Clock spring

Repeated clock spring failure is due to improper installation procedures. They come locked in the centered position, then the vehicle's steering system must be perfectly centered when that new unit is installed. The internal ribbon cable is just long enough to allow for the steering wheel to be rotated full-left to full-right, and just a little more. When the clock spring is installed with the steering system turned to one side a little, it will be able to be turned too much one way and not far enough the other way. Depending on which way it's off-center, the ribbon cable will be too short when you turn fully one way, and be torn loose, or it will unwind too far the other way and fold over on itself

If it gets tugged loose the first way, it will be damaged at that instant. The Air Bag light will turn on and the cruise control and horn switches won't work. If it folds over on itself, it will take some time, but eventually the ribbon cable will flex so much that it cracks. That can take weeks or months, depending on how often you turn the steering wheel all the way in that direction, and the switches will fail to work at different times. You might loose the horn first, for example, then the Air Bag light might turn on days later.

To check for proper operation, as soon as you pick up the vehicle from the repair shop, turn the steering wheel fully one way, then fully the other way. If the Air Bag light turns on after doing that, the clock spring was installed off-center. If everything continues to work properly, there's still a chance it's off-center the other way. You won't know that until it breaks again.