YearToAvoid

2011 Cadillac Escalade Airbags Problems

Airbags account for 34 of 49 complaints (69%) filed against the 2011 Cadillac Escalade, the highest share of any model year in this range. Most reports center on delayed Takata recall repairs rather than actual airbag failures, with median mileage at failure of 109,049 miles.

Airbags complaints
34
69% of 49
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
109,049 mi
Related recalls
2

Typical airbag symptoms owners report

  • Owners report receiving Takata airbag recall notice 16v381000 but dealers had no replacement parts available for extended periods, often over a year.
  • Some owners describe the service air bag warning light illuminating with no available fix from dealers under recall campaign 16v383000.
  • Several owners state they had not experienced an actual airbag failure but were frustrated by the wait for recall parts.
  • One owner raised concern that a cracked dashboard, common on these GM SUVs, could interfere with proper airbag deployment or create shrapnel in a crash.
  • Owners describe repeated visits to dealerships every few months only to be told parts were still unavailable for the recall repair.

When 2011 Cadillac Escalade airbag complaints were filed

First complaint Jan 27, 2015, latest Mar 29, 2021.

2011 Cadillac Escalade airbags complaints: complaints filed per month4Jan 2015Jan 2017Aug 2017Jan 2018May 2018Aug 2019Feb 2020Mar 2021
34 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jan 2015 to Mar 2021; peak Oct 2017 (4).

Airbags recalls for the 2011 Cadillac Escalade

  1. NHTSA 21V050000Feb 5, 2021Airbags2,641,272 vehicles

    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 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.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, 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." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

    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. 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.

  2. NHTSA 21V054000Feb 5, 2021Airbags1,778,128 vehicles

    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 A." Additionally GM is recalling certain 2011-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL and 2011-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL and 2010-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

    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. 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.

Airbags complaints by Escalade model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 200510 (23%)
  2. 20063 (16%)
  3. 2007116 (50%)
  4. 200874 (54%)
  5. 200924 (41%)
  6. 201021 (55%)
  7. 201134 (69%)
  8. 20122 (10%)
  9. 20133 (16%)
  10. 20145 (25%)
  11. 20153 (3%)
  12. 20166 (7%)
  13. 20170 (0%)
  14. 20180 (0%)
  15. 20190 (0%)
  16. 20200 (0%)
  17. 20211 (1%)
  18. 20221 (1%)
  19. 20231 (1%)
  20. 20240 (0%)
  21. 20250 (0%)

Frequently asked questions

How common are airbag complaints on the 2011 Cadillac Escalade?
NHTSA lists 34 airbag-related complaints out of 49 total complaints for the 2011 Escalade, making up 69% of all complaints for that year.
Is there an airbag recall for the 2011 Cadillac Escalade?
Yes. Two related recalls, 21V050000 and 21V054000, cover front passenger airbag inflator replacement for this model year, both reported in February 2021.
Did the 2011 Escalade airbag complaints involve crashes or injuries?
No. NHTSA data shows 0 crashes, 0 fires, and 0 injuries linked to these airbag complaints.
At what mileage do airbag problems typically show up on the 2011 Escalade?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA is 109,049 miles.
How does the 2011 Escalade compare to other years for airbag complaints?
The 2011 model year has the highest airbag complaint share at 69%, compared to 55% for 2010 and much lower percentages for 2012 through 2016.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.