YearToAvoid

2011 Chevrolet Equinox Airbags Problems

NHTSA lists 52 airbag complaints for the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox, 7% of all complaints filed for that year, tied to 17 crashes, 15 injuries, and 1 fire. The typical failure mileage reported is 62,000 miles. No related recall is listed for this component.

Airbags complaints
52
7% of 782
Crashes reported
17
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
15
Median mileage
62,000 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical airbag symptoms owners report

  • Owners report front airbags failing to deploy during frontal or near-frontal collisions at highway speeds, including impacts with deer, other vehicles, or fixed objects.
  • Several drivers describe total-loss front-end crashes where no airbags fired despite severe vehicle damage.
  • Some complaints describe airbags failing to deploy in side-impact or lane-departure crashes, including one involving an ice-storm slide into a guardrail.
  • One owner reported that a powder residue emitted from the airbag module even though the bag itself did not deploy.
  • A separate complaint describes an electrical fire and smoke smell after a deer-collision crash, unrelated to airbag deployment.
  • One owner linked their airbag complaint to a Takata recall after a frontal wheel impact.

When 2011 Chevrolet Equinox airbag complaints were filed

First complaint Feb 1, 2011, latest May 15, 2026.

2011 Chevrolet Equinox airbags complaints: complaints filed per month4Feb 2011Apr 2013Sep 2014Nov 2015Oct 2017Aug 2019Aug 2022
52 complaints filed with NHTSA from Feb 2011 to May 2026; peak Jul 2014 (4).

Airbags recalls for the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Airbags complaints by Equinox model year

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

  1. 200538 (6%)
  2. 200611 (2%)
  3. 2007146 (21%)
  4. 2008110 (30%)
  5. 200926 (28%)
  6. 201057 (7%)
  7. 201152 (7%)
  8. 201219 (3%)
  9. 201325 (3%)
  10. 201429 (5%)
  11. 201537 (5%)
  12. 201612 (3%)
  13. 201719 (7%)
  14. 201815 (4%)
  15. 201911 (4%)
  16. 20207 (2%)
  17. 20214 (4%)
  18. 20224 (2%)
  19. 20232 (2%)
  20. 20243 (4%)
  21. 20250 (0%)

Frequently asked questions

How many airbag complaints does NHTSA have for the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox?
NHTSA lists 52 airbag complaints for the 2011 Equinox, making up 7% of all 782 complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox airbags?
No related recall is listed in NHTSA data for the airbag complaints on this model year.
At what mileage do airbag problems typically show up on the 2011 Equinox?
The median reported failure mileage for airbag complaints on the 2011 Equinox is 62,000 miles.
Were there injuries linked to airbag complaints on the 2011 Equinox?
NHTSA data tied to these airbag complaints shows 17 crashes, 15 injuries, and 1 fire.
How does the 2011 Equinox compare to other years for airbag complaints?
The 2011 Equinox had 52 airbag complaints at a 7% share, matching the 2010 model year's 57 complaints and 7% share, and higher than most later years such as 2012 with 19 complaints at 3%.

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.