Citroen C3 airbag light: what the scan found.

The car

A 2019 Citroen C3 1.2 PureTech, petrol, about 28,000 miles. The airbag warning light was on.

What I found

• The passenger airbag had already gone off. The dash cover was cut and torn, and the airbag fabric was visible inside.
• The airbag control unit didn't respond to the scanner at all: a communication error. With the light on and the unit not talking, the airbag system wasn't working and couldn't be relied on in a crash.
• Both yellow airbag connectors under the seats were unplugged. I reconnected them.
• I changed the airbag unit's 5A fuse and checked the connections under the dash. The unit still didn't respond.

Most of the other stored codes were from the battery, and I cleared those.

What else turned up

• Three of the tyres were already below the legal limit, and the fourth was right on it.
• The engine oil was below the minimum mark.
• The brakes were getting close to needing changing.
• The coolant and brake fluid were fine, and the engine sounded healthy.

What it needs

A full airbag system inspection and repair: the other airbags, the seatbelt pretensioners and the sensors. An airbag light that stays on is an MOT fail.

If you're buying a car with an airbag light on

Walk round it with your eyes open: look at the dash for cuts, tears or a cover that doesn't sit right, and look under the seats for the yellow plugs. A scan reads the airbag unit itself. If it won't talk, price the airbag work in before you buy.

How I got this: on the job, with a full-system scanner reading every module.

More fault guides from real jobs · Fault codes for flippers