Airbag complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 22 | 27% | 50,000 miles |
| 2012 | 6 | 17% | 39,000 miles |
| 2011 | 55 | 43% | 69,000 miles |
| 2010 | 53 | 48% | 73,000 miles |
| 2009 | 41 | 54% | 76,000 miles |
| 2008 | 132 | 51% | 80,000 miles |
| 2007 | 225 | 60% | 105,000 miles |
| 2006 | 1 | 9% | 52,000 miles |
| 2005 | 11 | 15% | 48,000 miles |
| 2004 | 9 | 5% | 45,000 miles |
| 2003 | 14 | 7% | 78,000 miles |
| 2002 | 22 | 5% | 66,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I had an auto accident that totaled my vehicle (2013 Chevy Avalanche). It was t-boned by the other vehicle with significant damage from the front quarter panel to the rear quarter panel. All on the driver's side. NONE of the airbags deployed in my vehicle. The other vehicle that hit me had all of the air bags deployed. I had my passenger airbag replaced, based on a manufacturers recall, this past summer 09/26/2025 at a certified Chevy dealer. At that time, they said everything was replaced that needed to be and confirmed that everything was working. Because NONE of the airbags deployed in my vehicle, I sustained minor injuries, i.e. cuts, bruises, etc. and my passenger sustained minor injuries as well, i.e. bruises and neck pain. At the time of the accident, there were no warning lights or messages related to air bags. …
In December of 2020 we took our vehicle cannon dealership,the 2013 avalanche had a recall to repair a part for the takata air bag,on January 17,2022 we had and accident, some one pulling a cow hauling trailer pull out in front of us and we hit into the cow trailer,and the air bags didn't deploy.we got injured,and we are still under the doctor,we had $9000 worth of damage,would have been worse if my husband hadn't hit brakes and we were sliding all across the highway we just couldn't avoid hitting the cow hauling trailer thanks Barbara hill.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags) however, the VIN was updated and now displayed that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair. The failure recurred. The vehicle then was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the air bag needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that a senior adviser would reach out him for further assistance however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 171,000
The steering wheel is difficult to turn or control, went to dealership to fix the problem. After the dealership allegedly fix the problem, we had continued problems with the steering (controlling the steering wheel) and then the transmission caused the vehicle to jump or skip gears, causing the vehicle to be difficult to control. Took it back to the dealership and they were to busy to help us. All of the aforementioned defects caused my husband to lose control of the truck and ultimately flew off the road and vehicle flipped over (roll over).
February of 2021 I was notified the driver side air bag in my truck I drive daily has an issue that if goes off can cause serious injury or death. that as 6 months ago and still no path forward to fix it, how safe it this for me to drive is death is an option? I feel this would be a concern for drivers and the companies doing more to prevent something if a part cannot be secured. Maybe start offering deals to accept the trade ins so your customer doesn't have to drive around an unsafe vehicle because of supply issues? This needs to be addressed so something silly can be avoided.
Was advised of the recall of my vehicle on Feb 26th 2021 and that the part to fix the problem was not available it is now six months later and have heard nothing and don,t know how log they expect people to wait with a faulty part to be repaired.
For no apparent reason, my dash started cracking next to the passenger airbag at around 48,000 miles. The large crack began to spread across the dash until, after a few months, it was all the way across to the steering wheel. Now small cracks are beginning to spider out. There seems to be no support underneath the dash and with every small bump in the road it becomes worse and worse. The dash must be made of an inferior material for it to crack so easily. If the air bag does inflate, the dashboard could burst into thousands of sharp pieces that could be a cause of serious injury or death. I have gotten a repair estimate to replace the dash for $1,500. However, some of the thousands of people that have this same problem say they have had the dash replaced, only to have it crack again. …
During the calendar year 2016, I have experienced two(2) severe dashboard cracks. One crack in front of my instrument cluster occurred while driving as I heard it "crack". The other crack appeared on the passenger side above the air bag panel. I am not sure when this crack appeared, but concerns me relative to the air bag operation/safety. I have drilled holes at the end of the crack on the driver side in an attempt to stop the progression, but the crack continues to get larger. The dash apparently is becoming brittle and the cracks are continuing to grow. I can only assume that soon I will have pieces of the dash come off exposing electrical wiring and components below the dash. Due to the safety concerns and appearance aspects, I am having the dash replaced by my dealership at a cost to me of almost $1,000. …
Related recalls (5)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas,…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 23, 2021.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida,…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 24, 2021.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 25, 2021.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii,…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021.
NHTSA investigations
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Avalanche years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2007 (225), 2008 (132), 2011 (55), 2010 (53) and 2009 (41) model years. Airbag complaints make up 60% of all complaints for the 2007.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Avalanche airbag problems?
Yes — 5 recalls, including 21V-052 (inflator module, Feb 5, 2021); 21V-050 (inflator module, Feb 5, 2021); 21V-053 (inflator module, Feb 5, 2021). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Avalanche airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 82,000 miles; 23% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal (15 mentions), followed by the frontal › sensor/control module (4).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.