Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Chevrolet Lumina owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was traveling home. Lost control and could not turn. The steering went out, and fuel system. I was left in a coma for ten days. My airbag did not deploy like it was developed to do. I received a traumatic brain injury because of the lack of it deploying broke 11 bones. 7 ribs and four vertebraes. Spent a month in lester e cox hospital (south), 4 months in the university or missouri brain injury unit was awarded a state guardian, [redacted] , and spent 3 months in maries manor located in vienna missouri. The state guardian cleaned me out of all assets even though I had two insurances. One cigna and one medicaid. So none of my money went to medical care but to pay his 3 attorney fees. My traumatic brain injury I deal with every day. It does not go away. For life. Your firm covered up nearly 15 years of another recall that does not deploy the airbag in many vehicles. No more! …
While making left hand turn into a parking lot, the steering wheel locked up. The driver hit a parked car and both air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for analysis and the mechanic noticed that rack and pinion needed to be replaced. Recall#03V527000 followup letter sent by consumer. Consumer states that GM purposely desrtoyed the defective parts before they could be examined by an independient party. The vehicle crashed due to a low speed left hand turn steering failure which was documented before the recall occurred. Lower pinion bearing separation was mentioned on a local media channel as the reason for the recal 1997 Chevy luminas
Dt*: the contact stated there was a loss of consciousness while driving 65 MPH. As a result, the contact rear ended another vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. During pre-impact braking the front end of the vehicle lowered and went underneath the vehicle in front. The hood and radiator were pushed back however there was no damage to the front bumper. Although seat belts were in use, head and chest injuries were sustained. There was a police report filed at the scene. The manufacturer and insurance company are sending representatives to inspect the vehicle.
On Sunday January 27, 2002 I was involved in an accident as a result to a problem with the brakes on my 1997 Chevrolet Lumina ls model 4-door sedan that could have resulted in serious injury or death. About a week and half before the accident I knew I was having a problem with the vehicle stopping and I brought it to the original dealer where the vehicle was purchased at hurd Buick-Chevrolet-Pontiac-GMC trucks located in johnston, ri 02919, and had them look at the brake system of the vehicle. I explained the problem that when I applied the brake pedal the vehicle would have trouble stopping and I had to apply a great force on the pedal and allow more timing to stop than normal. The auto technician said nothing he could find wrong but adjusted the brakes and cleaned them. …
Dashboard cover on passenger side airbag has detached/pulled away and buckled up from the foam air bag casing. GM/Chevrolet was notified of the problem via phone. The response given by GM/Chevrolet representative was that the car was too old to warrant their attention/repair. This does not answer the question, if the air bag will deploy properly. The Chevrolet dealership stated that they would replace and paint it at cost and04/16/2012 labor paid by customer. Auto insurance has referred the problem to the manufacturer. This problem has been progressive in nature, beginning approximately 4 years ago.
While driving vehicle about less than 5 MPH, trying to make a left turn, another oncoming vehicle driven about 40 MPH, according to consumer, hit the consumer's vehicle that was driven by his wife at the time; having a side impact and both air bags did not deploy, causing injuries to head/back, etc. The driver was not taken to hospital. The consumer said, "he would like to return vehicle back to dealer where he bought the vehicle used.
The air bag on the passenger side of my car has 2 half dollar size holes in it one burnt looking and the other ripped both on even sides the drivers side one deployed right because he had to shove mine out of my face his went flat automatically throwing him into the wind shield and also his seatbelt broke from the plastic part from the door not helping the matter any.
While driving and making a left turn steering column locked up. Driver was not able to maintain control of the vehicle and hit another vehicle. Upon impact, both frontal air bags did not deploy. Driver was not hurt. Consumer had vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the shaft inside of the steering wheel needed to be replaced.
Consumer was driving approximately 45 MPH ,hit a deer with the front bumper and then ran into a enbankment head-on, passneger's side air bag did deploy, hit windshield and deployed outward. Driver's side airbag cover opened, but did not inflate ,it was still folded, causing injuries.
While driving at 40 MPH had a frontal impact in which driver's and passenger's airbags did not deploy, and did not protect the occupant in this crash. Also, passenger hit the windshield while seatbelted. Please provide further information.
Airbag complaints in other Lumina years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Lumina?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the air bags of the 1997 Chevrolet Lumina, 10% of the model year's 347 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (15 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Chevrolet Lumina airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 1997 Chevrolet Lumina, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1997 Chevrolet Lumina airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 164,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 22 crashes, 0 fires and 15 injuries and 4 deaths to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.