Smart vehicle systems and control logic for valid airbag detection and authentication

A non-transient, computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a vehicle controller of a host vehicle, the host vehicle including a host vehicle body, the instructions, when executed, causing the vehicle controller to perform operations comprising:

• detecting, using a near-field communication (NFC) transceiver attached to the host vehicle body, installation of a supplemental inflatable restraint (SIR) module on the host vehicle, the NFC transceiver pairing with an NFC tag mounted to the SIR module in response to detecting installation of the SIR module;
• retrieving, through the NFC transceiver from the paired NFC tag, unique SIR module data specific to the SIR module;
• determining if the SIR module is invalid by comparing the unique SIR module data to host vehicle SIR data specific to the host vehicle;
• and
• commanding, via the vehicle controller responsive to determining the SIR module is invalid, a resident vehicle subsystem to execute a remediating action configured to prevent or mitigate activation of the invalid SIR module.

A motor vehicle, comprising:

• a vehicle body including a passenger cabin;
• a plurality of road wheels attached to the vehicle body;
• a prime mover attached to the vehicle body and configured to drive one or more of the road wheels to thereby propel the motor vehicle;
• a supplemental inflatable restraint (SIR) module mounted in the passenger cabin;
• a near-field communication (NFC) transceiver mounted to the vehicle body;
• and
• a vehicle controller mounted to the vehicle body and programmed to:
• detect, using the NFC transceiver, installation of the SIR module in the passenger cabin, the NFC transceiver pairing with an NFC tag mounted to the SIR module
• responsive to detecting installation of the SIR module;
• retrieve, through the NFC transceiver from the paired NFC tag, unique SIR module data specific to the SIR module;
• determine if the SIR module is invalid by comparing the unique SIR module data to host vehicle SIR data specific to the motor vehicle;
• and
• responsive to determining the SIR module is invalid, command a resident vehicle subsystem to execute a remediating action configured to prevent or mitigate activation of the invalid SIR module.