Airbag complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 2 | 3% | 32,000 miles |
| 2016 | 2 | 6% | 85,000 miles |
| 2015 | 5 | 7% | 8,000 miles |
| 2014 | 7 | 6% | 59,000 miles |
| 2013 | 9 | 19% | 35,000 miles |
| 2012 | 4 | 10% | 20,000 miles |
| 2011 | 20 | 28% | 58,000 miles |
| 2010 | 10 | 23% | 77,000 miles |
| 2009 | 11 | 25% | 69,000 miles |
| 2008 | 32 | 37% | 69,000 miles |
| 2007 | 14 | 23% | 50,000 miles |
| 2006 | 3 | 5% | 115,000 miles |
| 2005 | 6 | 5% | 57,000 miles |
| 2004 | 6 | 3% | 60,000 miles |
| 2003 | 5 | 2% | 38,000 miles |
| 2002 | 4 | 2% | 16,000 miles |
| 2001 | 12 | 5% | 77,000 miles |
| 2000 | 17 | 4% | 84,000 miles |
| 1999 | 12 | 2% | 46,000 miles |
| 1998 | 6 | 3% | 72,000 miles |
| 1997 | 4 | 2% | 160,000 miles |
| 1996 | 16 | 7% | 138,000 miles |
| 1995 | 12 | 5% | — |
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 2015 GMC Sierra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 21V504000(Air Bag) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that the part was currently on backorder. The contact had not experienced the failure. The VIN tool confirms parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V504000 ( Air Bags ) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer 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. Vin tool confirms parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Sierra. The contact stated that while driving at 42 MPH, she was involved in a three-vehicle accident after a vehicle involved in another accident ricocheted and hit her vehicle. The driver's side air bag exploded but did not deploy. Black smoke was released from the steering wheel and the air bag fell on the contact's left leg. The driver seat belt retractor fell apart during the accident which sliced the top part of the contact's ear; in addition, the failure sent a part of the contact's earing into her ear canal. The driver of the vehicle that was originally hit in the accident died the next day in the hospital; another passenger in that same vehicle was critically injured. The contact was treated days later at a hospital for a severe burn to the left leg due to the airbag. Her leg remained infected despite the treatment received at the hospital. …
The contact owned a 2014 GMC Sierra. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle crashed into another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. No injuries were sustained. The EMT responded but no medical attention was required. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. A police report was filed. The dealer nor the manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Takata Recall. The contact owns a 2013 GMC Sierra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags).The contact stated while driving approximately 30-35 mph, the drivers seat and both side air bags deployed without warning or impact. The contact sustained injuries to his face, experienced blurred vision and medical attention was provided. The contact called the local dealer but vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000. GM was contacted , sent an engineer who pretty much indicated parts failure. Since then consumer has not been contacted.
While driving in the mountains, I swerved to miss an animal, took the ditch, hit two trees, some boulders and the airbags did not deploy. I was traveling at about 47 MPH. The accident report showed damages to every part of the truck except the roof and tailgate. We had a grill guard installed at a GMC dealership upon purchase, and had it not been for that guard, the engine would have been in our laps. The truck sustained 20,000 dollars in damages, yet all GM had to say was that the airbags operated as designed. I say that the design is fatally flawed if a crash of this magnitude does not cause this very important safety feature to operate. The folks who towed the vehicle had some very strong opinions about this failure, and said that the grill guard was the only thing which saved us, and that having it installed should not have had any effect on the function of the airbags.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 GMC Sierra. The contact stated that while making a right turn, the driver front air bag erroneously deployed and caused the contact to crash into a pole. The vehicle was destroyed but there were no injuries. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 6,700. The VIN was unavailable.
The dash that supports the air bag on the passenger side is cracking and could possibly puncture the air bag or send parts of the dash flying a occupants during a collision. Because of the cracks the air bag is not properly secured in the vehicle.
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…
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which GMC Sierra years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2008 (32), 2011 (20), 2000 (17), 1996 (16) and 2007 (14) model years. Airbag complaints make up 37% of all complaints for the 2008.
Is there a recall for GMC Sierra 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 GMC Sierra airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 63,000 miles; 35% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal (69 mentions), followed by the frontal › sensor/control module (4).
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.