The Recall Desk
Our severity:CriticalNHTSA·21V050000·Announced 2021-02-05

GM Recalls Trucks and SUVs for Airbag Inflator Explosion Risk

General Motors is recalling specific 2007-2011 trucks and SUVs because the front passenger airbag inflators may explode due to humidity, posing a risk of serious injury or death.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 5/5 (Critical).

Highest-severity recall. The hazard can cause serious injury or death. Stop using the product now and follow the agency's instructions.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly states that the inflator explosion may result in 'serious injury or death,' which meets the rubric criteria for a Critical severity score.

Plain-English summary

General Motors, LLC is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC vehicles, including the Escalade, Avalanche, Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe, Sierra, Yukon, and Yukon XL. The recall applies to vehicles originally sold or registered in specific high-humidity states and territories, designated as Zone A and Zone B in the official notice.

The defect involves non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation caused by long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

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, and owner notification letters were mailed on March 1, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet, Cadillac, or GMC customer service for more information.

The recalled product

Product
GMC, CHEVROLET, CADILLAC SIERRA 3500, YUKON, TAHOE, YUKON XL
Brand
GMC
Manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Category
Vehicle — Airbag Inflator
Hazard
Affected units
2,641,272

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (14)

  • SIERRA 3500
  • YUKON
  • TAHOE
  • YUKON XL
  • SUBURBAN
  • SILVERADO 3500
  • SILVERADO 2500
  • SILVERADO 1500
  • AVALANCHE
  • ESCALADE EXT
  • ESCALADE ESV
  • SIERRA 2500
  • ESCALADE
  • SIERRA 1500

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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