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Air bagsPart report

2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Air bags Problems

Complaints
8about this part
Share
3%of 305 total for the year
Median mileage
25,000miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the air bags of the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500, 3% of the 305 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 25,000 miles. 4 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers. 4 recall campaigns on record are filed under a similar system.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“Struck a deer with the vehicle at approx. 75mph. The driver side airbag deployed. Control of the vehicle was maintained and there was no sudden deceleration. The cover of the steering wheel, which bears a plastic Gmc logo that is heavier than the rest of the material blew exactly on the corner of the g. Due to the location of the split the logo hit my wrist like a hammer causing nerve damage and permanently stamping the Gmc logo on my wrist. I currently possess all deployed srs components along with the acm that was in the vehicle at the time of deployment. …”

NHTSA complaint #11066902, filed 2018-02, 1,800 miles

“Both passenger and driver airbags located behind front seats/where Seatbelt is located blew during a collision, seatbelt locked us in during impact,the cab of the truck filled with white smoke and smelt like an electric fire during impact. problem will be confirmed by a collision center and insurance this week. There’s a lamp warning on the dash board that says there’s a safety warning.”

NHTSA complaint #11550054, filed 2023-10

“The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH on bumpy terrain, the driver’s and passenger’s side curtain air bags deployed unexpectedly. No warning light was illuminated, and there was no impact to the vehicle to cause the air bags to deploy. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it remained for further investigation. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.”

NHTSA complaint #11722171, filed 2026-03, 80,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2018 GMC SIERRA. The contact stated that while driving at 35 mph, when another vehicle had collided with the contact's vehicle which resulted in the airbags not deploying. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The contact sustained a head injury and did require medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000. The VIN was not available. Vehicle has been repaired.”

NHTSA complaint #11418361, filed 2021-05, 25,000 miles

“Takata recall : still waiting on a replacement. No action taken by the local dealer.the airbag is still intact, but the vehicle is stored outside in the southeast texas heat and I am concerned about its fragility because of this. Last contact with the dealer was in 2017”

NHTSA complaint #11085028, filed 2018-04

Related recalls

Air bags: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
202421%
202320%
202231%
202161%
202061%
201971%
201883%
201741%
2016124%
2015375%
2014264%
20133631%
20124239%
201111340%
20107746%
200912252%
200824364%
200714656%
200696%
2005148%
200484%
200374%
200253%
200132%
200063%
199921%
199847%
199722%

Other parts of the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500

Transmission and drivetrain
131 complaints
Engine
67 complaints
Brakes
44 complaints
Electrical system
43 complaints
Steering
30 complaints
Other or unknown
25 complaints
Fuel system
11 complaints
Suspension
11 complaints
Wheels
7 complaints
Engine cooling
6 complaints
Forward collision avoidance
6 complaints
Body and structure
6 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2018 GMC Sierra 1500

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Nov 1, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology