Does a switched-off passenger airbag fail an MOT?

No. A passenger airbag deliberately deactivated with the key, as you would for a rear-facing child seat, is a legitimate condition and the car has a separate indicator for it — usually a small lamp or panel reading 'passenger airbag off'. That is not the SRS malfunction lamp. What fails the test is the airbag warning lamp indicating a fault, which is a major defect with 84,147 recorded failures. The two lamps are different and testers know the difference.

Can a dashcam cause an airbag fault code?

Indirectly, and it happens more than you might think. Airbag connectors under the dashboard are designed to unlatch cleanly rather than resist a pull, and installing a dashcam, tracker, stereo or hard-wired phone charger means working in exactly that space. A connector nudged out of its latch, or a cable tie pulling a loom sideways, is enough to open the deployment circuit. If the lamp appeared shortly after something was fitted, say so, because it points at a free fix rather than a new airbag.

Is B0010 different from B0001?

The detection method is identical — the control unit measures the resistance of a deployment loop and flags anything out of range — but the likely causes are genuinely different because of where each circuit runs. The driver's circuit goes up through the steering column via a clock spring, a wearing part that also carries the horn, and that clock spring is the leading cause of B0001. The passenger's circuit runs through the dashboard instead, so the usual suspects are disturbed connectors behind the glovebox and, on cars fitted with one, a failing key-operated deactivation switch.

Will the driver's airbag still work if the passenger one has a fault?

Usually not, and this surprises people. Most airbag control units respond to a fault in any deployment circuit by taking the whole restraint system out of service, because a partial deployment can be worse than none and the unit cannot be confident about what else may be wrong. That is why the single SRS lamp covers everything. Assume that with the lamp on, none of the airbags will fire, and treat the repair accordingly.

Body code · standard

B0010Passenger's airbag circuit fault

Standard definition: Right Front/Passenger Frontal Deployment Control

Last updated 27 July 2026

Quick answer

The airbag control unit cannot verify the front passenger airbag's deployment circuit. The detection is the same as for the driver's side, but the causes are different, because the passenger circuit does not run through a clock spring.

How the car works this out

As on the driver's side, the control unit measures the resistance of the deployment loop continuously and flags an open circuit, a short or a resistance out of range. What differs is the route that loop takes. The passenger airbag sits in the dashboard, so its wiring runs behind the glovebox and along the base of the windscreen rather than up a rotating column, and on many cars the circuit also passes through a key-operated deactivation switch. The absence of a clock spring removes the single most common cause of B0001 and replaces it with a different set.

What you might notice

Airbag or SRS warning lamp on
Passenger airbag status light behaving oddly, or showing neither on nor off
The deactivation switch appearing to have no effect
No other symptom, which is typical

What causes it

Most likely first. A code names the check that failed, not the part that failed it, so more than one of these can produce the same number.

1A connector under the dashboard or behind the glovebox knocked loose or partly unlatchedCommon
How to check: Ask whether anything has recently been fitted or worked on under the dashboard. Dashcam wiring, stereo installations and glovebox repairs all disturb this area, and airbag connectors are designed to unlatch with a firm pull.
2A failed key-operated passenger airbag deactivation switch, or one with a worn barrelCommon
How to check: Turn the switch fully to each position with the key and see whether the status lamp responds. A switch that no longer makes proper contact in either position sets this code.
3A failed airbag module, or an incorrect replacement fitted after a previous deploymentPossible
4Corrosion in the loom or a connector, particularly on cars with a history of water in the footwell or a leaking windscreen sealPossible
5A fault in the airbag control unit, which sits in the centre console area and is vulnerable to spilled drinks and footwell waterPossible
6Damage from previous accident repair, where a loom was extended or repaired rather than replacedLess common

What to do about it

1Never probe the deployment circuit with a multimeter. The test current can fire the airbag, and a passenger airbag deploying at a workbench is a large and violent event.
2Mention any recent work under the dashboard. Dashcams, trackers, stereos and phone chargers wired into the footwell are a leading cause of disturbed airbag connectors.
3Have the deactivation switch tested if the car has one. It is a much smaller part than an airbag module and a common failure.
4Have the battery disconnected and the manufacturer's waiting period observed before any work in the area.
5Check for water. A damp footwell or a leaking windscreen seal will corrode connectors here and will ruin a repair if it is not fixed first.

Can you keep driving?

Briefly, gently

The car is mechanically unaffected. The point to weigh is who sits in the front passenger seat: with the lamp on the restraint system is out of service, and on most cars that means the driver's airbag and the side airbags are disabled too, not just the passenger's. If you regularly carry a passenger, that is a reason to get this done sooner rather than later.

Will it fail an MOT?

An airbag warning lamp indicating a malfunction is a major defect, with 84,147 recorded failures in the DVSA data behind this site, and it applies however many airbags the car has and whichever one is at fault. One distinction worth understanding on this side of the car: a passenger airbag deliberately switched off with the key, to allow a rear-facing child seat, is a legitimate state and has its own separate indicator, usually a lamp reading 'passenger airbag off'. That is not the SRS malfunction lamp and is not a defect. What fails is the SRS lamp indicating a fault.

The light this turns on

Airbag warning lightThe supplementary restraint system has found a fault and has almost certainly disabled itself. The car drives exactly as normal, which is what makes this lamp so easy to ignore — but you should assume the airbags and seat belt pretensioners will not fire in a crash while it is lit.

Common questions

Does a switched-off passenger airbag fail an MOT?: No. A passenger airbag deliberately deactivated with the key, as you would for a rear-facing child seat, is a legitimate condition and the car has a separate indicator for it — usually a small lamp or panel reading 'passenger airbag off'. That is not the SRS malfunction lamp. What fails the test is the airbag warning lamp indicating a fault, which is a major defect with 84,147 recorded failures. The two lamps are different and testers know the difference.
Can a dashcam cause an airbag fault code?: Indirectly, and it happens more than you might think. Airbag connectors under the dashboard are designed to unlatch cleanly rather than resist a pull, and installing a dashcam, tracker, stereo or hard-wired phone charger means working in exactly that space. A connector nudged out of its latch, or a cable tie pulling a loom sideways, is enough to open the deployment circuit. If the lamp appeared shortly after something was fitted, say so, because it points at a free fix rather than a new airbag.
Is B0010 different from B0001?: The detection method is identical — the control unit measures the resistance of a deployment loop and flags anything out of range — but the likely causes are genuinely different because of where each circuit runs. The driver's circuit goes up through the steering column via a clock spring, a wearing part that also carries the horn, and that clock spring is the leading cause of B0001. The passenger's circuit runs through the dashboard instead, so the usual suspects are disturbed connectors behind the glovebox and, on cars fitted with one, a failing key-operated deactivation switch.
Will the driver's airbag still work if the passenger one has a fault?: Usually not, and this surprises people. Most airbag control units respond to a fault in any deployment circuit by taking the whole restraint system out of service, because a partial deployment can be worse than none and the unit cannot be confident about what else may be wrong. That is why the single SRS lamp covers everything. Assume that with the lamp on, none of the airbags will fire, and treat the repair accordingly.

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