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2010 Chevrolet Suburban

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2010 Chevrolet Suburban do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 118.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

74 reports with mileage · 43 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 52 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 28 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.

1 crash reports1 fire reports1 injury reports

Air Bags complaints

52 reports
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Mileage unknown · Nov 28, 2017
Air Bags

TAKATA RECALL IT HAS BEEN 18 MONTHS SINCE I FIRST RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THAT THE AIRBAGS IN MY VEHICLE, DESIGNED TO KEEP ME SAFE, MAY BE DEFECTIVE TO THE POINT OF CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. THERE IS STILL, 18 MONTHS LATER, NO SOLUTION TO THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A SERIOUS BREECH OF SAFETY AMOUNTS TO NEGLIGENCE. TAKATA HAS SI…

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TAKATA RECALL IT HAS BEEN 18 MONTHS SINCE I FIRST RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THAT THE AIRBAGS IN MY VEHICLE, DESIGNED TO KEEP ME SAFE, MAY BE DEFECTIVE TO THE POINT OF CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. THERE IS STILL, 18 MONTHS LATER, NO SOLUTION TO THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A SERIOUS BREECH OF SAFETY AMOUNTS TO NEGLIGENCE. TAKATA HAS SINCE FILED BANKRUPTCY. CHEVROLET/GM HAS NOT FULFILLED THEIR OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE A VEHICLE THAT DOES NOT POSE UNDUE AND INCREASED RISK OR DANGER.

NHTSA ODI #11050923

Mileage unknown · Nov 9, 2017
Air Bags

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V381000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED ARANSAS AUT…

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TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V381000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED ARANSAS AUTOPLEX (SALES AND SERVICE) AT (844) 884-7521 (2352 W WHEELER AVE, ARANSAS PASS, TX 78336) WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE/PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

NHTSA ODI #11044901

59,000 miles · Oct 24, 2017
Air BagsSeat BeltsStructure

ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL THE MESSAGE "SERVICE AIR BAG" AND AIRBAG READINESS LIGHT SYMBOL STAYS ON WHEN IGNITION ON AND WHILE DRIVING. DASHBOARD CRACKED. BACK PASSENGER SEATBELT WON'T LOCK AT TIMES.

NHTSA ODI #11039239

Mileage unknown · Oct 23, 2017
Air Bags

THIS RECALL HAS BEEN OVER A YEAR AND HALF AND WE ARE BEING TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIPS THERE IS YET TO BE A FIX. THIS IS RIDICULOUS

NHTSA ODI #11035958

Mileage unknown · Oct 23, 2017
Air Bags

"TAKATA RECALL". I RECEIVED A RECALL IN JUNE 2016 AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SUPPLY A REPLACEMENT PART IN 16 MONTHS. NO ONE CAN RIDE IN THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT BECAUSE OF THE DANGER

NHTSA ODI #11035785

90,000 miles · Oct 22, 2017
Air Bags

TAKATA RECALL HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED IN TRUCK YET, OVER A YEAR AND A HALF LATER.

NHTSA ODI #11035528

Mileage unknown · Oct 2, 2017
Air Bags

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V381000 (AIR BAGS). THE PART FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG …

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TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V381000 (AIR BAGS). THE PART FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED NASH CHEVROLET (630 SCENIC HWY S, LAWRENCEVILLE, GA 30046; 770-822-6678 OR 678-317-2806) WHO STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT REPAIRING VEHICLES AT THE TIME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT OF THE PETITION BEING EXPANDED UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 2017; THEREFORE, NO VEHICLES WERE BEING REPAIRED AT THE TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #11030803

Mileage unknown · Aug 31, 2017
Air Bags

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V381000 (AIR BAGS) THE PART NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. AUTONATION CHEVROLET OF PEMBROKE PINES, FLORIDA WAS …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V381000 (AIR BAGS) THE PART NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. AUTONATION CHEVROLET OF PEMBROKE PINES, FLORIDA WAS MADE AWARE OF THE RECALL AND STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT GRANTED THEM PERMISSION TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #11020980

86,000 miles · Jun 8, 2017
Air BagsUnknown Or Other

THE DASHBOARD CRACKED WITH NO INCIDENT TO CAUSE IT. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND WAS NOTICED WHEN RETURNING TO THE CAR. THE VEHICLE IS WELL TAKEN CARE OF AND PARKED/PROTECTED WITH SPACES THAT ARE COVERED. THERE ARE TWO CRACKS, ONE EXTENDS FROM UPPER RIGHT CORNER OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG AND THE OTHER STARTS AND EXTENDS NEAR THE INS…

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THE DASHBOARD CRACKED WITH NO INCIDENT TO CAUSE IT. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND WAS NOTICED WHEN RETURNING TO THE CAR. THE VEHICLE IS WELL TAKEN CARE OF AND PARKED/PROTECTED WITH SPACES THAT ARE COVERED. THERE ARE TWO CRACKS, ONE EXTENDS FROM UPPER RIGHT CORNER OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG AND THE OTHER STARTS AND EXTENDS NEAR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT ON GM MADE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN 2007-2013. THERE IS NO EVENT THAT CAUSED THIS CRACK AND THE VEHICLE IS PROTECTED FROM EXTREME HEAT AND COLD. NON-ABRASIVE CLEANING PROTECTS ARE ALSO USED ON THE DASH. THIS HAPPENS TO A MAJORITY OF OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES AND THERE IS EVEN A FACEBOOK GROUP WITH OVER 4000 MEMBERS THAT DOCUMENTS ALL THE PROBLEMS. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE IF THE AIRBAG GOES OFF OR A VEHICLE ACCIDENT OCCURS, THEN SMALL PIECES OF PLASTIC CAN EASILY BECOME PROJECTILES. THESE VEHICLES ARE MUCH TO EXPENSIVE TO HAVE THESE PROBLEMS WITH NO MAJOR EVENT TO CAUSE IT.

NHTSA ODI #10993900

135,000 miles · Feb 28, 2017
Air BagsBack Over PreventionElectrical SystemCrashInjury

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND THE ELECTRONIC STARTER FAILED. IN ADDITION, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE, THE REAR ASSIST SENSOR FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED NECK INJURI…

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TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND THE ELECTRONIC STARTER FAILED. IN ADDITION, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE, THE REAR ASSIST SENSOR FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED NECK INJURIES, BUT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V381000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #10957648

Official recalls

3

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.

21V053000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Feb 5, 2021

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL 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 2010 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and 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." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C."

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 24, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328790.

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.

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.