I've had plenty of Chevrolet in the bay over the years, and the airbag complaints on these don't surprise me. 9,413 on the NHTSA record across 222 model-year entries (2005–2025) is not a fluke. The complaints are spread across the lineup — no single model is doing all the work. That tells you it's an engineering or supplier pattern, not a one-off bad year. 53 fatality reports on file with NHTSA tied to this category on Chevrolet vehicles. That elevates this from nuisance to safety-critical. Average shop fix runs about $1,100 — not catastrophic, but it adds up over time. Across the 4,344 complaints reporting odometer mileage, the median failure lands at about 72,504 miles. Run the VIN through the NHTSA recall lookup before you buy. Takata-era inflators are still being recalled. The dealer fixes them free.
ProblemsByVin CHEVROLET / AIRBAGS
222 model-year entries · 2005–2025
Chevrolet airbags problems
9,413 owner complaints filed with NHTSA against Chevrolet vehicles for airbags issues. 162 active recall campaigns. See airbags across all makes →
Complaints
9,413
Recalls
162
Year-models
222
Avg fix
$1,100
1,595crashes
31fires
1,745injuries
53fatalities
Worst-affected Chevrolet model-years for airbags Top 25 by complaint volume
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
2008 Chevrolet Silverado
630 complaints · ~$1,100 critical
2007 Chevrolet Silverado
503 complaints · ~$1,100 critical
2007 Chevrolet Tahoe
481 complaints · 2 recalls · ~$1,100 severe
2011 Chevrolet Silverado
312 complaints · ~$1,100 critical
2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
268 complaints · 2 recalls · ~$1,100 severe
2017 Chevrolet Traverse
256 complaints · 3 recalls · ~$1,100 critical
2009 Chevrolet Silverado
240 complaints · ~$1,100 severe
2014 Chevrolet Traverse
233 complaints · 3 recalls · ~$1,100 severe
2008 Chevrolet Tahoe
232 complaints · 2 recalls · ~$1,100 moderate
2007 Chevrolet Suburban
205 complaints · 2 recalls · ~$1,100 severe
2010 Chevrolet Silverado
199 complaints · ~$1,100 severe
2011 Chevrolet Tahoe
183 complaints · 2 recalls · ~$1,100 moderate
2009 Chevrolet Impala
168 complaints · 2 recalls · ~$1,100 severe
2016 Chevrolet Traverse
159 complaints · 3 recalls · ~$1,100 critical
2015 Chevrolet Traverse
155 complaints · 4 recalls · ~$1,100 moderate
2013 Chevrolet Volt
155 complaints · 1 recall · ~$1,100 moderate
2008 Chevrolet Avalanche
142 complaints · 2 recalls · ~$1,100 severe
2008 Chevrolet Suburban
133 complaints · 2 recalls · ~$1,100 moderate
2007 Chevrolet Equinox
125 complaints · 2 recalls · ~$1,100 severe
2010 Chevrolet Tahoe
116 complaints · 3 recalls · ~$1,100 moderate
2010 Chevrolet Malibu
106 complaints · 1 recall · ~$1,100 severe
2009 Chevrolet Tahoe
95 complaints · 3 recalls · ~$1,100 moderate
2013 Chevrolet Silverado
92 complaints · ~$1,100 severe
2008 Chevrolet Equinox
85 complaints · ~$1,100 moderate
2005 Chevrolet Silverado
78 complaints · ~$1,100 critical
Active recalls — Chevrolet airbags 12 on file
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Camero, Sonic, and Volt vehicles
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver-side air bag module, free of charge. On some 2013 Volt vehicles, the steering wheel will be replaced as well, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 23, 2023. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N232413120.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N232404980.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia vehicles
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N222366190.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2008-2017 Buick Enclave and 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212349040.
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 A
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed to 40 VIN owners on May 11, 2021. A second owner notification letter was mailed to all other owners on January 24, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328800.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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 24, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328790.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328770.
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 the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 1, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328760.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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 23, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 20, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328780.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2011 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles
If the inflator explodes, sharp metal fragments may strike the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began February 25, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-522-9559. GM's number for this recall is N182206630.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Camaro, Equinox, Malibu, and GMC Terrain vehicles
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of one or both of the side impact air bags, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not properly inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. Additionally, if the air bag does not properly inflate, the driver or passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side impact air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 01320.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Buick Verano and Chevrolet Cruze vehicles
An inflator that ruptures may partially inflate the air bag and cause sharp metal fragments to enter or exit the vehicle, increasing the risk of an injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the left and/or right-side RRAB modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 5, 2025. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252530830. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall numbers 23V674 and 23V870.
Common questions
How many Chevrolet airbags complaints are on file with NHTSA?
9,413 complaints across 222 model-year entries from 2005 to 2025. 162 active recall campaigns cover airbags issues across the Chevrolet lineup.
Which Chevrolet model has the most airbags complaints?
The 2008 Chevrolet Silverado leads with 630 complaints in this category. Next: 2007 Silverado (503) and 2007 Tahoe (481).
What does it cost to fix Chevrolet airbags problems?
Independent shops average $1,100 for airbags repairs across the Chevrolet lineup. Dealer pricing tends to run twenty to forty percent higher. Specific cost depends on the failure mode and parts availability.
Are there Chevrolet airbags recalls?
Yes — 12 active recall campaigns cover airbags on Chevrolet vehicles. Recall fixes are free regardless of mileage or warranty status. The list below shows current campaigns with their NHTSA numbers.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public records database.
Editorial commentary written by Mark Driver, an independent contributor to ProblemsByVin
and not affiliated with Chevrolet.
Severity ratings derive from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities on the NHTSA complaint and recall record.
Repair cost averages reflect independent-shop pricing and may differ in your area.