2011 Chevrolet Tahoe Airbags Problems
Airbags problems account for 185 complaints, or 41% of all 446 complaints filed for the 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe — the highest share of any model year. Most reports describe dashboard cracking near the passenger airbag rather than actual deployment failure, with a median mileage of 66,900 at time of complaint. Two related recalls address a separate front passenger airbag inflator issue.
- Airbags complaints
- 185
- 41% of 446
- Crashes reported
- 2
- Fires reported
- 1
- Injuries reported
- 0
- Median mileage
- 66,901 mi
- Related recalls
- 2
Typical airbag symptoms owners report
- Dashboard plastic cracks near the passenger airbag cover, often forming a Y-shaped split that owners fear could send sharp plastic shrapnel into the cabin if the airbag deploys.
- Cracks also appear on the driver side near the steering wheel and spread over time from a small hairline split into multi-inch fractures.
- Some owners report the cracking developed with no impact or apparent cause, sometimes appearing shortly after purchase or a detailing visit.
- One owner reported a dashboard crack forming after a rear-end collision, raising concern about whether the airbag cover could still function properly.
- Owners describe dealers and GM declining to repair the cracked dash panels when asked.
When 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe airbag complaints were filed
First complaint Dec 5, 2012, latest Dec 27, 2024.
Airbags recalls for the 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe
- 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.
- 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 Tahoe model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How common are airbags complaints on the 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe?
- NHTSA lists 185 airbags complaints for the 2011 Tahoe, which is 41% of the 446 total complaints filed for that model year — the highest share among all Tahoe years listed.
- Is there a recall for airbag problems on the 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe?
- Yes. Two recalls (21V050000 and 21V054000) cover 2011 Tahoes for a front passenger airbag inflator that GM says it will replace free of charge; neither is marked do-not-drive or park-outside.
- At what mileage do airbag-related dashboard cracks usually show up?
- NHTSA complaint data shows a median mileage of 66,900 at the time these complaints were filed, though some owners reported cracking at much lower mileage.
- Did the 2011 Tahoe airbag issues cause any crashes or injuries?
- NHTSA records show 2 crashes and 1 fire linked to airbags complaints for the 2011 Tahoe, with 0 injuries reported.
- Are dashboard cracks near the airbag the main complaint, or does the airbag itself fail to deploy?
- Nearly all sample complaints describe dashboard plastic cracking near the airbag cover rather than reports of the airbag failing to deploy or deploying unexpectedly.