2012 Chevrolet Tahoe Airbags Problems
NHTSA lists 61 airbag complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe, 34% of all complaints for the year, tied to 6 crashes and 8 injuries. Two related recalls (21V051000, 21V054000) cover front passenger airbag inflator replacement. Median mileage at failure was 74,000.
- Airbags complaints
- 61
- 34% of 178 complaints
- All complaints this year
- 178
- Crashes reported
- 6
- Fires reported
- 1
- Injuries reported
- 8
- Median mileage
- 74,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 2
Typical airbag symptoms owners report
- Airbags fail to deploy during frontal or T-bone collisions, sometimes leading to injuries.
- Dashboard develops cracks near the passenger-side airbag door, raising concern about improper deployment or shattering.
- Airbags reportedly deploy explosively without adequately protecting occupants, in one case linked to a broken neck.
- Owners report the same dash-cracking pattern near the airbag recurring across many vehicles, regardless of mileage.
- Some owners had the airbag inflator recall performed but still experienced non-deployment in a later collision.
When 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe airbag complaints were filed
First complaint Aug 13, 2014, latest Apr 25, 2024.
Airbags recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe
- 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 Tahoe model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many airbag complaints does NHTSA have for the 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe?
- NHTSA lists 61 airbag complaints for the 2012 Tahoe, which is 34% of the 178 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there an airbag recall for the 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe?
- Yes. Two recalls, 21V051000 and 21V054000, cover replacement of the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one at no charge.
- Did the 2012 Tahoe airbag problems cause injuries or crashes?
- NHTSA data tied to this complaint area shows 6 crashes, 1 fire, and 8 injuries reported.
- At what mileage do airbag problems typically show up on the 2012 Tahoe?
- The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA is 74,000 miles.