Should I buy a 2015 GMC Sierra with documented airbags problems?

Depends on the price and the specific vehicle. Documented airbags issues should be priced into the purchase — if the seller is asking full retail, negotiate down by the expected repair cost. A pre-purchase inspection from an independent shop tells you whether THIS specific vehicle has already shown the symptoms or not.

2015 GMC Sierra airbags problems

severe 40 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $1,100 · see airbags across all vehicles →

Failure mileage

Complaints

Recalls

Avg fix

$1,100

5crashes

6injuries

What stands out

Owners have filed 40 airbags complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.

No new NHTSA airbags complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 4 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.

The failure pattern owners describe

The 2015 GMC Sierra has substantial airbag problems documented across 40 complaints. The most widespread issue is recall parts unavailability: owners notified of NHTSA Campaign 21V504000 and Recall N202324251 (roof rail and related airbag inflators) cannot get repairs done. Dealers and manufacturers confirm parts are on backorder or in a "distribution disconnect" state. GM imposed a hold order on 7/1/2021 preventing dealer delivery of affected vehicles, and as of 2023, owners are still waiting months for parts. One owner reported a dealer invoice showing recall work completed in April 2022, but NHTSA status remained incomplete.

More critical are crash failures: multiple owners experienced serious collisions where driver and passenger airbags did not deploy. A T-bone at 40 mph, another at 55 mph, and a deer strike at 75 mph all produced no front airbag deployment, leaving occupants with injuries including fractured wrist, tendon damage, and whiplash. Conversely, other owners report spontaneous deployments without impact—side bags firing after hitting a pavement edge or minor traction loss, filling cabins with smoke and locking seatbelts. One owner suspected a faulty yaw sensor; GM refused further communication on that case. A warranty company declined to repair one spontaneous deployment for fear it would happen again during driving.

Same GMC Sierra airbags reports on nearby years: 2013 · 2014

Failure modes owners describe

Airbag parts unavailable for recall repair

Multiple owners received recall notifications (primarily NHTSA Campaign 21V504000) but were unable to complete the repairs because replacement parts were unavailable from dealers or manufacturers. Owners reported delays ranging from months to over a year, with GM citing backorder or 'parts distribution disconnect' issues.

When: 2021-2023 timeframe; owners called dealerships and GM and were told parts not yet available

Symptoms owners cite: Recall notification received but parts unavailable at dealership; Multiple dealers checked, none had parts in stock; Manufacturer confirmed parts on backorder; Dealers reported parts held in warehouse but unable to fulfill orders

Repairs/costs cited: Owners unable to complete repairs; no parts distribution available. One owner reported dealer invoice showing recall completed on 04/08/2022, but NHTSA status still showed incomplete as of 05/02/2022.

Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 21V504000 (Air Bags), Recall N202324251 (Roof Rail Air Bag/RRAB); GM issued hold order 7/1/2021 preventing dealer delivery of affected vehicles; GM stated parts not available; GM referenced previous owner collision history in some cases

Airbag non-deployment in crashes

Multiple owners experienced serious collisions where driver and/or passenger airbags failed to deploy despite significant impact. One T-bone crash at 40 mph resulted in injuries; another at 55 mph produced no airbag deployment; another at 75 mph (deer strike) saw front airbags fail while rear bags deployed. One case at 90,000 miles also reported no deployment.

When: At mileage 13,000 to 218,000 miles; crashes occurred at speeds ranging 40-75 mph

Symptoms owners cite: Driver and passenger airbags did not deploy during frontal/T-bone impact; Seatbelt pretensioners failed to engage; Front airbags failed while rear airbags deployed in one incident; Occupants sustained injuries (fractured wrist, tendon damage, bruising, whiplash, head/neck/back trauma)

Codes mentioned: Front air bag deployment code (but side airbags deployed without impact in another case)

Repairs/costs cited: GM sent engineer to investigate in some cases; one 24-page report provided; independent collision centers inspected vehicles; one vehicle deemed totaled by insurance.

Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM notified and sent engineers to investigate some failures; one case confirmed previous owner had vehicle serviced for air bag module before contact purchased it; in another case, GM stated vehicle operated as intended and no further action needed

Spontaneous airbag deployment without impact

Multiple owners reported airbag deployment occurring without any crash, collision, or significant impact—only minor road conditions like hitting the edge of a freshly paved road or mild loss of traction. One incident involved all four side/curtain airbags deploying after driver swerved to avoid pot hole and re-entered paved road; another involved driver-side airbag deploying while driving onto paved road from dirt road at low speed.

When: At mileage 33,000 miles (driver-side deployment); another incident at undisclosed mileage after re-entering paved road; another at highway speed with minor traction loss

Symptoms owners cite: Driver-side airbag deployed without warning or impact while transitioning from dirt to paved road; Side impact airbags deployed after hitting pavement edge/minor road imperfection; All four curtain airbags deployed during minor traction loss on highway; Cabin filled with smoke; Seatbelts locked; Loud noise described as gunshot

Codes mentioned: Code generated for front air bag deployment due to impact (but side bags actually deployed)

Repairs/costs cited: One vehicle taken to dealership; cause not disclosed despite GMC engineer inspection. Warranty company worried airbag could deploy again if repaired. Owners concerned about repeated deployment at highway speeds.

Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM sent engineer to inspect one vehicle but cause not disclosed; GM stated vehicle operated as intended and no further action; one case suspected malfunctioning yaw sensor; GM stopped returning voicemails and emails in one incident

Airbag warning light illumination

Owner reported airbag warning light illuminated on dashboard while driving. Vehicle had been previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign 20V736000 (Air Bags) in 2020 but warning light appeared again at higher mileage.

When: At approximately 119,000 miles; vehicle had prior air bag repair in 2020

Symptoms owners cite: Airbag warning light illuminated while driving

Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle taken to dealer; diagnostic testing had not been completed at time of complaint

Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM notified of failure; NHTSA Campaign 20V736000 (Air Bags) completed in 2020

Synthesized from 40 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.

What owners are reporting 1 most recent

airbags · filed 12/27/2021

GM issued a recall notice on July 1, 2021, regarding the rear curtain airbags in my Sierra. To this date (12/27/21), they have still not provided an ETA for getting this remedied. I called the dealership in September, to which they stated it would be another month before they could address it. I am wanting to be proactive to get this issue remedied, but the delay is unacceptable. I am…

Had airbags trouble with your 2015 GMC Sierra? File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.

Common questions

How serious is the airbags problem on the 2015 GMC Sierra?

It's a meaningful issue. 40 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,100.

At what mileage does the airbags typically fail?

Across the 10 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most airbags failures cluster between 29,004 and 90,000 miles, with the median around 35,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 29,004; a quarter make it past 90,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.

What does it cost to fix?

Independent shops typically charge around $1,100 for airbags repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.

Are there any recalls related to airbags?

No active recalls currently cover airbags issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.

Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public records database. Verify the raw federal record at nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2015/GMC/Sierra. Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.