Airbag complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2025 | 2 | 1% | 13,000 miles |
| 2023 | 2 | 2% | 12,000 miles |
| 2022 | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2021 | 3 | 3% | — |
| 2020 | 6 | 3% | 82,000 miles |
| 2019 | 10 | 2% | 34,000 miles |
| 2018 | 5 | 1% | 58,000 miles |
| 2017 | 263 | 73% | 38,000 miles |
| 2016 | 163 | 56% | 89,000 miles |
| 2015 | 162 | 52% | 70,000 miles |
| 2014 | 258 | 47% | 68,000 miles |
| 2013 | 27 | 17% | 85,000 miles |
| 2012 | 48 | 14% | 87,000 miles |
| 2011 | 43 | 7% | 45,000 miles |
| 2010 | 30 | 4% | 75,000 miles |
| 2009 | 26 | 6% | 70,000 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
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? My wife and daughter were both involved in a car accident. My wife was driving the speed limit (30-35 mph) when a car traveling in the opposite direction turned left into her lane, cutting her off, and causing a collision of the two vehicles. The front driver side of the Traverse contacted the other driver's passenger side. Upon collision, none of the airbags deployed. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My wife hit her face on the steering wheel and suffered a fractured nose, excessive bleeding, and head/neck pain. My daughter has bruising on her legs. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? …
While going around 40mph I approached a stopped vehicle and tried to come to a stop. At this time my braking system failed, speeding the car up instead of slowing it down, this resulted in my car rear ending another vehicle. When the car accident occurred my steering wheel air bag came out but did not inflate. There were no warning lamps or messages at the time of the crash. Due to the laws in Mississippi it was declared I was at fault and the insurance company will not inspect or cover the damages.
Unknown to some, but yesterday Saturday around 12:30 I was inspecting the speaker ports in the rear 3rd row passenger area and I noticed these square tabs that says airbags, also in the very middle of second row the same thing but in the rear I was removing one of the mouldings to see why the speakers were not playing, upon inspection there are no speakers and neither are there any form of side and or rear collision safety devices ( airbags) other than seatbelts. If that truck were in an accident say like a T-Bone, or rear end collision, or side rear impact no one is guaranteed safely making out without adverse affects on their bodies and health. I'm starting to wonder if this traverse was salvaged and or restored. Why are there no safety features in this truck?!!
Vehicle turned in front of our traverse we where traveling approximately 30mph struck other car broadside and no air bag deployment? But odor of airbag in our Vehicle was present. But there no deployment visible? Body shop states no issues with airbag system. But they are replacing airbags in repair of our vehicle. "The airbag systems are faulty and unsafe"
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 20 MPH at an intersection, she failed to see the approaching vehicle that was driving 40 MPH and T-boned that vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. During the impact, the contact's wife's chest area collided with the steering wheel. The other vehicle did have all the air bags deployed. A police report was filed. The contact's wife sustained abdominal, right knee, and chest pain, as well as a headache, and was treated in the hospital. The vehicle was towed to the tow yard. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
I was in an accident in my 2019 Chevy Traverse on September 4, 2025. Upon impact, my airbags did not deploy. I was pulling out from and intersection and a car with no lights on was coming from the right of me going towards the left of me. I ended up hitting his car on the driver' side and rear door. His side airbags went off. I was wearing my seatbelt. My body was thrown forward and hit the steering wheel. The airbag did not go off upon impact. I have a broken sternum, bruised ribs and bruises across my left shoulder due to the seatbelt. I ended up in the hospital overnight for observation. They were worried about my heart and lungs since they were jarred forward when I hit the steering wheel. Now my insurance company wants to total my car. …
On 9/16, I was involved in an accident which lead to my car being totaled from appx $30,000 in damage. Traffic came to a stop on the interstate and I ended up rear ending a car which caused the following damage: engine was ripped from motor mounts and shoved into firewall, cracked engine block, whole front end of car was damaged including side fenders and drivers door unable to open smoothly, crushed A/C compressor, and many other items under the hood. (I have more pictures from the collision center upon request). With the severity of the damage, there is no doubt the airbags should have deployed. However, not a single airbag went off in this vehicle. I can provide estimates from the collision center with all items damaged along with pictures. I would have attached but size limits prevent me. I'm lucky I was not injured but someone else might not be as fortunate as myself.
Tl* the contact owned a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH, the contact was struck on the driver side of the vehicle and was totaled; upon impact no air bags were deployed and OnStar did not function. The vehicle was towed to billy beck towing and recovery (2455 highway 70 morehead city nc 28557 [phone]). A police report was filed. The contact was transported to the hospital for medical attention. The manufacturer has been informed of failure and the contact was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 71,887.
Related recalls (9)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. GM began mailing final owner letters February 23, 2024 and will continue mailing through December 2025.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the drivers air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 23, 2023. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300; Chevrolet customer service at…
Air bags › Side/window › Curtain
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Traverse and 2021-2022 Buick Enclave vehicles. The harness connector to the left or right side roof rail air bag may have incompatible electrical terminals, which could prevent the air bags from deploying in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the harness connector to the roof rail air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 29, 2022.
Air bags › Frontal
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2008-2017 Buick Enclave and 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 3, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 10, 2022.
Air bags › Sensor › Frontal impact
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave vehicles. During service by dealers, certain vehicles may have received incorrect air bag calibration software that may affect frontal airbag deployment.
Remedy: Dealers will update the air bag calibration software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 29, 2021.
Show 4 more recalls
Air bags › Critical fasteners
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021.
Air bags › Side/window › Curtain › Inflator
General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5 and XT6, Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500 and Traverse and GMC Acadia and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 vehicles.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect RRAB modules, free of charge. The recall began September 3, 2020.
Air bags › Air bag/restraint control module
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Buick Encore, Chevrolet Spark, Traverse, and Trax vehicles. The Sensing Diagnostic Module (SDM) on these vehicle may not have been turned off of "manufacturing mode," preventing the air bags from deploying in the event of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the SDM module to the correct mode, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018.
Air bags › Side/window
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses may result in the SIAB and…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014.
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Traverse years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2017 (263), 2014 (258), 2016 (163), 2015 (162) and 2012 (48) model years. Airbag complaints make up 73% of all complaints for the 2017.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Traverse airbag problems?
Yes — 9 recalls, including 23V-334 (inflator module, May 10, 2023); 22V-246 (inflator module, Apr 14, 2022); 22V-210 (curtain, Mar 31, 2022). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Traverse airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles; 40% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal › driver side › inflator module (3 mentions), followed by the frontal (2).
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.