2015 GMC Sierra 1500 Airbags Problems
NHTSA lists 42 airbag complaints for the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500, about 5% of its 793 total complaints. Six crashes and six injuries are tied to this area, at a median 33,000 miles. Three related airbag recalls exist, covering roof-rail inflators and sensing/diagnostic module software.
- Airbags complaints
- 42
- 5% of 793
- Crashes reported
- 6
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 6
- Median mileage
- 33,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 3
Typical airbag symptoms owners report
- Frontal or side-impact crashes where the driver and/or passenger airbags failed to deploy.
- Airbags failing to deploy during collisions even when the vehicle was later deemed a total loss.
- Roof-rail curtain airbags or driver-side airbags deploying without warning or impact, on dirt roads or low-speed turns.
- Owners report Takata-related recall airbags deploying unexpectedly during off-road-to-pavement transitions.
- Seat belt pretensioners failing to lock during crashes alongside airbag non-deployment.
- Owners describe difficulty getting recall repairs completed and no return response from GMC on safety concerns.
When 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 airbag complaints were filed
First complaint Sep 22, 2015, latest Mar 30, 2026.
Airbags recalls for the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Airbags complaints by Sierra 1500 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 2015 GMC Sierra 1500?
- NHTSA lists 42 airbag complaints for the 2015 Sierra 1500, which is about 5% of the 793 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Are there airbag recalls for the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500?
- Yes. Three recalls involve airbags: two cover roof-rail airbag inflator end caps (campaigns 21V504000 and 20V736000), and one covers sensing and diagnostic module software reflashing (16V651000).
- Did the airbag problems cause crashes or injuries?
- NHTSA data tied 6 crashes and 6 injuries to the airbag complaints filed for this model year.
- At what mileage do airbag problems typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure for airbag complaints on the 2015 Sierra 1500 is 33,000 miles.