eBay’s September 24, 2026 policy change didn’t ban every part with “airbag” in the name. It banned the pyrotechnic parts and kept the electronics — with a catch. Here’s the exact split, because a lot of sellers are getting it wrong and getting listings pulled.
Banned on eBay (all sellers, all conditions)
- Driver airbags (steering wheel)
- Passenger airbags (dashboard)
- Curtain / roof-rail airbags
- Seat-mounted side airbags
- Knee airbags
- Airbag inflators sold separately
- Steering-wheel airbag covers (the trim piece over the driver bag)
New, used, “OEM surplus,” “for display only” — none of it. The framing in the listing doesn’t matter; the category is gone.
Still allowed on eBay — pre-approved sellers only (U.S.)
- Airbag control units / SRS modules / ACMs
- Crash sensors and impact sensors
- Diagnostic modules
- Passenger occupancy / weight sensors
“Pre-approved” is the part people miss. If eBay hasn’t specifically approved your account for these, listings get removed the same as a bag would. There’s no public application form as of this writing; approval has gone to established Parts & Accessories sellers. If you’re a small seller who moved a few modules a month, assume you’re not on the list until eBay tells you otherwise.
Gray areas
- Clock springs. Not an airbag component in eBay’s definition; still allowed as steering electrical parts.
- Seat belt pretensioners. These contain a pyrotechnic charge like an inflator does. eBay’s announcement didn’t name them, but they’re the obvious next candidate. List them with the expectation that policy may change.
- Complete steering wheels with the airbag installed. Banned — the bag is in it.
- Dash panels with a passenger airbag installed. Same. Remove the bag or don’t list.
What to do with the parts you can’t list
Your bags, inflators, and covers are still legal to sell as recycled OEM parts — eBay’s rule is eBay’s rule, not law. They need a channel. OEMAirbag was built for exactly this category: driver, passenger, curtain, seat, and knee airbags plus modules, sensors, and pretensioners, all in one store. There’s no listing fee and no monthly fee; you pay 5% of the item price when a part sells, and the buyer’s money goes to your own Stripe account directly.
You can import your eBay CSV export straight into your store, so the listings eBay ended on the 24th can be live again the same day. Details in where to sell OEM airbags now that eBay won’t.
Should you keep the modules on eBay?
If you’re approved: yes, keep them there and list them on OEMAirbag too — buyers looking for a module and a bag for the same car want one seller, one shipment. If you’re not approved: OEMAirbag lists SRS modules and sensors under Airbag Modules and Airbag Sensors with no approval gate beyond the standard seller setup.
One practical note from the module side of my shop: a recycled SRS module from a crashed car is almost always crash-locked and needs a reset before it’s usable. If you’re selling modules, say so in the listing, or sell them reset. Buyers who install a locked module and get a warning light leave bad feedback on you, not on the module.
Bogdan Karman runs KarmanAuto, a nationwide mail-in SRS module reset and programming service in Portland, Oregon, and built OEMAirbag. OEMAirbag is independent and not affiliated with eBay. Policy details reflect eBay’s September 2026 announcement; check eBay’s current policy page before listing.