[sagarpadaki]

It is possible for you to get your car done up with a base variant polo dashboard and steering wheel. Just talk with few reputed FNG's like Bosch or check the TBHP directory for other references.

The authorized service are usually reluctant to carry out such jugaad . So intsead of telling directly, they say the 'dashboad may not fit' blah blah.

[AZT]

Originally Posted by aayusht

What would happen to the insurance for the subsequent years if you get the car repaired without the airbags (FNG approach you are thinking of)? Will they continue supporting even with such "jugaad"?

When it comes to future claims there could be a problem but I'm guessing OP isn't expecting to either make any more claims or use the insurance again.
If he finds a good FNG that should not be an issue for minor things.

[Lalvaz]

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

I'd take the cash being offered as total loss and buy a new car! I think it isn't worth the time and money needed to restore it without airbags.

Such a minor accident, with no real damage to the car, except for the airbags, and you advise selling the car. The user has already explained on more than one occasion that he doesn't have the budget for another Polo. Even the used Polo's are at a higher price point than his budget currently. He has also mentioned that he is contemplating using a two wheeler and this car will definitely be safer than a 2 wheeler, even without airbags.

@ Lowflyer23

I think you are taking things out of context. The comment is a tongue in cheek remark at how the user is now relying on divine protection rather than the airbags to protect him and the co-passenger in the event of an accident. I understand that you worship the God, but please understand the difference between a tongue in cheek jibe and an insult.
Please take a deep breath and let it go. This forum, like other forums is not perfect, but it is far better than other forums, thanks largely due to the efforts of the moderators. Of course they're not perfect, they're only human and biases do creep in, but learn to let it go. Good day.

[Nissan1180]

https://boodmo.com/catalog/part-6rf419091a81u-28499524/

The steering wheel seems to be available on boodmo. You can try contacting a local dealership to get it without the shipping delay. Boodmo says it is compatible with Polo models till 2014.

[govigov]

OP and others, I am just trying to learn something here. So here goes my question. If the fault was of the biker, shouldn't the third-party insurance paid by the biker settle this? Why is the OP trying to settle this with his own insurance?

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by kiku007

Obviously, the OP has decided on what he'd like to do and just wants to know how to get it done. So I'm not going to talk about why it's a bad idea to begin with. I hope some FNG and a bit of googling for VW parts will help to achieve that.

It's things like these that make me nervous of the used-car market in India. Imagine the horror of getting a VW variant that should supposedly have airbags but actually don't. Would the instrument console show the Airbag error or would the FNG be able to turn it off?

Completely agree, OP has made it clear that this will now be his second car for city usage instead of buying a scooter which is definitely less safer - best to stick to the topic on hand.

As for the used car market : all the more reason to do a thorough inspection of the car before purchase, including checking insurance history.

Originally Posted by sodapop

Lastly, I would like to tell the OP that it seems the chassis has gotten damaged and hence the insurance company wrote it of as TL. It means the damage is beyond repair and would only serve to make the car grossly unsafe. It is infact in the insurance company's best interest to not write it off as TL and fix the car for cheaper if it was possible even. And Insurance is made for cases like these. What is the point of bragging about never having used it if you come to a situation like this?

Insurance has declared it a total loss because paying him his IDV (Rs. 2.3L) is cheaper than getting it fixed (Rs. 3L). No where has chassis damage been indicated or mentioned.
From what I gather, insurance cannot fix the car for cheaper to the same spec (airbags included) than the IDV at the authorized workshop.
And they cannot change the specs either to reduce total value, because that isn't how it works.

Originally Posted by abhatt

Very true, hence I want to be with the known devil and continue with my car.

I will not be getting the Airbag light turned off however I know that when I sell it to any of the dealers later they will get that jugaad done which would have also happened had I decided to scrap my car.

I will try to Google for parts and contact some local friends who can probably point me to some good repairmen in Bangalore who can help me with the current problem at hand.

The Polo/Vento/Rapid are very mod-friendly cars. The GTi steering upgrade being one of the popular mods. Check with some tuners / modifiers if they know anyone who has a spare wheel for sale.
The Dash however will require some patchwork.
Do check out the TBHP Directory, Classifieds, and Boodmo.com for parts as well.

Lastly, if you're open to it : Fix the seatbelt tensioners (if required) & see if you can get a well priced option for a steering wheel with Driver's airbag (forgo the Passenger Airbag if too expensive).

[Games Goblin]

@OP

Glad everyone is safe!

Focusing on the objective laid out by OP without getting into airbag vs no-airbag debate

In the VW Polo, the airbag is not concealed in the dashboard - it has a separate compartment.

I don't think it's necessary to replace the entire dashboard. The cover for the airbag compartment is a separate item - you could buy just that and replace the old one



The part number is 6RF880261A 81U and it's listed on boodmo @ 7,850 (seems pricey for just a plastic trim piece, but my guess it's not an ordinary trim piece - it's designed to break open when the airbag gets deployed - maybe that explains the cost) LINK - you can also check with local scrapyard / used parts dealer if you can get it for cheaper


As for the steering wheel airbag, building upon post #52, till 2013 base model Polo did not have airbags - VW made airbags mandatory for all Polo variants during 2014. If you can find the non-air bag horn pad of the 2013 and below base models, that would be ideal. I am unsure of the part number for the non-airbag horn pad. Quick look at the catalogue and my guess is that the part number is 6RF419669 UAZ - if possible, please check with your VW dealer if it's possible to order the pre-2014 non airbag horn pad (also check if the non-airbag horn pad shape is the same shape as your airbag equipped steering).

Again, also check with used parts dealers / scrap yards if above approach is not fruitful.

Hope you can restore the car to your satisfaction.

Best Regards

[mac187]

Originally Posted by pawank

Some self-proclaimed safety experts on this page who don't even wear seatbelts while driving are giving 'gyan' on safety. It's your vehicle and you are free to do whatever you want to do with it.

Presumptuous much! You can look at multiple threads and you will find the Tbhpian's always suggest safety over everything else, unless its a vintage car/ bike buying query. If you have attended any events with Tbhpian's you will always see them following safe/ defensive driving and using seat belts/ riding gear all the time. It was even a practice few of my friends followed before it was mandated by law.

As you rightly mentioned, ofcourse it is OP's vehicle and he will eventually do what suits him best. He asked us our opinion and as a community we suggested retaining the airbags from safety point of view.

[prajwalmr62]

I'd suggest you to go with no airbags than after market, unverified airbags. Airbag is the most worrisome part of a car, and there has been lots of recall due to this particular thing.

I'm not an expert, but if there were lower variants without dashboard, can't you get those installed? You might miss some functionalities like steering mounted controls, but that should be fine.

Also, if you have done this to reduce cost, what will happen to insurance renewal and RC? I'm sure this comes under modification of some sort. Won't they make a fuss of it? I don't think insurance will be okay with it, even after IDV of 0.

I would say no airbag car is safer than a bike, but one without insurance would be a big no-no.

[PraNeel]

Originally Posted by abhatt

The reason I want to get my hands dirty with the after market world is that some day I would love to buy a 2-3 year old used BMW/Mercedes/Audis of the world and will have to be a pro at getting these jewels repaired in these shops especially post it's warranties.

Hi Abhatt

Since you want to retain your car:

1. Why don't you scout for airbag modules / used steering wheels. Please visit JC road, scrapyards, FNGs. They can get you these modules at a fraction of a cost asked by VW.
One such link : https://www.olx.in/en/item/polo-stee...iid-1631397814

2. Even cars24 is buying scrap cars for parts, as they are now in the full fledged business of car maintenance, denting and painting and sales.

3. https://scrapoto.com/ Contact these guys.

4. https://www.justdial.com/Bangalore/C...r/nct-10918264

I am sure you will get the required parts and enjoy your ride safely at a reasonable cost.
Like I said before your reasoning and emotions are understood and your decision based on your conditions is best. I think no one wanted to offend you however every one chipped in their best advice.
Good Luck.

[Govardhansupra]

Okay cool, but one question:
How do you plan to sell the car in the future?

An informed buyer will obviously know that Highline variant has airbags, and an even informed buyer won't consider buying your car, due to the accidental record it has, no matter how well your car is maintained.

[pawank]

Originally Posted by mac187

Presumptuous much! You can look at multiple threads and you will find the Tbhpian's always suggest safety over everything else. It was even a practice few of my friends followed before it was mandated by law.

Of course there are multiple threads about safety and Tbhpian's are free to write two-three page essay about safety there. It isn't hard to understand the purpose of this thread, the author was crystal clear about his intentions and he mentioned the same in his post. As an adult he knows the outcomes of his actions.

He asked us our opinion and as a community we suggested retaining the airbags from safety point of view.

With all due respect, the author didn't asked suggestions about retaining airbags. He asked about the workshops where he can fix the car without airbags.

[androdev]

Sell it. Buy previous generation Honda Jazz or Honda City. Your Polo has many negatives, not just airbags.

1. Polo itself is not cheap to maintain once niggles start piling up. This accident may accelerate the start of such niggles. Be ready to throw good money after bad.

2. I am no safety expert but i never want to be the guy who was penny wise pound foolish. Your seat belts are compromised, airbags are missing, you are very likely to take this car beyond city limits as you start relaxing the no-go rules.

3. Financially this is the best time to sell this car. It will have very few takers later on. You are also likely to invest into this car trying to bring it to some shape. I can be very sure that a Japanese car like Jazz will hold its value more than Polo even without an accident.

4. I guess you are incorrectly biased by the excellent condition of the interiors and exteriors of your car. This is the classic trap of European cars - they look great and age very well in the looks department.

Assume you have 2L+ in hand and you are looking for a car for 3L budget. I am 100% sure you will not go anywhere near this Polo.

Accidents are unfortunate things to happen - usually results in big bad stuff. You came out relatively unscathed. Take it in your stride and pay the price and move on.

[roamer012]

Originally Posted by Govardhansupra

Okay cool, but one question:
How do you plan to sell the car in the future?

An informed buyer will obviously know that Highline variant has airbags, and an even informed buyer won't consider buying your car, due to the accidental record it has, no matter how well your car is maintained.

I doubt OP wants to hide the fact

Originally Posted by abhatt

I will not be getting the Airbag light turned off

[IN07KL0484]

Keep it if you have to. But get airbags from a reputed aftermarket shop that would provide a warranty. I have seen people changing the steering wheels from shops like Petes and such on Highline/GT Polos. So I am pretty sure that you would be able to get a similar deal on airbags as well. Reliability shouldn't be an issue especially since they source the parts from Europe. This won't be cheap but would definitely be lesser than what VW have quoted you.

Safety is definitely a priority but in your case, it's choosing between the lesser evils, FNG repaired POLO or an Activa. Plus I have personal experience with VW showroom where they quoted me 50k for a slightly damaged bumper and some dents on the boot, which I got fixed for 5k from an FNG. So yeah, they exaggerate the costs in every way they can. I do not see any structural issues with the car and it's a minor bump but on the sensor.

Though please do start planning towards replacing this car at the earliest, as even small repairs are going to cost you over the next couple of years due to the non-availability of zero dep insurance and VW spare parts pricing.