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2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 81.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

57 reports with mileage · 47 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports2 fire reports2 injury reports

Power Train complaints

10 reports
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Mileage unknown · Sep 2, 2023
Power Train

The transmission control module (TCM) began acting erratic. At times the transmission will not shift but several times it has gone into park( with no warning) when slowing down causing the wheels to lock and the truck skids to a stop. I was nearly in 2 accidents when this happened. Both time I was hauling a load and caused th…

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The transmission control module (TCM) began acting erratic. At times the transmission will not shift but several times it has gone into park( with no warning) when slowing down causing the wheels to lock and the truck skids to a stop. I was nearly in 2 accidents when this happened. Both time I was hauling a load and caused the traffic behind me have to swerve to not run into me. In looking into the issue I found that in 2011 GM had put out a shop notice that they had a known problem with the TCM and they thought it might be caused by a non-OEM fan belt causing electrical discharge that might impact the TCM. A second shop notice from GM stated that the issue was due to heat and since they has mounted the unit on the fan shroud it should be moved. But none of the shops I went to knew about these shop notices from GM. Thousands of TCMS have failed but no recall. GM has now greatly reduced production of replacement modules and the cost of a new TCM has gone from $400 to $5000 ( Plus programing ) and a long wait time to get one. You can get one refurbished for $1200.

NHTSA ODI #11542326

Mileage unknown · Aug 21, 2023
Electrical SystemPower TrainVehicle Speed Control

It is a transmission control module wear a lobster transmission into a Garin. Will not let you speed up or speed down and it is unsafe and GM IS making us pay for the bill. The contact stated transmission control module all across the country on back order, you cannot get a dealer to get you one within six months GM should have …

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It is a transmission control module wear a lobster transmission into a Garin. Will not let you speed up or speed down and it is unsafe and GM IS making us pay for the bill. The contact stated transmission control module all across the country on back order, you cannot get a dealer to get you one within six months GM should have to do something about this.

NHTSA ODI #11539801

Mileage unknown · Apr 27, 2023
Power Train

The vehicle started to shift on its own mostly between the upper gears even though terrain or load had not changed. At slower speeds the vehicle started to automatically shift into park and lock up the wheels. This caused a very serious risk of injury to me and the people behind me when it would lock up. After stopping the veh…

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The vehicle started to shift on its own mostly between the upper gears even though terrain or load had not changed. At slower speeds the vehicle started to automatically shift into park and lock up the wheels. This caused a very serious risk of injury to me and the people behind me when it would lock up. After stopping the vehicle sometimes does not move when in drive. There are no warning lights Took it to a shop and they checked it over. I was informed that there is a known issue with the electronic transmission control unit (TCM) for the Allison Transmission. The issue is with the location of the TCM. GM has developed a new unit to replace the original TCM that is engineered to no be affected by this. But due to the demand GM has a back order on the new TCM. The cost to get a TCM has risen from $800 dollars to $5000 dollars if you can find one.

NHTSA ODI #11519283

Mileage unknown · Nov 24, 2022
Power Train

My truck has been at a dealership since May 31st , 2022. It needs a TCM. While researching , plus calling aftermarket parts suppliers(Auto zone and others) , and also calling auto recycling/salvages yards , there are Zero TCM's available unless you get lucky at a auto salvage yard minutes after a wrecked truck shows up. There is…

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My truck has been at a dealership since May 31st , 2022. It needs a TCM. While researching , plus calling aftermarket parts suppliers(Auto zone and others) , and also calling auto recycling/salvages yards , there are Zero TCM's available unless you get lucky at a auto salvage yard minutes after a wrecked truck shows up. There is a huge issue with the TCM's failing on these 10 year old trucks , and GM refuses to allow their supplier to make replacement TCM's. I have lost the use of my truck for almost 6 months at this point. I would also like to know how many other customers are waiting for a TCM.

NHTSA ODI #11494817

61,000 miles · Oct 5, 2022
Power Train

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, she made a mid-left turn and heard a low sound coming from the engine. The contact then stated that as his wife depressed the accelerator pedal, the engine revved but the vehicle failed to respond. The se…

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The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, she made a mid-left turn and heard a low sound coming from the engine. The contact then stated that as his wife depressed the accelerator pedal, the engine revved but the vehicle failed to respond. The service stabilitrak, ABS, and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the parts to do the repair were on back order. The manufacture was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

NHTSA ODI #11488042

77,000 miles · Sep 19, 2017
Power Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING AT A RED LIGHT, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT HAD TO PLACE THE GEAR SHIFTER IN PARK TO RESTART THE VEHICLE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE STABILITRAK AND TRACTION CONTROL INDICATORS ILLUM…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING AT A RED LIGHT, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT HAD TO PLACE THE GEAR SHIFTER IN PARK TO RESTART THE VEHICLE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE STABILITRAK AND TRACTION CONTROL INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SANDS CHEVROLET GLENDALE (623-931-9331, 5418 GRAND AVE, GLENDALE, AZ 85301) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT DID NOT ASSIST. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000.

NHTSA ODI #11024218

250 miles · Jan 3, 2017
Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

THROTLE POSITION SENSOR IS ALWAYS ON EVEN AFTER REPLACED TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTING, POORLY, NEEDS REPROGRAMMING GEARS ARE SHIFTING ROGHT MALFUNTION OF TRANSMISSION SOLEINOIDS, BAD MANUFACTURE,

NHTSA ODI #10939301

126,000 miles · Jul 23, 2016
Power Train

AT 75000 STARTING HAVE PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION ALWAYS DOWN SHIFTING. AT 126000 TORQUE CONVERTER CAME APART AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION PUMP AND BELL HOUSING. THE TRUCK WAS BEING DRIVEN IN BOTH SITUATIONS.0

NHTSA ODI #10887936

61,000 miles · Mar 2, 2016
Power Train

TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE AND EGR VALVE NEEDS REPLACED AT 61,000 MILES.

NHTSA ODI #10839403

1,870 miles · May 13, 2011
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Equipment

NEW VEHICLE FRONT END SUSPENSION BEGAN TO RANDOMLY VIOLENTLY SHAKE AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS (ONCE @ 55 MPH & ONCE @ 70 MPH). THE SHAKING WAS SO BAD THAT THE DRIVER COULD BARLEY HOLD THE WHEEL STRAIGHT TO AVOID LOSING CONTROL & CRASHING. WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING THE VEHICLE 4 WD LIGHT WAS BLINKING DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS…

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NEW VEHICLE FRONT END SUSPENSION BEGAN TO RANDOMLY VIOLENTLY SHAKE AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS (ONCE @ 55 MPH & ONCE @ 70 MPH). THE SHAKING WAS SO BAD THAT THE DRIVER COULD BARLEY HOLD THE WHEEL STRAIGHT TO AVOID LOSING CONTROL & CRASHING. WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING THE VEHICLE 4 WD LIGHT WAS BLINKING DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN 2 WD. ONCE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER HE INSPECTED THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE TO FIND NO MECHANICAL ISSUES (NO FLAT TIRES, THINGS IN THE WHEELS, ETC...). DRIVER THEN BEGAN DRIVING AGAIN & THE VEHICLE WAS FINE AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED. DRIVER CALLED ONSTAR & THEY STATED THERE WERE NO FAULT CODES IN THE SYSTEM. SEVERAL DAYS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH. THIS TIME THE DRIVER NEARLY GOT INTO A ROLL OVER ACCIDENT. HE WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. UPON INSPECTION THERE WERE AGAIN NO MECHANICAL ISSUES. OWNER DROVE TO DEALER & WAS TOLD TO BRING BACK THE NEXT DAY. OWNER INQUIRED IF VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE & WAS TOLD "I HOPE SO" BY THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN. GM CUSTOMER CARE WAS CALLED & STATED THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY ISSUES WITH THE 2011 HD VEHICLES. OWNER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER NEXT MORNING & SEVERAL HOURS LATER WAS CALLED & TOLD IT WAS MUD IN WHEELS (NOT POSSIBLE SINCE THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED THERE WAS NO MUD). OWNERS SON THEN LOOKED ON INTERNET TO SEE MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE IN THIS MODEL YEAR VEHICLE. THE SON THEN FOUND THAT A TSB WAS ISSUED BY GM TO ALL DEALERS FOR A STICKY BREAK PEDAL THAT WHEN STUCK (EVEN THOUGH IT APPEARS VISUALLY TO NOT BE STUCK) WILL AT RANDOM TIMES CAUSE THE ABS TO ACTIVATE VIOLENTLY. TSB# PIT5037B. DEALER WAS THEN TOLD BY OWNER ABOUT THE TSB & DEALER WAS NOT AWARE OF TSB. REPAIR WAS PERFORMED & THE VEHICLE HAS NOT SHOOK SINCE. OWNER WAS SUPPOSE TO BE PULLING A 30 FT 5TH WHEEL WITH A 15 FT TRAILER ATTACHED TO IT (45 FT. TOTAL). IF THEY HAD BEEN THEY LIKELY WOULD HAVE BEEN IN MAJOR ACCIDENT WITH POSSIBLE LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO THE SWAY IT CAUSES WHEN IT OCCURS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10400753

Official recalls

4

21V050000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Feb 5, 2021

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

21V054000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Feb 5, 2021

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

18V267000 · Equipment

Apr 26, 2018

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD, 2009 GMC Topkick 5000, 6000, 7000 and 8000 Series and Isuzu F Series, and 2009-2018 Chevrolet Express, and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with certain Plastic-Handle Fire Extinguishers or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, instructing them to contact Kidde to get a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began June 11, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Isuzu customer service at 1-866-441-9638. GM's number for this recall is 18146.

14V407000 · Electrical System

Jul 2, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD 2500/3500 trucks manufactured January 18, 2007, to June 22, 2011, and GMC Sierra HD 2500/3500 trucks manufactured January 22, 2007, to June 21, 2011, and equipped with an auxiliary battery. Owners may unknowingly draw too much current through the vehicle's trailer harness resulting in the melting of fusible link for the auxiliary battery.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the fusible link melts it may come into contact with adjacent components, damage the electrical center cover, the nearby wiring harness conduit and other vehicle components, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: GM will notify owners and dealers will replace the jumper harness with one that includes a 40 amp inline fuse, and provide the owner with supplemental Owner Manual information, free of charge. The recall began on August 29, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 14260.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

EA21002 · Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

Opened Sep 17, 2021 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module; Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.