[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

Technically speaking, if an airbag is known to be faulty, it won’t pass a roadworthy, so may be hard to sell and transfer registration to the new owner.

On the question of driving it.... Is it legal to drive an unroadworthy car?

Would your insurance pay out in the event of of an accident causing injury due to the airbag not working and a recall was issued on the vehicle.

From the FAQs page on the ACCC Product Safety Page:

Does the recall affect my vehicle registration or insurance?

The recall of the airbag in a vehicle does not make the vehicle unroadworthy or unregisterable. Contact your state or territory vehicle registration authority for further information regarding registration of an affected vehicle.

The recall should not affect your insurance. If your insurer tells you otherwise, you should seek confirmation of your insurer’s position in writing so that you may seek advice from the Insurance Council of Australia and/or the ACCC. If the issue is not resolved, please report it to us and provide a copy of the advice you have received from the insurer.

Further to the above, the following advice is important:

What is a Takata alpha airbag?

Alpha airbags are a subset of Takata airbags that were installed in some vehicles supplied in Australia between 2001 and 2004. Alpha airbags have been identified as posing a significantly higher safety risk than other Takata inflators because they have been shown to rupture more frequently.

It is critical that owners of vehicles with alpha airbags take immediate steps to have the airbag inflators replaced because of the significant risk of injury or death associated with these inflators.

It is strongly recommended that owners of these vehicles stop driving their vehicles immediately. The supplier must offer to arrange for your vehicle to be towed to the place of replacement or for a qualified technician to travel to you (or some similar arrangement) so that you do not have to drive your vehicle if you do not wish to do so.