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Problems · by component

2009 Chevrolet Tahoe air bags problems

99 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe cite air bags, 32% of all 306 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 3 recalls on this component.

All 2009 Tahoe problems
Complaints
99
32% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the air bags

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Dash cover is falling apart, a well known defect. I worry that an airbag deployment could cause dangerous shrapnel to be projected throughout the passenger compartment causing injuries like skin cuts and eye injuries.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 10, 2024Air bagsODI 11619119
“I have this car since 2018. The dashboard of this car was in good condition however in the last few months we have see cracks developing near the airbag and the driver steering wheel. These are deep cracks. The car was 100% parked inside the garage. We are concerned if the airbag function will be impacted due to this cracks”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 30, 2023Air bags, Unknown or otherODI 11547543
“The Side area bags are Deployed a The vehicle is parked an not be operated. It wasn’t involved in any collision, The front Dash board airbags & steering wheel air bags aren’t Deployed an are in tact….there is No Body Damged or The Vehicle was Parked Not Being Operated for Over a month I Don’t understand How The Side air bags Have ruptured without any Cause That is Very Big Danger to My self an Family…There is No warning Lamps On Or Check Engine Light activated,”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 30, 2023Air bagsODI 11519681
“The dash board is completely falling apart. There are now 5 cracks and I am afraid that this could be a very dangerous situation. Apparently, there are many trucks like mine that have the same problem, but no action has been taken.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 17, 2021Air bags, Unknown or otherODI 11444105
“DASH CONTINUES TO CRACK. WORRIED ABOUT INTEGRITY OF DASH IN THE EVENT OF ACCIDENT DUE TO PLACEMENT OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. GM JUST RECALLED PASSENGER AIRBAG DUE TO 'SHRAPNEL' WHICH COULD ALSO BE PART OF THE DASH EXPLODING. FURTHERMORE, ONLY OPTION IS TO ADD A 'GLUE ON' COVER TO BUILD QUALITY TO OEM, BUT HAS POSSIBILITY TO COVER PASSENGER AIR BAG OR MAKE RECALL OF AIRBAG NOT POSSIBLE (OR OTHER REPAIRS POSSIBLE). GM SHOULD OFFER DASH REPLACEMENT AS A RECALL ALONG WITH PASSENGER AIRBAG.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 1, 2021Air bags, Unknown or otherODI 11405978
“THE DASH ON THE VEHICLE HAS CRACKED AT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG COVER. ALSO CRACKED ABOVE THE SPEEDOMETER. CONCERN IS THERE MAY BE HUMIDITY INGRESS TO THE AIRBAG, THE ELECTRONICS OR SUB ASSEMBLIES INCREASING THE RISK FOR AN AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT ANOMALY. ANOTHER CONCERN IS PLASTIC OR METAL FROM THE DASH COULD ALSO IMPACT THE AIRBAG (DEFLATION) OR PRESENT INJURY TO THE OCCUPANTS (FLYING PARTS). A LESSER CONCERN IS THE SENSORS FOR THE AUTOMATED AC/HEATING SYSTEMS IN THE CAR. BELIEVING THEY ARE CALIBRATED WITH SEALED INTACT COMPONENTS. THE LARGER SPLIT AT THE SPEEDOMETER HAS ONLY RECENTLY HAPPENED WHICH MAKES THIS A CONCERN THAT THERE ARE LARGER MORE UNDERPINNING ISSUES NOT FULLY REALIZED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 30, 2019Air bags, Unknown or otherODI 11292034

Showing 6 of 99 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

3 recalls on this component

Air bags: inflator module

Remedy pending

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL 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 2010 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and 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." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C."

Air bagsReported Feb 5, 2021NHTSA 21V053000

Air bags: inflator module

Remedy pending

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and 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." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming 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.

Air bagsReported Feb 5, 2021NHTSA 21V052000

Air bags: inflator module

Remedy pending

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.

Air bagsReported Feb 5, 2021NHTSA 21V050000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Other 2009 Tahoe problem areas

Structure (54)Electrical system (40)