I was driving down the highway at 70 mph, when there was a loud bang followed by a gun powder smell. My seatbelts went tight...hazard lights automatically came on...radio went dead...and the Airbag light came on. The pretensioners in both driver and passenger seats had deployed. I pulled over and shut the truck off, to get out and inspect it. There was no warning, and luckily I was composed enough to not wreck into anyone or anything. I see there have been a few similar incidents, so I'm glad this isn't just a solitary incident.
2008 GMC Sierra 1500: airbag warning light
22 of the 381 complaints about the 2008 GMC Sierra 1500 describe airbag warning light.
- owner complaints
- 22
- of this car's complaints
- 6%
- typical mileage
- 110,000
- recalls
- 2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls and 11 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Airbag warning light by model year
What owners say
I was driving in a parking structure at low speed when a loud bang went off inside the cab. The hazard lights went off, there was an acrid electrical smell, and fine dust was coming from the steering wheel area. I stopped the truck and got out to look for a collision, but there was none. When I restarted the truck, the air bag light came on and I noticed that the seatbelts were retracted and no longer functional. I was not injured, but I believe that if this had happened in traffic or on the highway, I and my passenger could have been seriously hurt. The vehicle was towed to the GMC dealership, where they identified an error with the module that sends a signal to the airbags and seatbelts to deploy. Prior to this occurrence, I had no indication that the airbag/seatbelt system was faulty or in need of service.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 gmc sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving, the front passenger air bag warning light illuminated and made an abnormal sound. The contact was concerned for her safety that the air bag could inadvertently deploy. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were made aware of the failure. The VIN was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v383000 (air bags). The failure mileage was approximately 195,000.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2008 gmc sierra 1500. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v381000 (air bag) however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer nalley chevrolet (4200 jonesboro rd, union city, ga 30291, (770) 969-1001) was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact stated that the driver's side air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed nor repaired. The failure recurred. Vin tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000. ## VIN passed ## gmc 2008 ##
Service air bag warning light and icon are showing on the instrument cluster. The warning comes on every time I start the vehicle.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2008 gmc sierra 1500. The contact stated that at start-up and on occasion while driving, the service air bag warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v381000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted nor made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was 16,000. Vin tool confirms parts not available.*dt
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2008 gmc sierra 1500. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v383000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to timbrook buick gmc (10201 mount savage rd nw, cumberland, md 21502) where the vehicle was inspected and the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact experienced a failure with the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. Vin tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was approximately 128,907.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2008 gmc sierra 1500. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v383000 (air bags). The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 63,800. Parts distribution disconnect. *bf
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2008 gmc sierra 1500. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. Thomas buick gmc located at 750 eisenhower blvd, johnstown pa 15904 phone number 800‑755‑9971) was contacted and informed of the failure. The contact was informed that the dealer was unable to provide an estimated time for the remedy parts being available. The vehicle was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v383000 (airbags). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
An airbag warning light has come on and has been on for almost a year showing a faulty airbag and two calls with certified gmc dealership to remedy the airbag(s) to make for a safe ride have gone uncompleted staying no resolution has been made. This is an ongoing safety recall that should be remedied by gm for public safety and to this point has refused to do any repair/replacement. It is well documented that the airbag manufacturer is stating that there is a high risk of deterioration of the airbag and sudden deployment resulting in serious injury to death.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 gmc sierra 1500. The contact stated that the air bag sensors in the vehicle were corroded. The air bag indicator illuminated before and after the failure. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not provided. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Takata recall: in july 2016 I received a letter from gmc ref. Gm recall 49152 which stated that I would be notified when parts are available to remedy your vehicle. I never received anything and in the meantime the airbag light came on. In the summer of this year I called the local dealership and they set up an appointment to replace the airbag because of the recall. I had to cancel that appointment because I could not make it to the appointment. I later called the dealership to setup another appointment and this time was told that gmc was not going to fix/replace the airbag. I already spent over $1200 to replace the front brake components because of extensive rust which damaged the front brake system to the extent the wheels would no longer rotate without great effort. This truck was originally owned by someone in pa, then on the eastern shore of maryland thru may 2016. There is a lot of rust on the undercarriage of this vehicle - from I assume, salt and water.
Service bulletins that may apply
- This service bulletin provides information on Takata Air Bag Courtesy Transportation Reimbursement Program
- This service bulletin provides information on Takata Air Bag Completion Rate Improvement Program
- Air bags
- Air bags
- Air bags
- This informational bulletin provides information on Takata Air Bag Completion Rate Improvement Program
- This informational bulletin provides information on Takata Air Bag Completion Rate Improvement Program
- Engineering Study
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 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.
- 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 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 number 21V052000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2008 GMC Sierra 1500 airbag light
Is airbag warning light a common problem on the 2008 GMC Sierra 1500?
22 of 381 owner complaints about the 2008 GMC Sierra 1500 (6%) mention airbag warning light. The model year with the most reports is 2008.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2008 GMC Sierra 1500?
There are 2 recalls and 11 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2008 GMC Sierra 1500
Door locks 26No deployment 8Seat belt 7Engine failure 5Fire or smoke 5Stalling 5
VIN decoder
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