I confirmed the vehicle has a recall. Called the Dealer and they informed me that the dash may crack while performing the recall but is not included in the recall. Any cracks in the dash would be customer pay. This doesn't seem right.
2011 Chevrolet Tahoe airbags problems
185 complaints (41% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 67,000. 2 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 185
- of this car's complaints
- 41%
- typical mileage
- 67,000
- crashes
- 2
- recalls
- 2
Which part fails
- SRS malfunction warning lamp/light1
- Passenger side frontal: cushion1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Chevrolet Tahoe airbags problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe airbags
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
- 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.
Recall number 21V050000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A." Additionally GM is recalling certain 2011-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL and 2011-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL and 2010-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY 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.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
- 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 25, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed to 40 VIN owners on May 11, 2021. A second owner notification letter was mailed to all other owners on January 24, 2022. 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 N212328800.
Recall number 21V054000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
EA21002
What 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Stability track issues Trunk issues want open or go up Tires keep having to replace for no reason at all Airbag recall Traction control
See attached document for complaint
I took my vehicle into sunset Chevrolet in Sumner Washington, in November of 2022 and had them complete the Takata air bag recall on the vehicle. I drove it for a few months and put it in storage. Since the recall the dash is now cracked where the dealer replaced the passenger airbag recall. It was not cracked prior to the replacement. I have talked to the dealer and they are saying they will not cover this. This is a hazard issue and can cause additional shrapnel to come flying at you if the vehicle is involved in an accident. The vehicle was stored in the garage and not driven. The dealer won't even examine the vehicle to see if the bolts were inadvertently overtightened on the technicians side. This is not right and this is something that should be covered. The vehicle has about 88k miles on it. My dash was not cracked at the time of the repair and now it is. This is not right to put me at more risk than what I was at prior to the recall. I read that the Takata airbag recall stated to repair the cracked dashes. Mine cracked after gm performed the recall. This is a hazard and is something that should be taken care of. I am disabled individual.
I spoke with GM a couple of times and GM refuses to help with the cost of dash repair that could happen if the airbag recall is fixed. My dash is already damaged so the repair would totally ruin the dash and can cost over $2000.00 if repairs are made, therefore my airbag recall cannot be completed
Takata Recall. The contact's wife owns a 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer who completed the recall repair; however, while driving the vehicle a week later, the contact's wife noticed that the dashboard was shaking significantly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's wife drove back to their residence, where the contact inspected the dashboard and noticed that it was severely cracked on the driver's side behind the steering wheel and on the passenger's side. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the dashboard replacement would be at his own expense as the manufacturer would not cover the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that the dealer should have informed them that the dashboard would be cracked prior to the recall repair and after the failure; however, the manufacturer did not provide any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 122,500.
Dashboard is cracked from the corner of the passenger airbag cover to the seam in the dash panel need the defroster. We were involved in a rear end accident and the crack appeared after the accident. I'm concerned it could affect the air bag deploying.
The dash is cracking. Vehicle looks brand new except for the dash. Starting to get cracks on each side. What I have seen, this is an on going problem.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 chevrolet tahoe. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 21v050000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.*dt
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 chevrolet tahoe. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 21v050000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Questions about the 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe airbags
Does the 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe have airbags problems?
Owners have filed 185 complaints about the airbags of the 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe, 41% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe airbags problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 67,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe airbags?
Yes, 2 recalls: 21V050000, 21V054000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Chevrolet Tahoe have bad airbags?
The Chevrolet Tahoe model years with the most airbags complaints are 2007 (500 complaints), 2008 (233 complaints) and 2011 (185 complaints).
Other 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe problems
Body 81Electrical 17Driver assistance 15Engine 11Fuel system 7Acceleration 6Transmission 5Visibility 5Brakes 4Suspension 4Seat belts 3Steering 3Tires 3Wheels 3Lights 1Locks 1Seats 1
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