Airbag Fraud On The Rise

Thursday, October 28th, 2004 Auto Fraud

One in every 25 previously damaged vehicles is a target of airbag fraud -- a practice in which a mechanic doesn’t reset the car with a proper airbag but still charges insurance companies for the work, according to Carfax.com. The practice not only rips off insurance companies, it also leaves drivers of the improperly equipped cars vulnerable in the event of a crash. After a car crashes and an airbag deploys, its airbag compartment needs to be reset with an airbag. Insurance companies pay mechanics between $2,500 and $3,000 to replace airbags, Call 6 for Help’s Rafael Sanchez reported Tuesday. Some mechanics have been caught accepting the insurance money but refilling the airbag compartment with a cheap alternative.

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http://www.theindychannel.com/call6/3859102/detail.html

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