Chevrolet Silverado Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 478 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the Chevrolet Silverado across 23 model years. The 2008 model year has the most (62). The words owners use most often: “air bag” (31% of reports).
- 478air bags complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 275mention a crash
- 192mention an injury
- 4related recalls
- 37%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Air bag: mentioned in 146 of 478 complaints (31%)
- Upon impact: mentioned in 76 of 478 complaints (16%)
- Bags deploy: mentioned in 69 of 478 complaints (14%)
- Frontal collision: mentioned in 34 of 478 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 239 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 478 complaints, 275 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 192 an injury.
Chevrolet Silverado air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Silverado | 6 | 5% | 44,000 |
| 2016 Silverado | 2 | 40% | 17,780 |
| 2015 Silverado | 6 | 8% | 9,300 |
| 2014 Silverado | 8 | 6% | 7,956 |
| 2013 Silverado | 11 | 17% | 33,163 |
| 2012 Silverado | 15 | 22% | 48,000 |
| 2011 Silverado | 13 | 17% | 62,000 |
| 2010 Silverado | 8 | 13% | 53,217 |
| 2009 Silverado | 16 | 21% | 76,600 |
| 2008 Silverado | 62 | 38% | 84,000 |
| 2007 Silverado | 40 | 22% | 77,729 |
| 2006 Silverado | 11 | 6% | 76,000 |
| 2005 Silverado | 28 | 9% | 64,000 |
| 2004 Silverado | 31 | 5% | 35,600 |
| 2003 Silverado | 21 | 3% | 11,913 |
| 2002 Silverado | 30 | 4% | 29,000 |
| 2001 Silverado | 48 | 5% | 54,000 |
| 2000 Silverado | 53 | 4% | 80,000 |
| 1999 Silverado | 33 | 2% | 160,000 |
| 1998 Silverado | 7 | 3% | 72,000 |
| 1997 Silverado | 8 | 3% | 144,289 |
| 1996 Silverado | 11 | 6% | 192,000 |
| 1995 Silverado | 10 | 4% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (4)
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Model years: 2016
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pick up trucks manufactured October 13, 2015, to October 14, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the mounting stud used to secure the air bag sensing and diagnostic Module (SDM) may be incorrectly positioned, and as a result, the SDM housing could fracture.
Risk: If the SDM housing fractures, water may get into SDM causing it to malfunction and hinder the proper deployment of the air bags in the event of a crash, thereby increasing the risk of occupant injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will have the mounting stud repositioned and the SDM replaced, free of charge. The recall began December 2, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 15794.
Air bags
Model years: 2014
Problem: General Motors is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Silverado trucks manufactured June 1, 2013, through June 30, 2013; and model year 2014 GMC Sierra trucks manufactured June 4, 2013, through June 30, 2013. Welding on the passenger airbag inflator may fracture when the airbag is deployed, allowing some gas from the air bag inflator to vent behind the instrument panel, instead of into the air bag.
Risk: As a result the air bag may not fully inflate, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: General Motors will notify owners and dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on August 23, 2013. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-866-694-6546 and GMC at 1-866-996-9463. GM's recall number is 13230.
Air bags:frontal
Model years: 2004
Problem: Certain vehicles originally built with cloth seats that were equipped with an automatic air bag passenger sensing system and later reupholstered with aftermarket leather seat cover kits are involved. Testing has indicated that the aftermarket leather seat covers can cause the passenger sensing system to malfunction.
Risk: If the passenger sensing system malfunctions, the front air bag on the passenger side may be disabled when it should be enabled, or enabled when it should be disabled. In either case, in the event of a crash that requires air bag deployment, a front passenger's level of injury may be increased.
Fix: Because a replacement leather seat cover that is compatible with the passenger sensing system is not available, general motors (gm) will repurchase these vehicles in accordance with the terms stated in gm's letter to owners. The recall began on november 6, 2006. Owners should contact gm at 1-877-477-1022 to begin the process of repurchasing their vehicle.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Model years: 2000
Problem: On certain pickup and utility trucks, some of these vehicles have an air bag sensing diagnostic module (sdm) which contains an anomaly that could result in the driver and passenger's air bag failing to deploy during certain frontal crashes.
Risk: In a vehicle crash, front seat occupants may receive more severe injuries.
Fix: Dealers will recalibrate the sdm on the affected vehicles. Owner notification began august 28, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or gmc at 1-800-462-8782.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V504000(Air Bags) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted.
See attached document for complaint.
The contact owned a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, he dozed off as the vehicle drifted off to the right shoulder of the highway. The contact regained alertness once the vehicle drove over the highway's rumble strip. As the contact attempted to regain…
See attached document for complaint.
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The local dealer-scheduled an appointment but cancelled it due to parts not…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Chevrolet Silverados have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 478 owner complaints about air bags for the Chevrolet Silverado. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Chevrolet Silverado air bags?
Yes: 4 safety recalls list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the Chevrolet Silverado?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 146 of 478 complaints, followed by “upon impact” (76).
Other Chevrolet Silverado problems
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (2,302)
- Power Train problems (743)
- Electrical System problems (711)
- Service Brakes problems (706)
- Steering problems (533)
- Structure problems (490)
- Visibility problems (486)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (459)
See all Chevrolet Silverado problems.