GM SUVs and cars: airbag warning light may not work

NHTSA campaign 21V421000 · Reported 2021-06-10 · General Motors, LLC

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The air bag malfunction indicator light may fail to warn the driver of a problem with the air bag, increasing the risk of injury. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.

What's wrong, in plain English

A software problem in your vehicle's communication module means the airbag warning light on the dash can turn on and off when it shouldn't. Because the light behaves unpredictably, it may fail to tell you when something is genuinely wrong with the airbag system. The notice does not say the airbags themselves are faulty — the problem is with the warning you would get if a fault developed. A free software update fixes it, done at the dealer or sent to the car over the air.

What you should do

1. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm your vehicle is included.
2. Check whether your car already received the over-the-air update; if not, call Buick 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet 1-800-222-1020, or GMC 1-800-462-8782 (GM recall N212338110).
3. Book the software update at a dealer — the repair is free.

Affected vehicles (10)

2021 Buick Envision
2021 Cadillac CT4
2021 Cadillac CT5
2021 Cadillac Escalade
2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV
2021 Chevrolet Corvette
2021 Chevrolet Suburban
2021 Chevrolet Tahoe
2021 GMC Yukon
2021 GMC Yukon XL

Who to contact

Buick — official Buick recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-521-7300

Cadillac — official Cadillac recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-458-8006

Chevrolet — official Chevrolet recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-222-1020

GMC — official GMC recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-462-8782

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

Why do Buick airbags fail to deploy in these recalls? · all 5 Buick recalls in this area
Cadillac airbag recalls: which models may not deploy correctly? · all 4 Cadillac recalls in this area
Will my Chevrolet's air bags actually deploy in a crash? · all 19 Chevrolet recalls in this area
GMC air bag recalls: roof-rail inflators and sensor module faults · all 11 GMC recalls in this area

Official notice

Component: AIR BAGS:SRS MALFUNCTION WARNING LAMP/LIGHT
Summary: 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.
Safety 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. (over-the-air software update)

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