Airbag complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 GMC Jimmy. While driving 65 MPH, the brakes failed to respond without warning and the contact crashed into the preceding vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the entire front end was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000. Updated 06/02/2017
Front driver side door hinges unsafe design replace them 38 times no kidding. Airbag light has been on not blinking steady on for 5 years. ABS kicks in on dry road when turning sometimes. And yes all new hubs are on it. Other than these things the car is bullet proof and love it.
On January 5, 2004 I tried to stop my 2000 GMC Jimmy (SUV), instead of stopping, the Jimmy picked up speed and resulted in a three car crash. Two of the cars (my Jimmy and a 1995 Mercury) were totaled and the other car (a Honda runner SUV)had damage totaling $11,000. Althought I was driving 35 MPH, when my car hit the car in front of it (the roasrunner), neither of the airbags in my Jimmy were deplyed. Luckily, no one was hurt in this accident. The mechanics at henderson Chevy in las vegas informed me that the ABS system failed miserably. As for the airbags, they did not have a clue. I contacted GMC and filed a formal complaint. Their investigators came to the dealer and authorized some work on the Jimmy so as to assess the damage and the reasons for the crash. As of this writing, I have not received any reports from GMC. …
While traveling at 45mph and as a result of an head-on collision, air bags did not deploy at any time. Vehicle experienced two frontal collisions in one accident, the first collision was at 40 MPH and the second was at 5 MPH, air bags failed to deploy both times, 2 consumers were injured in accident, an inspector state airbags not a manufacturer problem.
I replaced my front pads and rotors. Been fine for a week till yesterday I stopped at a light brakes felt slightly spongy, not long after maybe ten minutes three cars ahead of me had stopped as I hit the brake my foot went straight to the floor and I smacked the vehicle in front of me doing appx. 35-40 MPH. It was a four car pileup I took heavy front end damage more or less totaled the vehicle but the airbags had failed to deploy causing me to hit my head on the steering wheel and suffering a concussion. The seatbelt didn't lock as it should have either therefore causing my whiplash to be severe.
I was involved in car crash my 1999 Jimmy was total the front end was completely smash in to the glove department and my air bags did not come deploy and the man where it was towed said should check it out as hard as it was hit they should have deployed.
Dt: the front and rear windshield wipers began to intermittently work. This was over a period of three months and later stopped working all together. Consumer did not take the vehicle to a dealer for any repairs because it was no longer under warranty. The transmission did not shift properly after acceleration for a period of about thirty seconds, and then it shifted into gear. The ABS was delayed when applying brake pressure. The brakes locked, and then the vehicle slid. The brakes pads were replaced every three months, this has been ongoing for the last two years. The steering wheel pulled to the right continuously, an alignment was performed a year ago but it did not correct the problem. In January 2004 the vehicle was involved in an accident, it struck a parked car at a speed of about 30 MPH and the air bags did not deploy. This was front impact. …
Frontal accident to my 1998 Jimmy at 35 MPH. Extensive front damage to the vehicle and neither air bag deployed. No air bag codes everything was functioning properly. Both police officers agreed that with the type of accident there should have been a deployment of the airbags. Because of no deployment I was injured and had to go to the hospital to determine the extent of my injuries.
Frequently asked questions
Which GMC Jimmy years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1995 (35), 1996 (16), 1997 (16), 1998 (15) and 1999 (9) model years. Airbag complaints make up 7% of all complaints for the 1995.
Is there a recall for GMC Jimmy airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for any GMC Jimmy model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do GMC Jimmy airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 95,000 miles; 12% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal (71 mentions), followed by the frontal › driver side › inflator module (3).
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.