Up to 200,000 motorists in Ireland may have to consider having their airbags replaced in the next few years. That's because many cars with airbag installations are now heading towards the devices' "sell by date", generally accepted as 10 years.
But there is no mandatory requirement to replace them in this country. They don't even come under the aegis of the Irish NCT car test brief, which is based on an EU directive of 1996 and does not deal with airbags in any way.
A spokesman for the NCT told Motors that there is currently an EU review of the directive under way which would bring electrical and electronic systems under the test "umbrella". But earliest estimates of any implementation are 2005 or even beyond. And the commission is only now considering standards for replacement airbags.
There's a growing body of experience that suggests there could be hidden problems.
Many of the propellants - chemicals that combine to generate the gas that inflates the airbag - could well be deteriorating and might not work as required in a crash.
"It is an issue which is being discussed at the moment in the industry," says Fiat Auto Ireland's technical and training manager Larry Fitzpatrick. "We recommend that the units in older cars be replaced after 10 years, or there's a danger that they won't deploy properly in an accident."
There's a legal grey area over responsibility for airbag deployment. Though suppliers recommend replacement after a decade, the units are only guaranteed under car manufacturer warranties for two years under current legislation.
In the US, where airbag technology has been in use for twice as long as in Europe, more than three million cars were recalled in 2000 alone to have airbags replaced, after manufacturers found the supplementary restraint systems had become unreliable. The manufacturers concerned included Asian and European makers, as well as American.
The problem is one that will grow as each year passes, because while cars less than a decade ago may have come only with drivers' airbags, the restraint systems rapidly expanded to two, four, and six per car. Some of today's top-end cars have up to 10 airbag units.
Recently Volvo has extended its view of airbag life from 10 to 15 years. And GM Europe is indicating a similar "safe age", while Fiat Auto cars also have extended their estimates to 14 years. Mercedes-Benz says current airbag systems should be fine for the full life of the car.
But many outside influences can affect the systems. Some General Motors cars in the US were recalled last year because chafing of the cables to steering-wheel radio controls caused unplanned deployment of bags.
And cars which have a history of use in damp environments, or which have been driven through floods, can also have elements in the system deteriorate from corrosion. Because of the success of initiatives in Ireland such as the Scrappage Scheme and the NCT, it is reasonable to assume that the vast majority of cars now on our roads actaully have a least one airbag.
And with around a third of all cars being six years old or more, the next four years will see many reaching an age where questions could be asked about the safety or the efficacy of their SRS systems. It may well be that insurance companies will take a stronger line and require replacement.
In other countries there have been disturbing revelations about "scams" in replacing airbags that have either been deployed in a repairable impact or which show up as suspect during a car service.
Instances of dummy "covers" and airbag compartments filled with plastic or even junk have been uncovered. Fake airbags are also being installed, and in other cases "remanufactured" systems made up by replacing components.
The matter has reached such a level of concern that 16 US states have introduced laws making it a criminal offence for a repair shop to install a fake system or fail to warn a customer that a remanufactured bag has been installed.
But the real bottom line will be when the owner of an older car is hit with the bill for replacing airbags. At anything from €500 upwards per unit, having to spend that much or even twice that much on a car perhaps worth €1,500 won't make financial sense.