Front air bags

The front air bags increase protection for the driver's and front-passenger's head and chest.

Driver's air bag 1 deploys in front of the steering wheel; front-passenger front

Driver's air bag 1 deploys in front of the steering wheel; front-passenger front air bag 2 deploys in front of and above the glove box.

They are deployed:

  • in the event of certain frontal impacts
  • if the system determines that air bag deployment can offer additional protection to that provided by the seat belt
  • if the seat belt is fastened
  • independently of other air bags in the vehicle

If the vehicle overturns, the front air bags are generally not deployed unless the system detects high vehicle deceleration in a longitudinal direction.

Your vehicle has adaptive, two-stage front air bags. In the event of a collision, the air bag control unit evaluates the vehicle deceleration. In the first deployment stage, the front air bag is filled with enough propellant gas to reduce the risk of injuries. The front air bag is fully deployed if a second deployment threshold is exceeded within a few milliseconds.

The deployment of the front-passenger front air bag is also influenced by the weight category of the front passenger, which is determined by the Occupant Classification System (OCS) ().

The lighter the passenger side occupant, the higher the vehicle deceleration rate required (predicted at the start of the impact) for second stage inflation of the front-passenger front air bag. In the second stage, the front air bags are inflated with the maximum amount of propellant gas available.

The front air bags are not deployed in situations where a low impact severity is predicted. You will then be protected by the fastened seat belt.

The front-passenger front air bag will only deploy if:

  • the system, based on the OCS weight sensor readings, detects that the frontpassenger seat is occupied.
  • the center console is not lit, (). indicator lamp in the center console is not lit, ().
  • the air bag control unit predicts a high impact severity.
    See also:

    Problems with your vehicle
    If you should experience a problem with your vehicle, particularly one that you believe may affect its safe operation, we urge you to contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to h ...

    Notes on using dual-zone automatic climate control
    The following contains notes and recommendations on optimum use of dualzone automatic climate control. • Activate climate control using the and buttons. The indicator lamps in the and but ...

    Vehicle remote opening
    If you have unintentionally locked your vehicle (e.g. the SmartKey is still in the vehicle) and a replacement SmartKey is not available, the vehicle can be opened by a Mercedes-Benz Customer Assis ...