It's a debate that's been going on for nearly a decade, but neither side seems any closer to backing down.

Proponents for the use of non-deployed airbags from salvage vehicles say using such parts makes good sense.

“If there is a problem using the [non-deployed] airbags, why haven't the statistics associated with any type of research been made public?” asks former insurance executive turned industry consultant Rod Enlow. “Where are the facts, measurements, validation and reporting that will prove that? There have been no credible reports that support the assertion that they can't be used.”

But opponents of using non-deployed airbags say no tests can fully determine if a module is safe for use, and there's far too many issues regarding the removal, identification, storage and shipment of the modules to make reinstallation a safe bet.

“A body shop that chooses to use [non-deployed] airbags and subsequently through analysis of the [black box] data finds out that one didn't perform as intended would be liable for probably a lot more than what was saved by using them,” Ford Motor Company's Steve Nantau said.

There's even debate about whether airbags area leading to the increasing percentage of vehicles being totaled – and if reuse of non-deployed airbags help reverse this trend. Keith Manich of Entela, the Michigan-based testing lab used to certify non-OEM parts, said two-year-old numbers he has show that 20 percent of all totals are impacted by the high price of new airbag components – prices that would likely drop if there were a lower-cost alternative.

Consultant Enlow also argues that the cost to auto recyclers to dispose of non-deployed bags they can't sell will end up reflected in higher prices for other recyclable parts – further adding to the growing percentage of vehicles being totaled.

And Herb Lieberman of LKQ Corporation said that as more and more vehicles have more than two airbags, the percentage of vehicles declared total losses because of airbags is going to grow even more.

Others dismiss such arguments.

“We took 1,000 estimates from our dealer body shops and put them through a test, taking the airbag price to zero, which not even a recycler can do, and we only saved 10 vehicles out of 1,000,” Brian Rogos of DaimlerChrysler said.

He said the lower cash values for used cars is more likely a factor in the increasing percentage of totals.

Perhaps more interesting is the question of whether reuse of non-deployed airbags would really combat rising total loss rates. Craig Griffin of Laney's Collision Centre in El Dorado, Ark., argues that by the time the costs of certification are added to the module, there may not be a big difference in cost between new and used, preventing non-deployed bags from “saving” too many vehicles.

And Massachusetts shop owner Chuck Sulkala said recyclers say they don't currently take the value of airbags into effect when purchasing salvage because they often can't sell the bags. If such parts were salable, Sulkala said, wouldn't that just increase salvage values, which also leads to the totaling of more vehicles?

It still remains to be seen if any insurers are willing to take the risk of using non-deployed airbags. Proponents point to the Canadian insurer who has been using non-deployed airbags for a number of years. While that seems to speak well for the use of non-deployed airbags, there are some key differences in that Canadian market. As a government insurer, the company has a near monopoly in its province, and largely controls the salvaged vehicle from the time the vehicle is declared a total until the non-deployed airbag is removed to be used in another vehicle.

U.S. insurers, who don't have the same “luxuries” enjoyed by the British Columbia insurer, have yet to make the non-deployed airbag plunge.

“Having 35 years of insurance background, I can tell you exactly why,” Enlow said. “The issue is: product liability. Insurers have to believe, in absence of facts, what the OEMs tell them. Insurers are very risk averse. We call ourselves risk-managers. Actually we're risk-avoiders. But this is a manageable risk.”

So perhaps the key question has become: Can a non-deployed airbag be tested adequately to determine its reliability when placed into another vehicle?

Ford's Nantau said his company has concluded that, for example, adequate testing isn't available to detect water damage, which, if acidic, can damage the bag over time but in any case can deposit foreign material in the assembly and cause electrical shorts in the circuitry. Improper handling of the bag can stress the wires in ways that might only show up over time, he said. If the module is dropped, the pellets used for propellant could be damaged affecting deployment. And even minor damage or seemingly cosmetic repairs on the airbag cover can affect deployment, he said.

“Our engineers and technical specialists investigating this determined that there is not a test that can verify the acceptability [of the module],” Nantau said. “The only way to do it is completely disassembling the unit, checking every component and…putting it all back together. The cost to do that would exceed the cost of building a brand new airbag.”

Enlow and other proponents disagree.

“All the laboratory measurements necessary to determine if an [non-deployed] airbag can be comparatively measured against a new OEM service part have been validated,” Enlow said. “The test to validate that the part has remained dry and unsubmerged have been identified, developed and tested. An accredited laboratory will oversee the training, testing, handling processes and procedures relative to the [non-deployed] airbag process.

“Handling, shipping and storage requirements are detailed [as part of the certification],” Enlow said. “A part must follow a specific sequence of events in order for the database to allow it to move through the process. The data is collected in a secure database that requires specific questions to be asked and answered prior to a sale being made.”

With both sides in the airbag debate refining their arguments, the overriding question seems to be: Where does it go from here?

John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988. He can be contacted by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.