Body, generic

B0043 Third Row Left Frontal Stage 3 Deployment Control

Check engine lightUsually off
EmissionsNot relevant
Drive cycleNot required
Limp modeNo

B0043 completes the left third-row frontal group as its stage 3 element. By analogy with front airbags this can be a vent valve squib, as Mercedes-Benz uses for B000313 and B001213, or a further gas chamber like the third chamber in Breed's patent that is kept for a second collision. No public source ties B0043 to a third-row bag. GM gives the number a separate, documented meaning in its older modules: the Saab 9-5 of 2006 stores B0043 if the driver stage 2 terminal sits above 4.1 V or under 1.0 V for 2 seconds, and the 9-3 splits it into shorts to supply, to ground or to another firing loop. Check which airbag the scan tool names. Airbag lamp on.

Likely causes

Damaged stage 3 lead or squib
Short between two firing loops in a shared harness
Restraint module configured for equipment the vehicle does not have (wrong part or coding)

Symptoms

  • Airbag warning lamp on
  • Third deployment element of this airbag is disabled
  • Safety note: do not probe the airbag circuit yourself; unplug airbag connectors only with the battery disconnected and the stated wait time observed

Repair estimate

DifficultyShop_onlyWorkshop job
Parts and labour€100–1,200
Time1–4 h

Typical range across vehicles; the real cost depends on what the testing finds.

Parts involved

third row left frontal airbagsquib circuitsrs seat wiringsrs control module

Related codes

B0041B0042B004B

References: static.nhtsa.gov, patents.google.com, saabwisonline.com, saabwisonline.com.