YearToAvoid

2011 GMC Sierra 1500 Airbags Problems

Airbags account for 133 complaints on the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500, 37% of all complaints for the year, with 4 crashes and 2 injuries reported. NHTSA also lists two related airbag recalls covering the front passenger inflator. Median mileage at failure is 58,000.

Airbags complaints
133
37% of 355
Crashes reported
4
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
2
Median mileage
58,000 mi
Related recalls
2

Typical airbag symptoms owners report

  • Airbags fail to deploy in moderate to severe frontal or rear-end collisions, leaving occupants without protection.
  • Dashboard plastic cracks near the passenger-side airbag cover, with owners worried the cracked panel could become a projectile during deployment.
  • Dashboard rattling and vibration near the instrument cluster is reported alongside airbag cover cracking, raising concern about airbag housing integrity.
  • Warning lights for the airbag system illuminate on the instrument panel without a clear diagnosis or repair.
  • Some owners tie the non-deployment issue to the Takata inflator recall after being rear-ended or hit by other vehicles.

When 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 airbag complaints were filed

First complaint Mar 3, 2014, latest Aug 13, 2024.

2011 GMC Sierra 1500 airbags complaints: complaints filed per quarter172014 Q12015 Q32017 Q12018 Q22019 Q32021 Q12022 Q3
133 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2014 Q1 to 2024 Q3; peak 2017 Q4 (17).

Airbags recalls for the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500

  1. 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.

  2. 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 Sierra 1500 model year

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

  1. 201087 (41%)
  2. 2011133 (37%)
  3. 201246 (32%)
  4. 201344 (27%)
  5. 201431 (4%)
  6. 201542 (5%)
  7. 201614 (4%)
  8. 20176 (1%)
  9. 20188 (2%)
  10. 20197 (1%)
  11. 20206 (1%)
  12. 20216 (1%)
  13. 20223 (1%)
  14. 20232 (0%)
  15. 20242 (1%)
  16. 20250 (0%)

Frequently asked questions

How many airbag complaints does the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 have?
NHTSA lists 133 airbag complaints for the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500, which is 37% of the 355 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there an airbag recall for the 2011 GMC Sierra 1500?
Yes. NHTSA lists two related airbag recalls (campaigns 21V050000 and 21V054000) covering replacement of the front passenger air bag inflator.
Did the 2011 Sierra 1500 airbag problems cause crashes or injuries?
NHTSA data tied to this complaint area shows 4 crashes and 2 injuries reported.
At what mileage do airbag problems typically show up?
The median mileage at failure for airbag-related complaints on the 2011 Sierra 1500 is 58,000 miles.

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.