Airbag vs Non-Airbag Steering Wheel Upgrades
Your build date decides which standards your LandCruiser is judged against, and that decides which upgrade path you're on. The two paths certify differently and they insure differently. A kit has to match whether your vehicle is an airbag or a non-airbag model. Fit an airbag-model kit that swaps out the factory clockspring on an airbag vehicle and you've created a compliance problem.
Why the build date decides your path
The Australian Design Rules a vehicle must comply with are fixed when the vehicle is built. If your LandCruiser was built in 1992, it's assessed against a different set of standards to one built in 2005. That split is what separates the airbag upgrade path from the non-airbag one.
As a general guide, Toyota LandCruiser vehicles built after June 1995 are commonly assessed under ADR 69/00 (Full Frontal Impact Occupant Protection) and carry a driver airbag with a supplemental restraint system (SRS). Older vehicles, and some base or commercial variants built before that period, may have no driver airbag and were assessed under the general safety requirements of ADR 42/05 rather than the frontal impact standard.
Treat that as a guide, not a rule you can apply blindly. Build dates, variant equipment levels and grey-import histories all vary. To work out which path you're on, physically check whether a driver airbag is fitted to the existing wheel and confirm the build date on the compliance plate. If you're unsure, send our team your VIN and build date before you order.
The airbag model path
If your LandCruiser was originally assessed under ADR 69/00 and has a driver airbag, the steering wheel is part of a safety-rated occupant protection system. Touch that wheel and you're modifying the SRS.
On this path the upgrade has to preserve the integrity of the supplemental restraint system. The airbag module, the airbag circuit and the factory clockspring all keep working exactly as the vehicle manufacturer intended. Under ADR 69/00 and the broader occupant protection requirements of ADR 10, any modification that changes how the airbag deploys or breaks the continuity of the airbag circuit puts the vehicle outside its original compliance envelope.
A PVS airbag-model steering wheel is designed around that. Your factory airbag module is retained and refitted to the new wheel. The factory clockspring stays in place and untouched, and your steering wheel controls run through the PVS wireless control module instead of a replacement clockspring. So the SRS circuit is still factory-original once the wheel is on. Read the full explanation of the clockspring and why it stays.
The non-airbag model path
If your LandCruiser was built without a driver airbag, ADR 69/00 isn't the governing standard for the steering wheel, because there's no SRS to preserve. That doesn't make the upgrade unregulated. It still has to meet the general safety requirements that applied to the vehicle when it was built.
Here the upgrade is assessed against ADR 42/05 (General Safety Requirements), which covers vehicle construction, internal protrusions, padding and electrical wiring. The wheel must not introduce sharp edges or hard protrusions into the occupant strike zone, and the wiring has to be sound. Your horn stays reliable under ADR 94/00 (Horn System Integrity), and your steering keeps performing as required under ADR 90/00 (Steering System Performance), with no effect on steering response or column integrity.
With no airbag and no clockspring carrying an SRS circuit, this path is mechanically simpler. The horn and any controls are wired conventionally. A PVS non-airbag steering wheel is built to satisfy ADR 42/05, ADR 90/00 and ADR 94/00, and it reaches you with independent engineering assessment documentation, same as the airbag-model kits.
Compare the two paths
Compare what gets assessed on each path, and how the clockspring and certification are handled.
| Airbag model path | Non-airbag model path | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary standard | ADR 69/00 frontal impact, with ADR 10 occupant protection | ADR 42/05 general safety requirements |
| What is assessed | SRS integrity, airbag module fitment and deployment clearance, airbag circuit continuity, steering performance, horn, field of view | Construction and internal protrusions, padding, wiring, steering performance, horn |
| Airbag module | Factory module retained and refitted to the new wheel | Not applicable, vehicle has no driver airbag |
| Clockspring | Factory clockspring retained and untouched, controls run through the PVS wireless module | No SRS clockspring, controls and horn wired conventionally |
| Horn standard | ADR 94/00 horn system integrity | ADR 94/00 horn system integrity |
| Steering standard | ADR 90/00 steering system performance | ADR 90/00 steering system performance |
| Certification | May require state certification as an SRS-affecting modification, assessment documentation supplied | May require state certification as a general modification, assessment documentation supplied |
Match the kit to the vehicle
The most common and most serious mistake on older LandCruisers is a kit built for the wrong configuration. The two failure modes aren't the same, and one of them disables a safety system.
Fit a non-airbag wheel to an airbag vehicle and the driver airbag is gone from the vehicle. You lose the frontal impact protection the vehicle was originally certified to provide under ADR 69/00, and it can no longer be certified in that state.
Fit an airbag-model kit incorrectly, particularly a generic kit that replaces the factory clockspring, and you break the SRS circuit on a vehicle that depends on it. That one is subtler: the airbag can look present while the circuit behind it is no longer factory-original.
How PVS keeps your factory airbag system intact
On every airbag-model upgrade, PVS Automotive leaves the factory SRS hardware where it is. The approach doesn't change across the supported LandCruiser platforms.
- Your factory driver airbag module is retained and refitted to the new steering wheel.
- The factory clockspring stays in place and is never replaced, so the airbag circuit stays factory-original.
- Your audio, cruise and phone controls run through the PVS wireless control module, not a replacement clockspring.
- The horn circuit is maintained to satisfy ADR 94/00.
- Your kit is matched to your specific vehicle and designed to be plug and play for that configuration.
Because the SRS circuit is left alone, an airbag-model PVS wheel installed correctly doesn't introduce a clockspring-related SRS fault. What the modification rests on is the independent engineering assessment that comes with your kit, documenting that airbag system integrity is preserved. Find out what the assessment process covers.
Vehicle coverage
If you're in an 80 Series or a 105 Series LandCruiser, PVS supplies both airbag-model and non-airbag-model steering wheel upgrade kits, split by how your vehicle is configured.
| Vehicle and years | Configuration | Kit |
|---|---|---|
| 80 Series 1990 to 1998 | Airbag model, factory clockspring retained | 80 Series Steering Wheel Upgrade Kit 1990 to 1998 Airbag Model |
| 80 Series 1990 to 1994 | Non-airbag model, ADR 42/05 general safety | 80 Series Steering Wheel Upgrade Kit 1990 to 1994 Non-Airbag |
| 105 Series 2003 to 2007 | Airbag model, factory clockspring retained | 105 Series Steering Wheel Upgrade Kit 2003 to 2007 Airbag Model |
| 105 Series 1998 to 2002 | Non-airbag model, ADR 42/05 general safety | 105 Series Steering Wheel Upgrade Kit 1998 to 2002 Non-Airbag |
Where the build years overlap between the airbag and non-airbag options, what decides it is whether a driver airbag is fitted, not the year on its own. The 80 Series spans the introduction of the driver airbag, so if yours is an early to mid 1990s build it could go either way depending on variant and exact build date. Confirm you have a driver airbag and check the compliance plate before you pick a kit. If your variant or build year isn't listed, or you're not certain which configuration you have, talk to our team before ordering.
Certification and insurance
Either path may need certification depending on your state, and either way, tell your insurer the vehicle's specification has changed.
- An airbag-model upgrade affects an occupant safety system and is more likely to require formal certification. Under NSW VSCCS, Victoria VASS, or the Queensland Approved Person Scheme administered by TMR, an SRS-affecting modification is assessed before the vehicle is certified. For SA, WA, TAS, NT and ACT, refer to the relevant state or territory scheme.
- A non-airbag upgrade is assessed as a general modification under those same state schemes, against the general safety requirements rather than the frontal impact standard.
Ask us for the independent engineering assessment documentation on either path, and use it for certification and insurance disclosure in any state or territory. Check the detail on your state's scheme, or find an automotive engineer near you. Confirm the requirements for your modification with a licensed automotive engineer and your insurer before you rely on any outcome. PVS can't promise a specific legal result. What we can supply is the documentation your engineer and insurer will ask for.
Last updated: June 2026