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GMC Yukon no deployment problems

70 of the 5,036 owner complaints about the GMC Yukon describe airbags did not deploy in a crash, most of them for the 2001 model year.

owner complaints
70
worst model year
2001
typical mileage
83,000
Is there a fix? There are 9 recalls for this area of the car. See below

By model year

  • 2022
    1
  • 2021
    5
  • 2018
    1
  • 2017
    3
  • 2016
    2
  • 2015
    4
  • 2013
    2
  • 2011
    1
  • 2009
    1
  • 2008
    1
  • 2007
    6
  • 2006
    1
  • 2005
    2
  • 2004
    3
  • 2003
    3
  • 2002
    7
  • 2001
    13
  • 2000
    3
  • 1999
    3
  • 1998
    1
  • 1997
    2
  • 1996
    3
  • 1995
    1
  • 1993
    1

What owners say

Filed May 4, 2026 · Airbags, Brakes · NC · crash · 2 injuries

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the rear brakes became inoperable, causing the steering wheel to seize, with no warning lights illuminated. Due to the failure, the vehicle crashed into a tree. The contact and the contact’s child sustained injuries and were transported to a local emergency room for medical treatment. The contact suffered a broken nose and a chest fracture. The contact’s child sustained a broken leg due to deployment of the passenger-side air bag. The contact stated that the air bags deployed during the crash; however, the driver’s air bag failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact’s residence. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.

Filed Dec 22, 2025 · Airbags, Driver assistance · NC · crash · 1 injury

Vehicle: 2021 GMC Denali Mileage: ~48,000 miles Purchase Price: $62,000 Issue: Airbags & crash sensors failed to deploy Complaint Text: I am filing a safety complaint regarding my 2021 GMC Denali. I was involved in a rear-end collision at approximately 45 mph, where I struck another vehicle straight on from behind. The impact was severe enough to total my vehicle, yet no airbags deployed, and no forward collision warning or crash sensor systems activated. This is especially concerning because this vehicle was previously involved in a front-end collision (not my fault) and underwent extensive repairs. I was assured all systems were repaired and functioning properly. Additionally, my vehicle had completed recall work related to safety systems prior to this crash. This is the second front-end crash involving this vehicle where airbags failed to deploy. Given the speed and severity of the impact, airbags should have deployed. The failure of these systems placed my life at serious risk. The vehicle has since been totaled and taken by insurance, but I am requesting that this failure be formally investigated as a potential safety defect in the airbag and sensor systems. I am extremely concerned that the vehicle’s safety systems were either defective or not properly restored following repairs and recalls.

Filed Aug 28, 2025 · Airbags · ID · crash · 1 injury

I was read ended at a stop light. The other drive fell asleep. She was in a 3.25 ton dodge ram going 45-55 mph. She never touched her brakes. She pushed me into the car in front of me. Air bags never deployed . My car is totaled. The driver’s car hit so hard the front of her car was in my third row of seats. I was taken to the hospital for chest pains since the seatbelt was the only thing that saved me .

Filed May 3, 2024 · Airbags, Brakes · MI · crash

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and completing a turn, the forward warning collision system alarm sounded, but the vehicle failed to activate automatic emergency braking. As a result, the vehicle collided with another vehicle ahead. The air bags did not deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the ABS. The vehicle was not repaired. A police report was not filed, and no injuries were reported. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Mar 2, 2023 · Airbags, Lights · 5,000 miles · NJ · crash

The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in a parking lot, she suddenly saw a blinding glare and then crashed into a light pole. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that her two infant children were inside the vehicle with her and that there were no injuries. No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken back to the contact's residence. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where various unknown repairs were completed. The contact had received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number:Â 22V903000 (Exterior Lighting). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 5,000.

Filed Nov 9, 2022 · Airbags, Brakes · 95,000 miles · SC · crash · 1 injury

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Yukon. The contact stated while driving at 20 MPH with her daughter in the rear passenger seat, the message "Grade Braking Active" was displayed. The contact stated while making a right turn in an intersection, she depressed the brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from colliding with the vehicle before hers. However, the brake pedal went down to the floorboard and failed to respond. The contact then quickly veered to the right to prevent a crash. The vehicle hit a curb and was propelled to the left across three lanes and crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained bruises on the forehead as she hit her head against the steering wheel. The contact also sustained soreness on the neck and shoulder; however, the contact did not seek medical assistance. The contact's daughter did not sustain any injuries. The occupant of the other vehicle did not sustain injuries. A police report was filed. The contact's uncle met her at the scene and drove the vehicle back to her residence. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they would send a field technician to diagnose the vehicle. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and 20V603000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact's vehicle remained at her residence. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

Filed Aug 17, 2022 · Airbags · NC · crash · 1 injury

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - Airbags How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - Airbags did not deploy during the car accident. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? -No Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? -No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? - None.

Filed Mar 21, 2022 · Airbags, Brakes · 270,000 miles · MT · crash · 4 injuries

The contact owned a 2005 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 80 MPH in an interstate with her in the passenger seat and her two children in the rear seats, the steering wheel seized inadvertently and the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle veered off to the left side of the road. The contact stated as her husband was trying to regain control of the vehicle, the tires hit the pavement and the vehicle rolled over 7 times in a ditch, within 180 yards and landed on its passenger side. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact and her husband noticed that the children were no longer in the vehicle and they immediately exited the vehicle through the front driver's side window to search for them. The contact stated that her 12 year old daughter who was sitting in the rear passenger side seat of the second row with a seat belt, was ejected through an unknown window and landed in a bush, 80 yards away from where the vehicle had landed. The contact referenced the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 05V163000 (Seat Belts). The contact's 20 year old son who was sitting in the rear driver seat of the second row with no seat belt, was ejected through an unknown window and landed 50 yards away from where the vehicle had landed. The contact and her family were transported to the hospital with the assistance of emergency units. The contact's son sustained a concussion, swollen knee injury, laceration on the head with 18 staples in the back of his head, 3-4 stiches on his thump and lacerations all over his body. The contact's daughter, who had been airlifted from the first hospital to a second hospital, sustained fractured skull, epidural hematoma, 2 internal brain hemorrhages, an unknown fractured part of the body, 2 dislocated primary teeth , deep laceration on her left hand that required 10 stiches and could lead to permanent nerve damage, deep laceration on her torso that required 8-10 staples. The contact's husband sustained a dislocate

Filed Feb 25, 2022 · Airbags · 174,000 miles · MI · crash

The contact’s son owned a 2013 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated while her son was driving 25 MPH on an icy roadway while slowing down to change lanes he lost control of the vehicle after hitting a patch of ice. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle went off the road ran through a residential fence, then collided with a parked vehicle with the rear end, ricocheted off that vehicle, then slid and collided with a tree on the driver’s side door. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact stated her son was not injured. The vehicle was drivable and driven back to the contact's residence. Later the vehicle was towed to a local dealer where an insurance adjuster declared the vehicle a total loss. The contact stated that she had received a notification for the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 174,000.

Filed Nov 29, 2021 · Airbags · 60,000 miles · GA

The contact owns a 2013 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, she noticed a vibrating sound coming from the passenger’s side dashboard. She stated that there was a split in the dashboard that was causing the sound. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact was concerned that in the event of a crash, the air bag would not deploy. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V053000 (Air Bags) and an appointment was scheduled to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

Related recalls

Air bags: SRS malfunction warning lamp/lightReported June 10, 2021 · 285,622 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Buick Envision, Cadillac CT4, CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Corvette, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles. The communications gateway module incorrectly processes a loss of communication with the sensing diagnostic module (SDM), causing the air bag malfunction indicator light to inconsistently illuminate.
Risk
The air bag malfunction indicator light may fail to warn the driver of a problem with the air bag, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
The communications gateway module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 1, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300, Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N212338110.

Recall number 21V421000 · Recall details

Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator moduleReported February 5, 2021 · 1,778,128 vehicles affected
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

Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator moduleReported February 5, 2021 · 692,526 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL 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 2010 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, 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 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, 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."
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 24, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020; and GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328790.

Recall number 21V053000 · Recall details

Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator moduleReported February 5, 2021 · 557,023 vehicles affected
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

Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator moduleReported February 5, 2021 · 284,645 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL 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." 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 May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020; and GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328770.

Recall number 21V051000 · Recall details

Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator moduleReported February 5, 2021 · 2,641,272 vehicles affected
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: side/windowReported July 23, 2014 · 22 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Chevrolet Suburban, Suburban LTZ, Tahoe, Tahoe LTZ, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL Denali vehicles manufactured on May 13, 2014. The affected vehicles were assembled with a roof rail air bags (RRAB) that were not reinforced at the points were the bags contact the hardware used to attach the roof carrier.
Risk
During deployment, the RRAB may be punctured or torn by the roof carrier hardware, reducing its performance and increasing the risk of occupant injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the roof carrier attaching hardware, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in early September 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020 (Chevrolet) or 1‑800‑462‑8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14359.

Recall number 14V451000 · Recall details

Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactiveReported July 1, 2002 · 525,254 vehicles affected
What is wrong
On certain pickup and utility trucks, some of these vehicles have an air bag sensing diagnostic module (sdm) which contains an anomaly that could result in the driver and passenger's air bag failing to deploy during certain frontal crashes.
Risk
In a vehicle crash, front seat occupants may receive more severe injuries.
Remedy
Dealers will recalibrate the sdm on the affected vehicles. Owner notification began august 28, 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 chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020 or gmc at 1‑800‑462‑8782.

Recall number 02V178000 · Recall details

Air bagsReported July 25, 1995 · 3,651 vehicles affected
What is wrong
The vehicles have both the supplemental inflatable restraint (sir) label and an engine start label installed on the same side of the sun visor. This does not comply with fmvss no.208, "occupant crash protection."
Risk
Consequence of non-compliance: operators could fail to notice and heed the warning label.
Remedy
The engine start label will be removed from the stowed side of the sun visor and a new engine start label will be installed on the headliner in the sun visor depression. Owners will receive the new label and can install the label themselves or have a dealer install it.

Recall number 95V140000 · Recall details

Questions about the GMC Yukon no deployment

Which GMC Yukon years have airbags did not deploy in a crash problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2001 (13 complaints), 2002 (7 complaints) and 2007 (6 complaints).

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