RoadVitals

2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Airbags Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Airbags reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
12
Latest Jun 2, 2025
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
3%
of 468 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
10
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
15

What this page shows

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming airbag

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Airbags
Filed Jun 2, 2025
Crash reported2 injuries reported

STRUCTURAL FAILURE & AIRBAG FAILURE Crash on the bend of a dangerous Utah road. Lost control and vehicle crossed center line striking another vehicle headon. The cab separated from the frame of the truck. The airbags did not deploy.

NHTSA ID
11664379
Incident
Apr 25, 2021
Airbags
Filed Jul 16, 2022
Crash reported2 injuries reported

Head on collision. No airbags deployed. Front of truck was completely crushed in, but no airbags.

NHTSA ID
11474313
Incident
Jul 16, 2022
AirbagsDriver assistanceFuel system
Filed Oct 19, 2016
Crash reported1 injury reported1 death reported

MY HUSBAND AND I WERE IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. MY HUSBAND WAS TAKING TO ER AND HAD SEVERAL STAPLES PLACED IN HIS HEAD.

NHTSA ID
10917432
Incident
Jun 10, 2014
AirbagsBody & structureBrakes+12 more
Filed Oct 11, 2016

EVAPORATED SYSTEM.

NHTSA ID
10915372
Incident
Jun 27, 2016
Airbags
Filed Oct 6, 2015
Crash reported1 injury reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT WAS DISTRACTED AND DROVE OFF THE ROAD INTO A RAVINE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT INJURED BOTH LEGS, KNEES, AND RIBS THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 194,000.

NHTSA ID
10780068
Incident
Oct 1, 2015
Mileage
194,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jun 1, 2015
Crash reported2 injuries reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE AT A STOP, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE PRECEDING VEHICLE, WHICH RESULTED IN A FOUR-VEHICLE COLLISION. THE DRIVER AND FRONT SEAT PASSENGER BOTH SUSTAINED HEAD, NECK, AND BACK INJURIES. IN ADDITION, THE DRIVER ENCOUNTERED THE FRONT WINDSHIELD AND SUFFERED FROM MINOR INJURIES TO THE FACE. THE DRIVER AND THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 199,000.

NHTSA ID
10722562
Incident
Mar 14, 2015
Mileage
199,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jul 27, 2014
Crash reported1 injury reported

SUBURBAN WAS TRAVELING @ APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES PER/HOUR WHEN A TOYOTA FORERUNNER ILLEGALLY PULLED IN FRONT @ A SPEED OF APPROX 5-10 PER HOURS AND CAUSED A HEAD-COLLISION. FORERUNNERS AIRBAGS DEPLOYED BUT THE SUBURBAN DID NOT CAUSING INJURY TO OCCUPANT OF THE SUBURBAN. THE SUBURBAN'S DAMAGE WAS BOTH RADIATORS WERE SPLIT INTO 2 ALSO CAR NEEDED OVER 10,000.00 WORTH OF MAJOR REPAIRS TO FRONT END. AFTER CRASH CAR WOULD NOT START. POSSIBLE IGNITION PROBLEM. *JS

NHTSA ID
10616617
Incident
Sep 15, 2008
Mileage
110,000 mi
AirbagsBody & structureOther / unspecified+1 more
Filed Jun 17, 2014
Crash reported2 injuries reported

SOMEONE RAN A RED LIGHT AND CREAMED INTO US AT ABOUT 50-55 MPH. THE IMPACT AREA WAS THE PASSENGER WHEEL WELL AREA AND THE IMPACT WAS SO VIOLENT THAT IT SMASHED EVERYTHING OVER AND INCLUDING THE STARTER... OUR AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND I ALWAYS WONDERED IF IT WAS BECAUSE THE CRASH SMASHED THE STARTER AND HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE GM RECALLS NOW. BOTH MY SON AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN THE SAME AFTER THAT CRASH AND NEITHER OF US CAN EVEN SLEEP IN A BED FROM NECK AND BACK PAIN... WE BOTH HAD BRAIN INJURIES AND MINE WAS RATHER SEVERE WHERE I LOST MY SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE AND PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY...AND HAD SEVERE LANGUAGE AND SPEECH PROBLEMS... IT WAS ALMOST LIKE I WAS DYSLEXIC AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN THE SAME. BOTH OUR HEALTH DETERIORATED SINCE... I WAS TOLD 'OUR AIR BAGS WOULD HAVE DEPLOYED' IF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A HARD IMPACT (WHICH IT WAS), SINCE THE MAN'S CAR WAS TOTALED FOR HOW HE HIT US WITHOUT EVER BRAKING OR SLOWING DOWN... SINCE THE IMPACT WAS THE PASSENGER WHEEL WELL AREA AND CORNER BUMPER CLEAR OVER TO THE DRIVER SIDE AND EVEN BROKE THE STARTER, I WONDER IF THE IGNITION DID SOMETHING TO MAKE THE AIR BAGS NOT DEPLOY. I ALWAYS FELT THERE WAS MORE TO THIS ACCIDENT, BUT NO ONE WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR US. NOW WITH ALL THESE GM RECALLS, I WONDER IF THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THIS ACCIDENT. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF OUR AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED WITH SUCH A VIOLENT CRASH AND IF WHEN THE CRASH BROKE THE STARTER IF IT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE AIR BAGS FROM DEPLOYING? THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. *TR

NHTSA ID
10598990
Incident
Apr 19, 2006
AirbagsBrakes
Filed Aug 19, 2009

HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINE ROTTED OUT CAUSING ME TO LOOSE MY BRAKES. HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY. ALMOST REAR END THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. DEALER SAYS THIS IS NORMAL WEAR DUE SALT ON THE ROADS. 2001 CHEVY SILVERADO 1500. 93,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10280975
Incident
Aug 15, 2009
Mileage
940,000 mi
AirbagsBrakesDriver assistance+1 more
Filed Oct 12, 2008
Crash reported1 injury reported

I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT. WHILE DRIVING, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED BUT SOMETHING CAUSED MY TRUCK TO ROLL OVER. EARLIER THAT DAY I REMEMBER THAT MY PARKING BRAKE WOULD NOT WORK. I ALSO HAD SOME TROUBLE PUTTING THE GEAR INTO PARK. MY AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY DURING THIS ACCIDENT, AND I WAS DRIVING WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON IF THAT HAS ANY BEARING ON THIS. ALSO, MY FRONT TIRES WERE ALWAYS NEEDING AIR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10245168
Incident
Oct 5, 2008
Mileage
120,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Mar 28, 2002
Crash reported1 injury reported

THE BOX THAT CONTAINS THE SAFETY SWITCH FOR DEPLOYMENT WAS COMPLETELY CRUSHED, HOWEVER NEITHER BAG DEPLOYED CAUSING PERSONAL BODY INJURY. THE FORCE OF HITTING THE WHEEL WAS ENOUGH TO BEND IT SO IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. NLM

NHTSA ID
759916
Incident
Mar 2, 2002
Airbags
Filed Jan 7, 2002
Crash reported1 injury reported

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 30-40 MPH, HAD "T"-BONED ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. ALSO, CAUSED MOTOR TO BE PUSHED BACK ABOUT 5 INCHES. CONTACTED DEALER, AND INFORMED CONSUMER VEHICLE WAS NOT DESIGNED FOR AIRBAG TO GO OFF ON FRONTAL IMPACT. PLEASE ADD VIN. *AK

NHTSA ID
8001659
Incident
Dec 29, 2001

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .