My husband and I were traveling on the highway doing 75mph. A deer ran out in front of us causing a crash. The front end of the car was extremely damaged and onstar reflects the drivers side air bag deployed (which it sounded like when we hit as we heard a big bang) but no air bag deployed. The car also immediately locked up. The driver stated he could not brake or accelerate and lost all steering. The brake locked up and we went from 75-0 immediately. Thankfully there was not ice on the road as we would have been just full force ahead and thankfully there was no one behind us as they would have totally been in our back seat. Both would have been even worse of an accident then they already were! There was smoke from the brakes (obviously going from 75-0 caused some brake wear and tear) EMT looked at the seat belts as the passengers retracted after she slid forward causing injury to the abdomen. The driver was able to brace a little so not as bad. Insurance is inspecting it today for damage so totality of the damage is unknown at this time. Prior to the Collison the lights warning you of a collision went off but there was no time to react.
GMC Terrain no deployment problems
59 of the 3,143 owner complaints about the GMC Terrain describe airbags did not deploy in a crash, most of them for the 2012 model year.
- owner complaints
- 59
- worst model year
- 2012
- typical mileage
- 42,000
By model year
Often reported together
Fire or smoke 4Airbag light 4Seat belt 2Headlights 2Sudden acceleration 1Stalling 1Loss of power 1Key fob 1
What owners say
I hit a deer and it totaled my vehicle and the Airbags did not deploy
My car was t-boned on the driver side and no airbags deployed. The outer door and window exploded with the force. We were also hit from behind
The contact owned a 2018 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving and nearly coming to a complete stop in the right lane, another vehicle driving approximately 40-50 MPH crashed into the rear of the vehicle, causing the contact to hit her face against the steering wheel, and the contact became unconscious temporarily. The contact stated that upon regaining consciousness, the contact noticed that the vehicle had moved to the grass by the left lane of the road, where traffic was going in the opposite direction. It was unknown whether the vehicle was involved in a second collision. A message advising that an accident was detected and inquiring whether 911 should be contacted was displayed. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy, and the front driver's side seat belt failed to retract as needed. A bystander opened the driver's side door to verify that the contact was safe. The contact noticed that she was bleeding significantly and was unable to move the right shoulder and the neck. The emergency units assisted the contact out of the vehicle. The emergency units placed braces on the contact's neck and placed the contact on a stretcher. The contact was transported to the hospital, where the contact underwent X-rays and CT scans. The contact was informed that she had sustained a concussion, lumbar injuries, a fractured nose, loss of taste and smell, laceration on the inner and outer side of the bottom lip, carpal tunnel on the right hand, severe whiplash, laceration on the right shoulder, and a cut behind the right ear. The contact was in the process of undergoing MRIs. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and totaled, but was still under investigation. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed; however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owned a 2016 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while making a right turn, a Dodge Ram truck ran through a stop sign causing the contact to crash into the truck head-on. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact's daughter arrived at the scene and transported him to the local hospital to be evaluated for brain, neck, left-hand fingers, swollen right leg, and back pain injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed but the police report number was not available. The vehicle was towed to a salvage junkyard. The dealer was not contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 57,000.
I was in a in a 70 miles an hour highway accident and was hit in front driver side door, went up embankment and hit a tree then rolled backwards onto the highway. No airbags deployed.
The contact owned a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light a vehicle one rear-ended the vehicle. This caused the contact to crash into in front of her. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The contact sustained back and neck injuries. Medical attention was needed. Additionally, the driver of vehicle three received medical attention with unknown injuries. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while the wife was driving approximately 45 MPH she accidentally hit an animal due to visibility issues with the headlights. There were no warning lights. The police arrived on the scene; however, no reports were filed. The front passenger headlight was damaged, along with the front grill and tie end rod. There were no air bags deployed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic and repaired. The driver had minor back injuries, no medical treatments applied, and just a few days off work. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number 22V137000 (Exterior Lighting). The approximate failure mileage was 100,000
Passenger seat occupied sensor not sensing passenger. Have light come on saying service air bag. Was told that if in an accident and I have a passenger in the front. The airbags would not deploy.
Got into a collision where I T-boned the other vehicle at 40 mph and NO airbags deployed. Passenger was thrown into the dash and knees went into the glove box and driver hit the steering wheel
Related recalls
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles equipped with ventilated front passenger seats. The Occupant Classification System may not properly disable the front passenger air bag when there is a small child or child restraint detected in the seat.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, a front passenger air bag that deploys with a child or infant in the front passenger seat can increase their risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the passenger presence system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 24, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020 or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N222388911.
Recall number 22V929000 · Recall details
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 GMC Terrain vehicles. The sensing diagnostic module (SDM) that senses a crash and deploys the necessary air bags may not power down correctly when the vehicle is shut off, causing it to be inoperative when the vehicle is restarted.
- Risk
- If the SDM becomes inoperative, it will not detect a crash or command the necessary air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the SDM with updated software, free of charge. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is 18179.
Recall number 18V340000 · Recall details
Air bags: side/window
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Camaro, Equinox, Malibu, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The affected vehicles have front seat-mounted side impact air bags whose inflator may rupture upon its deployment.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of one or both of the side impact air bags, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not properly inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. Additionally, if the air bag does not properly inflate, the driver or passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side impact air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006, or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is 01320.
Recall number 15V666000 · Recall details
Questions about the GMC Terrain no deployment
Which GMC Terrain years have airbags did not deploy in a crash problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2012 (15 complaints), 2013 (7 complaints) and 2011 (6 complaints).
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