Known Recalls

Model year record

2008 GMC Sierra 1500

2 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 455 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 21V052000

Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module

Component
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
Manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Vehicles affected
557,023
Reported to NHTSA
2021-02-05
Owners notified
2021-09-20

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Manufacturer 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 23, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 20, 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 N212328780.

Recall campaignNHTSA 21V050000

Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module

Component
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
Manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Vehicles affected
2,641,272
Reported to NHTSA
2021-02-05
Owners notified
2021-03-01

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Manufacturer 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.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Air bags24675,000 mi
Unknown or other4189,000 mi
Electrical system2957,880 mi
Latches/locks/linkages2338,000 mi
Engine20110,000 mi
Structure: body1980,000 mi
Seat belts1584,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic724,000 mi
Structure6138,197 mi
Tires48,900 mi
Power train3115,006 mi
Service brakes3116,000 mi
Air bags: frontal222,000 mi
Electrical system: instrument panel: speedometer/odometer2250,205 mi
Exterior lighting212,000 mi
Fuel system, diesel2163,000 mi
Fuel system, other213 mi
Fuel/propulsion system2168,000 mi
Tires: sidewall2—
Traction control system2157,000 mi
Vehicle speed control28,600 mi
Visibility/wiper2—
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel140,000 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)1—
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: emission control: catalytic convertor1151,071 mi
Equipment1—
Equipment: appliance: air conditioner138,000 mi
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: floor shift113,202 mi
Power train: driveline17,186 mi
Power train: driveline: differential unit1—
Seat belts: pretensioner1—
Steering: linkages: tie rod assembly1872 mi
Suspension114,000 mi
Suspension: front177,000 mi
Suspension: rear: springs: leaf spring assembly1—
Tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems128,000 mi
Tires: tread/belt1—
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal18,500 mi
Visibility11,500 mi
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer16,200 mi
Wheels1—

The 2007 model has about 1.5 times as many complaints as this one. The 2009 model has about 1.5 times as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Open investigations

An investigation is not a recall. It indicates that NHTSA is currently evaluating an alleged defect but has not reached a final determination.

EA21002Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.