Airbag complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 6 | 5% | 44,000 miles |
| 2016 | 2 | 40% | 35,000 miles |
| 2015 | 6 | 8% | 9,000 miles |
| 2014 | 8 | 6% | 8,000 miles |
| 2013 | 11 | 17% | 37,000 miles |
| 2012 | 15 | 22% | 48,000 miles |
| 2011 | 13 | 17% | 70,000 miles |
| 2010 | 8 | 13% | 54,000 miles |
| 2009 | 16 | 21% | 77,000 miles |
| 2008 | 62 | 38% | 84,000 miles |
| 2007 | 40 | 22% | 80,000 miles |
| 2006 | 11 | 6% | 76,000 miles |
| 2005 | 28 | 9% | 64,000 miles |
| 2004 | 31 | 5% | 36,000 miles |
| 2003 | 21 | 3% | 12,000 miles |
| 2002 | 30 | 4% | 29,000 miles |
| 2001 | 48 | 5% | 54,000 miles |
| 2000 | 53 | 4% | 80,000 miles |
| 1999 | 33 | 2% | 160,000 miles |
| 1998 | 7 | 3% | 72,000 miles |
| 1997 | 8 | 3% | 144,000 miles |
| 1996 | 11 | 6% | 192,000 miles |
| 1995 | 10 | 4% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 70 mph, he hit a deer. Only the trim of the side curtain air bags deployed with a powder substance released from the air bags. The driver and passenger-side air bags did not deploy upon impact. No injury was sustained. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado. While driving 40 MPH, the contact rear ended another vehicle that abruptly pulled in front of the contact. The air bags did not deploy. The contact noticed a chemical odor in the vehicle and a fog-like substance in the cabin after the crash. A police report was filed. The vehicle was able to be driven from the scene. The contact sustained injuries to the neck, shoulder, and arm, which did not require medical attention. A dealer was not made aware of the crash. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 5,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact received notification of; NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V586000 (Steering), NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), and 21V504000 (Air Bags). The contact stated that while parked and the vehicle powered on both sides torso air bags deployed without a collision. The driver sustained an ear injury. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
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.
I was going north when a vehicle suddenly stopped in front of me. I braked as quickly as possible, the 2014 Chevy Silverado that I was driving only slowly came to a stop. Unfortunately, I rearended another vehicle. Thankfully I had not gotten up to the speed limit (30mph) and was only going 20mph. My truck would not brake quickly. No screeching tires, no black marks on the road. The stop was so slow that I had time to turn the steering wheel and only damage part of my front end. The grill, bumper, and hood were smashed in. No airbags came out of the truck, and my OnStar service sensor did not go off. After colliding with the vehicle my 2014 Chevy shut off by itself. I had the brake still depressed & put the truck into park.
Tl* the contact owned a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the contact reached over to turn the heat off and the vehicle went off the road, down a hill, and into a ditch. The vehicle continued on until it crashed into a cable that was connected to a telephone pole. The telephone pole split in half. The seat belt failed to restrain the contact and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries to his back, knee, and hip that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a lot. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 7,956.
On Tuesday March 18, 2014 I was driving a 2013 Chevy Silverado and rear ended a Chevy tahao at approximately 20 MPH without hitting my brakes. Conditions at the time were clear and dry although very windy. I was the only passenger in my truck. I was wearing my seatbelt. I hit the steering wheel with my chest. The OnStar system called to say they could see I was in an accident and help was on the way. I exchanged info with the other driver and returned to my vehicle. The seatbelt was in the extended position and would not extend further or retract. On the display panel it had an 'airbag deployed' icon and message 'service airbag'. …
Hit a deer at 47mph on left front of vehicle. Air bag light came on with code b0052 deployment commanded. No air or pretensioner deployed. Contacted GM they sent an inspector out to retrieve crash data from recorder. They contacted me after they received the info from the inspector , and said I needed to take the vehicle to dealer to diagnose concern. There were no codes. They have not told me if there was a problem with the sdm that was replaced.
Related recalls (4)
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
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…
Remedy: 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.
Air bags
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.
Remedy: 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.
Air bags › Frontal
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.
Remedy: 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…
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
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.
Remedy: 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…
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Silverado years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2008 (62), 2000 (53), 2001 (48), 2007 (40) and 1999 (33) model years. Airbag complaints make up 38% of all complaints for the 2008.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Silverado airbag problems?
Yes — 4 recalls, including 15V-830 (sensor/control module-inactive, Dec 10, 2015); 13V-315 (air bags, Jul 19, 2013); 06V-417 (frontal, Oct 31, 2006). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Silverado airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 miles; 43% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal (179 mentions), followed by the side/window (11).
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.