The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·21V052000·Announced 2021-02-05

GM Recalls 2007-2009 Trucks and SUVs for Airbag Inflator Defect

General Motors is recalling specific 2007-2009 Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC vehicles because the front passenger airbag inflators may explode, posing a risk of serious injury or death.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly states that the inflator explosion may result in serious injury or death, which aligns with the rubric criteria for a Severe (4) rating involving significant injury reports or potential for serious harm.

Plain-English summary

General Motors, LLC is recalling certain 2007-2009 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. The recall applies to vehicles originally sold or ever registered in specific states designated as "Zone B" or "Zone C" in the source text. These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant.

The defect involves the potential for these inflators to explode due to propellant degradation after 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, which can result 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 23, 2021, and owner notification letters were mailed on September 20, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet, Cadillac, or GMC customer service for more information.

The recalled product

Product
CHEVROLET, CADILLAC, GMC SUBURBAN, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT, AVALANCHE
Brand
CHEVROLET
Manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Category
Vehicle — Airbag Inflator
Hazard
Affected units
557,023

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)

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

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Related recalls

Same brand · CHEVROLET

Same manufacturer · General Motors, LLC

See all →

Same hazard · airbag inflator explosion

See all →