YearToAvoid

2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Airbags Problems

NHTSA lists 20 airbag complaints for the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, about 3% of its 799 total complaints for the year. Eight complaints involved crashes and 12 involved injuries. Four related airbag recalls exist, covering roof-rail inflators, SDM software, and a mounting stud issue.

Airbags complaints
20
3% of 799
Crashes reported
8
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
12
Median mileage
28,971 mi
Related recalls
4

Typical airbag symptoms owners report

  • Owners report airbags failing to deploy during moderate-speed rear-end or frontal collisions, including a head-on impact around 35-40 mph.
  • Some drivers describe roof-rail side airbags and seat belt pretensioners deploying suddenly with no impact, sometimes at low speed with no warning.
  • A crash at 11 mph triggered both airbag stages along with violent seat belt retraction, causing injuries to three occupants.
  • One owner reported the instrument cluster and safety systems, including the airbag system, going inactive after a software flash issue.
  • A passenger's seatbelt reportedly failed to lock or tighten during a deer-strike collision, throwing them into the windshield.
  • One owner described ongoing anxiety over an intermittent airbag sensor warning tied to the Takata recall with no permanent fix offered.

When 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 airbag complaints were filed

First complaint Apr 21, 2016, latest Sep 18, 2026.

2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 airbags complaints: complaints filed per month1Apr 2016Dec 2016Apr 2018May 2019Sep 2021May 2023Aug 2026
20 complaints filed with NHTSA from Apr 2016 to Sep 2026; peak Apr 2016 (1).

Airbags recalls for the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

  1. NHTSA 21V504000Jul 1, 2021Airbags410,019 vehicles

    Air bags:side/window:curtain:inflator

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks. The roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator, or the inflator sidewall may rupture.

    Risk: A separated inflator end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape, resulting in the end cap or other components being propelled into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and right side RRAB modules, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on August 18, 2021. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy is available. Phase I owner notification letters were mailed on May 5, 2022. Phase II owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on May 31, 2022. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. This recall supersedes NHTSA recall number 20V-736. GM's number for this recall is N202324251.

  2. NHTSA 20V736000Nov 25, 2020Airbags9,279 vehicles

    Air bags:side/window:curtain:inflator

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2015 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 trucks. The roof-rail air bag (RRAB) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator.

    Risk: If the end cap separates from the inflator, the compressed gas will escape and the end cap can be propelled into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RRAB modules on the left and/or right side, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on December 22, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. Note: GM filed a new recall, number 21V-504 that supersedes this recall. All vehicles previously recalled under 20V-736 will now be repaired under the new recall number 21V-504. GM's numbers for this recall are N202309680, N202309681, and N202309682.

  3. NHTSA 16V651000Sep 8, 2016Airbags3,640,162 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

    Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.

  4. NHTSA 15V830000Dec 10, 2015Airbags90 vehicles

    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 housing could fracture.

    Risk: If the SDM housing fractures, water may get into SDM causing it to malfunction and hinder the proper deployment of the air bags in the event of a crash, thereby increasing the risk of occupant injury.

    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. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 15794.

Airbags complaints by Silverado 1500 model year

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

  1. 2010205 (48%)
  2. 2011319 (50%)
  3. 201274 (26%)
  4. 201394 (26%)
  5. 201455 (4%)
  6. 201572 (6%)
  7. 201620 (3%)
  8. 201735 (4%)
  9. 201815 (3%)
  10. 201911 (1%)
  11. 202011 (2%)
  12. 202120 (2%)
  13. 20228 (1%)
  14. 20231 (0%)
  15. 20242 (1%)
  16. 20251 (1%)

Frequently asked questions

How many airbag complaints does NHTSA have for the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
NHTSA lists 20 airbag complaints for the 2016 Silverado 1500, which is about 3% of the 799 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there an airbag recall for the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
Yes. NHTSA lists four airbag-related recalls: campaign 21V504000 and 20V736000 for roof-rail airbag inflator issues, 16V651000 for SDM software reflash, and 15V830000 for a mounting stud and SDM replacement.
Did the 2016 Silverado's airbag complaints involve crashes or injuries?
Of the 20 airbag complaints, 8 involved crashes and 12 involved injuries, with no fires reported.
At what mileage do airbag problems typically show up on the 2016 Silverado?
The median mileage at failure among reported airbag complaints is 28,970.5 miles.
How does the 2016 model compare to other Silverado 1500 years for airbag complaints?
The 2016 model's airbag complaints made up 3% of its total complaints, lower than the 2010 and 2011 model years, which saw 48% and 50% shares respectively.

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.