Give a stream of consciousness and then the final answer. In the early 1970s, Ford and General Motors began offering cars equipped with airbags, initially in government fleet purchased Chevrolet automobiles. GM's Oldsmobile Toronado was the first domestic vehicle to include a passenger airbag. The automaker discontinued the option for its 1977 model year, citing lack of consumer interest. Ford and GM then spent years lobbying against air-bag requirements, claiming that the devices were unfeasible and inappropriate. Chrysler made a driver-side airbag standard on 1988 -- 1989 models, but it was not until the early 1990s that airbags became widespread in American cars.

Based on this passage, when did airbags become standard in u s?
The relevant sentence in the passage is: Chrysler made a driver-side airbag standard on 1988 -- 1989 models, but it was not until the early 1990s that airbags became widespread in American cars.
So, the final answer is the early 1990s.