Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 airbags can stop working entirely

NHTSA campaign 18V360000 · Reported 2018-05-31 · General Motors LLC

high How serious is it? About this label

Serious — the airbags may not deploy at all in a crash, but the notice does not instruct owners to stop driving, so you can drive while you set up the free software fix.

What's wrong, in plain English

On certain 2019 Corvette ZR1 cars, braking hard or accelerating hard can push the module that detects crashes into a fault state. Once that happens, it stops watching for crashes and will not fire the airbags if you have one. Given how these cars are driven, the fault can happen during normal spirited driving. Chevrolet dealers will install updated software in the crash-sensing module so hard braking and acceleration no longer trip it.

What you should do

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm your ZR1 is affected. 2. Call a Chevrolet dealer, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (recall 18195), to schedule service. 3. Have the crash-sensing module reprogrammed — free of charge.

Affected vehicles (1)

2019 Chevrolet Corvette

Who to contact

Chevrolet — official Chevrolet recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-222-1020

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Will my Chevrolet's air bags actually deploy in a crash? · all 19 Chevrolet recalls in this area

Official notice

Component: AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 vehicles. Hard braking or acceleration may cause the sensing diagnostic module (SDM) to enter a fault state. As a result, the SDM will not provide crash sensing or deploy the necessary air bags in the event of a crash.
Safety risk: In the event of a crash, if the air bags do not deploy as designed, the occupants have an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the SDM with updated software, free of charge. The recall began on June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18195.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.