The driver side airbag did not deploy when I got into a wreck. I feel the airbags could have helped me from hitting the steering wheel and hurting my ribs. I feel that it could have been less painful to have the airbag deploy. I thought the airbags were in working order.
Chevrolet Impala no deployment problems
258 of the 10,418 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Impala describe airbags did not deploy in a crash, most of them for the 2007 model year.
- owner complaints
- 258
- worst model year
- 2007
- typical repair cost reported
- $5,615
- typical mileage
- 77,390
Is there a fix? There are 8 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Stalling 24Steering lock-up 11Engine failure 11Brake failure 9Airbag light 8Loss of power 7Power steering loss 5ABS 5
What owners say
Passenger side front seat. When occupied, airbag sensor located inside the seat is malfunctioning. My husbands safety is at risk when he's in the car. He tries moving the seat up, back, etc. Sometimes works and the airbag sensor works. We are fearing that if there were any accident or need, that his life would be in danger if the airbag didn't deploy. This shouldn't be at the consumers expense as this is a safety issue. This has been ongoing for over 6 months.
I have driving on highway [XXX] heading back home to yucca valley from oceanside driving in the left lane my steering wheel locked up my vehicle swerved let into a street sign and thr vehicle proceeded to turn right swerving on the road losing control of the vehicle my airbag never deployed and my riverside tire as well the drives haft fell off the vehicle and now my car is completely totaled luckily there were no other vehicles involved but there was another person in the car with me when the incident occurred, we both he whiplash. Incident occurred in Morongo Valley near road runner mobile home trailer park in morngo valley INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I was in a car accident and the airbags did not deploy
Filed one complaint already about my car malfunctioning now on May 15 2025 I was.involved in a car accident and my airbags DID NOT DEPLOY!!!it was a front crash hit the front right side of the car and no airbag deployment
The contact owned a 2008 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH while in cruise control, a group of birds flew out from under a ditch which caused the contact to swerve and lose control of the vehicle. As a result of the incident, the contact crashed into the ditch. The air bags did not deploy upon impact which caused the contact's face to hit the steering wheel. The contact was later transported to the hospital via an ambulance where she was treated for a concussion. Additionally, the contact suffered several cuts and bruises to her face with additional bruising to her left leg and hip. A police report was filed; however, the report was unavailable. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was deemed totaled. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and making a right turn, the vehicle crashed into the passenger's side door of an oncoming truck that was hidden behind a box truck and had suddenly intruded into his lane. The front end of the vehicle was damaged. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained neck pain, back pain, and bruises on the forearms. The contact did not seek medical assistance. The contact was able to drive the vehicle from the scene. A police report was filed. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.
The engine electric brakes all shut down steering wheel locked up and my daughter smashed into telephone pole on August 31 2023. Airbags didn't deploy for front and side airbags were deflated no air.no warning lights prior that I'm aware of. My daughter was injured PCS and cervical sprain
The contact owned a 2017 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH, a tractor-trailer crashed into the front passenger side of the vehicle causing the vehicle to cross two lanes of traffic and collide with a barrier wall. During the crash no air bags deployed. The driver sustained injuries to the back, spine, torso, arms, knees, and shoulders which required medical treatment. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. Also, while the keys were inside the vehicle the doors had locked and the contact was unable to enter the vehicle. A locksmith was called to open the doors. The cause of the failure was not determined. The failure mileage was 72,000.
I was in a car accident on June 20, 2023. I was stopped in traffic and was hit in the rear and pushed into the vehicle in front of me. The air bags detonated but did not deploy. The steering wheel and both front seat side air bags had some coming but the airbag did not deploy.
Related recalls
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured April 25, 2008 through February 16, 2010. The front passenger seat frame may contact and damage the wires of the passenger presence sensor module.
- Risk
- If the wires are damaged, the passenger presence sensory system may fail to recognize that the passenger seat is occupied, disabling the air bag. Damage may also cause the air bag fuse to short resulting in a loss of all air bags and seat belt pretensions. Both conditions increase the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will double wrap the wires with anti-abrasion tape and replace damaged wires as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 1, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300. GM's recall campaign number is 36110.
Recall number 16V507000 · Recall details
Air bags
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured April 15, 2013, to June 19, 2015, equipped with front vented-heated passenger seats. Accordingly, the Automatic Occupant Sensing (AOS) system may fail to suppress the front passenger air bag if a child seat is in the front passenger seat. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- Risk
- If the front passenger air bag deploys with a child seat in the front passenger seat, it increases the risk of injury to the child.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will correct the calibration-learning error by preconditioning the empty seat, and also resetting the ECU to a seat zero-value, free of charge. The recall began on August 25, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is 15400.
Recall number 15V465000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac XTS vehicles manufactured April 11, 2013, to June 27, 2013, and 2014 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured May 13, 2013, to November 5, 2013. The affected vehicles may have left the factory with the sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) set to "manufacturing mode."
- Risk
- In manufacturing mode, the vehicle's air bags will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of occupant injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers are to reprogram the SDM to the correct mode, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in September 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006 or Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is 14532.
Recall number 14V518000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- Gm is recalling 79 my 2009 chevrolet impala vehicles. Some of these vehicles have a passenger-side front air bag inflator that could fracture at an inflator tube during a deployment.
- Risk
- During a passenger-side air bag deployment, pieces of the inflator tube could strike and injure vehicle occupants and the air bag cushion would not inflate fully, reducing the capability of the bag to protect the passenger.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a new passenger-side front air bag. The recall began on october 10, 2008. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 or through their website at http://www.gmownercenter.com .
Recall number 08V517000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- On certain mini vans, passenger and sport utility vehicles, some of these vehicles have a driver's side air bag that may not deploy as designed. In addition, the air bag inflator could rupture.
- Risk
- This could result in reduced capability of the air bag to protect the driver. Also if the air bag inflator ruptured, pieces of the inflator could strike and injure the vehicle occupants.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, install a new driver's air bag. Owner notification began on march 11, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact buick at 1‑800‑521‑7300, cadillac at 1‑800‑458‑8006, chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020, gmc at 1‑800‑462‑8782, or pontiac at 1‑800‑762‑2737.
Recall number 03V051000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger, mini vans, and sport utility vehicles have an air bag inflator on the driver's side that could fracture at a weld during a deployment.
- Risk
- Pieces of the inflator could strike and injure vehicle occupants and the air bag cushion would not inflate fully, reducing the capability of the bag to protect the driver.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect, and replace, if necessary, the air bag module assembly on the driver's side. Owner notification began august 15, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact buick at 1‑800‑521‑7300, cadillac at 1‑800‑458‑8006, chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020, gmc at 1‑800‑462‑8782, oldsmobile at 1‑800‑442‑6537, or pontiac at 1‑800‑762‑2737.
Recall number 02V222000 · Recall details
Air bags: side/window
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Some of these vehicles exhibit a condition in which the driver side impact air bag inflator separates from the air bag module during deployment.
- Risk
- If the inflator separates, the air bag will not deploy properly during a crash and occupant protection would be reduced. If is also possible that a separated inflator could be propelled downward and could result in injury to a rear seat passenger whose foot is positioned approximately under the inflator module.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the side impact air bag module.
Recall number 00V371000 · Recall details
Air bags
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The air bag sensing and diagnostic modules (sdm) could experience a memory error resulting in the air bags not deploying in a crash situation.
- Risk
- In a crash, a front seat occupant may receive more serious injuries.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the sensing and diagnostic module.
Recall number 00V244000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Impala no deployment
Which Chevrolet Impala years have airbags did not deploy in a crash problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2007 (28 complaints), 2009 (25 complaints) and 2008 (24 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix airbags did not deploy in a crash on the Chevrolet Impala?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $5,615 (median of 7 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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