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 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the front passenger's side air bag was replaced; however, the air bag warning light remained illuminated. The dealer informed the contact that the failure could be associated with the front driver's side air bag; however, there was no recall for the front driver's side air bag. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the driver's side air bag needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21V050000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact was currently stationed in St. Croix and was unable to find a local dealer to perform the recall repair. The contact was awaiting assistance from the manufacturer but had not yet received a response. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. A failure mileage was not provided. Parts distribution disconnect
Takata Recall. The contact owns a 2011 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact contacted the local dealer and was informed that the recall remedy was still pending. The contact had not experienced a failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and opened a case. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Takata Recall. The contact owns a 2011 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts are not available.
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Three of the vehicles airbags went off during last night while parked in driveway. Shattered windshield, ripped head liner, tore up interior courtesy light. Nothing had touched the vehicle when this happened.
My truck has developed a crack on the dash, starting at the top left-hand corner of the front passenger airbag. It has cracked entirely through to the dash trim piece roughly 3-4 inches away. Not only is it a tremendous eye-sore, that most of my passengers notice and comment on... But has me extremely worried about safety. If this vehicle were to be in a collision and the airbag is deployed, I am sure that fragments of plastic would be propelled through the interior of the vehicle as the airbag fired. I have contacted my local dealership, and they state it is not covered, and have quoted me a repair cost of just over $1,000. This defect in the dash piece seems to be a recurring incident in a lot of 2007-2013 GM trucks. My dash pops and creaks while driving, and I can't afford the insane replacement costs associated with this repair. GM needs to take a closer look at this situation.
Takata recall: I received a notice from tk holdings in 2016 about this recall. I've checked the website several times since but the status is always "recall incomplete. Remedy not yet available". I called GMC today and they submitted a report to the NHTSA that they claim shows that the truck is safe and the airbags/inflators do not need to be replaced. They would not tell me when they submitted the report, but the deadline from the NHTSA was 8/17. This looks like a delay tactic by GMC. In the meantime, I have a truck that the NHTSA has deemed unsafe enough to issue a recall. This impacts my peace of mind, as well as any resale value the truck May have. I understand that these things take time but this seems excessive. Can you tell me when the NHTSA will issue a response to GMC regarding the report. Bottom line, is the truck safe to drive or not?
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle's dashboard was cracked in three different areas. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was confirmed that the dashboard was cracked; however, the repair was not completed due to the dealer's refusal to repair the failure. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V381000 (air bags); however, the part for the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer did not consider the recall valid and was trying to get the recall overturned in court. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 93,308. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Related recalls
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 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.
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.
Airbag complaints in other Sierra 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500?
NHTSA has 113 complaints about the air bags of the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500, 40% of the model year's 284 complaints. The component named most often is srs malfunction warning lamp/light (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 21V-054 (inflator module, Feb 5, 2021); NHTSA recall 21V-050 (inflator module, Feb 5, 2021). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries 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.