances are the airbag will still deploy even with normal thread. But will it deploy fast enough? Since I work for an OEM in trim development I have been in many meetings concerning airbag deployment. Its not enough to use the correct machine and thread and have it documented. To meet MVSS the units must also be tested. If there are any changes made to the seat cover (thread, materials etc.) validation testing must be done again.

Chances are a seat you have sewn an airbag seam on will never need to deploy, and if it does or doesn't deploy maybe you wont be dragged into court and blamed for a failure. Worse yet, held responsible for the failure. It only takes one time, to me its not worth the money I would make repairing an airbag seam. I know it sounds like a lot of BS but if I were in an accident that required the airbag to deploy I would want it to work as it was intended.

thank you steve ………………. that's what I was after …. an honest simple answer ………………...tried elsewhere for a simple answer and just kept getting the door slammed in my face like I was some vilan

@Chris Vining

Automakers are the ones warning trim shops not to resew seat covers with airbags. See these articles we've written specifically about Nissan:

Warning: Do Not Resew this Cover
No Ideal Solution to 'Do Not Resew' Tags
Nissan Answers 'Do Not Resew' Inquiries
Leaked: Nissan 'Do Not Resew' Policy

In 2012, SEMA attempted to answer the same questions you have -- but even they couldn't get to the bottom of it.

That said, the large aftermarket seat cover makers do certify their seats as airbag safe -- this is because they've spent a ton of money in research and development to reverse-engineer how automakers do it and match their capabilities. They also have DEEP pockets that allow them the opportunity to do so.

Most of these seat cover makers post their certifications -- done by third party research firms -- on their websites.

There are special sewing machines on the market -- such as the Durkopp Adler 550-867 -- which is made specifically for seats with airbags. Unlike traditional sewing machines, the 550-867 monitors thread tension and stitch length to ensure they meet industry standards, and documents this in a database to shield operators from potential liability. The station’s goal, Durkopp Adler explains, is to execute a stitch that’s “strong enough to resist the stress under normal conditions and at the same time it must guarantee the unrestricted, accurate exit of the airbag.”

PFAFF has similar specialty sewing machines. They're outfitted with computers that help calibrate stitch strength/tension, record that you made the stitch in a database and even issue a barcode label for you to stitch to the cover to prove that you made the stitch using the proper method.

There are also expensive airbag seam testing machines, which we have not seen on the market, but are often used by engineering firms. These conduct comparison tests between the thread combinations of the original and the new seams.

We do not know of any US laws regulating airbag seams, but there very well may be -- if not on a federal level, then maybe on a state level. You'd have to consult with a legal expert about that.

Regardless of whether or not a law exists, you can still be sued if you repair an airbag seam that does not deploy properly.

In the end, it's up to you.

Hope that helps.

Has anyone ever heard of an upholsterer being dragged into court for a SIDE airbag that didn't deploy or didn't deploy properly because of a repair?

I have never heard of anyone being sued caused by an improperly functioning airbag due to a seat repair. Like I said before it’s a risk, if you want to take it. I’m sure sooner or later someone will be dragged into court and made an example of. It would be much easier if it were in black and white.

Like Steve, I have yet to hear of an individual suing an auto upholstery shop over airbags that didn't deploy properly due to seat repair.

However, there have been cases of customers suing repair shops for installing cheap, knockoff airbags that didn't deploy or charging people for airbags and not installing them at all.

Of course, there have also been multi-million dollar class-action lawsuits against automakers like Ford and Honda over faulty Takata airbags. Some law firms even actively search for people with airbag grievances to file suit.

thanks guys my mind is now at rest …………… note in workshop saying "no longer recovering or repairing seats containing airbags" :up:

How does Katzkin and Roadwire sew up seat covers and trust companies to install them onto seats with bags?

Katzkin and Roadwire use a docuseam machine and do periodic testing. They do not test every style and material. I cant say for sure but I think they are doing what they can within reason to help cover themselves if someone brings a claim against them.

Steve is correct. There's a lot of reverse engineering, testing and documenting that goes into their seat cover prototypes. Once they have a cover they're comfortable with, they produce it on a mass scale.

The process adds a level of protection that most auto upholstery shops don't have the money or resources to match.

Of course, this is going to have a longterm effect on our industry...

First of all I have to say that I can understand anyone who refuses to repair seats with airbags. Especially how you have to consider the legal situation and the jurisdiction in every country. In Germany - as far as I know - only the situation for the manufacturing industry is regulated. Not for the processed industry.
How we deal with it, I already told you here. The focus here was on giving an airbag additional cover, which I think is extremely dangerous.
However, I am of the opinion that the airbag will always function properly as long as the airbag seam is always the weakest point in the seat.

But I have a question about the Nissan label. Is the label "Do not resewn" attached to the airbag seam, or just sewn somewhere in the seat cover? Because when I translate the meaning for myself into German, I understand it that way:

The seat cover is patented. Copying is prohibited....

Or do I take this the wrong way?

I take the "Do not resew" label to mean: do not repair in a way which involves unpicking the seams and re-stitching them, such as replacing a torn panel or re-sewing a broken seam. I suppose they couldn't put "Do not repair" because that would exclude things like "smart" repairs for small holes, which more than likely would not affect airbag deployment.

Some interesting points in this thread!