2012 Chevrolet Suburban Airbags Problems
NHTSA lists 25 airbag complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban, 25% of all complaints filed for the year, with a median failure mileage of 67,000. Two related recalls (21V051000, 21V054000) cover front passenger air bag inflator replacement.
- Airbags complaints
- 25
- 25% of 101
- Crashes reported
- 1
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 0
- Median mileage
- 67,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 2
Typical airbag symptoms owners report
- Owners describe the dashboard cracking near the front passenger airbag panel, with cracks starting small and widening over time.
- Some report cracks spreading from the steering column or air vents toward the airbag deployment area on both driver and passenger sides.
- Several owners report the airbag warning light illuminating intermittently or staying on, sometimes traced to a loose plug under the passenger seat.
- One owner reported airbags failing to deploy during a low-speed rear-end crash.
- Owners worry that cracked dash plastic near the airbag door could turn into projectile fragments if the airbag deploys.
When 2012 Chevrolet Suburban airbag complaints were filed
First complaint Apr 14, 2015, latest Jul 11, 2023.
Airbags recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban
- NHTSA 21V051000Feb 5, 2021Airbags284,645 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
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.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." 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 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.
- 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 Suburban model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban have an airbag recall?
- Yes. NHTSA lists two related recalls, 21V051000 and 21V054000, both covering replacement of the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate part, free of charge.
- How common are airbag complaints on the 2012 Suburban?
- NHTSA lists 25 airbag complaints for the 2012 Suburban, which is 25% of the 101 total complaints filed for that model year.
- At what mileage do airbag problems typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure for airbag-related complaints on the 2012 Suburban is 67,000 miles.
- Did airbag issues on the 2012 Suburban cause any crashes or injuries?
- NHTSA records show 1 crash and 0 injuries and 0 fires linked to airbag complaints for the 2012 Suburban.
- Are airbag complaints worse in 2012 compared to other Suburban years?
- The 2012 Suburban's airbag complaints made up 25% of its total complaints, lower than the 2010 model at 43% and the 2011 model also at 43%, but similar to the 2013 model at 24%.