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2013 GMC Sierra 2500

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2013 GMC Sierra 2500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 46.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

24 reports with mileage · 22 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 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 5 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 reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

What owners actually said

46 reports
58,000 miles · Nov 12, 2018
Unknown Or Other

TOP OF DASH BOARD IS CRACKED IN NUMEROUS PLACES ABOVE THE STEERING WHEEL, CENTER OF DASHBOARD, AND AROUND PASSENGER AIRBAG. WORRIED THAT THIS WOULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THERE WOULD BE SHARP PIECES OF DASH BOARD BEING THROWN AROUND THE CAB AND MIGHT AFFECT DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER AIR BAG. I HAVE ADDIT…

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TOP OF DASH BOARD IS CRACKED IN NUMEROUS PLACES ABOVE THE STEERING WHEEL, CENTER OF DASHBOARD, AND AROUND PASSENGER AIRBAG. WORRIED THAT THIS WOULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THERE WOULD BE SHARP PIECES OF DASH BOARD BEING THROWN AROUND THE CAB AND MIGHT AFFECT DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER AIR BAG. I HAVE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS BUT THEY ARE OVER THE 5MB LIMIT

NHTSA ODI #11150959

67,000 miles · Sep 26, 2018
Structure

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD HAD CRACKS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BY THE AIR BAG UNIT, IN THE CENTER, AND AROUND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED COVERT CHEVROLET BUICK GMC (11750 RESEARCH BLVD STE D, AUSTIN, TX 78759, (512)…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD HAD CRACKS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BY THE AIR BAG UNIT, IN THE CENTER, AND AROUND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED COVERT CHEVROLET BUICK GMC (11750 RESEARCH BLVD STE D, AUSTIN, TX 78759, (512) 371-6075) AND WAS REFERRED TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 67,000. *TT CONSUMER STATED CRACK AROUND THE AIR BAG. UPDATED 12/20/18*JB

NHTSA ODI #11131815

43,000 miles · Sep 13, 2018
Steering

I BOUGHT MY 2013 SIERRA 2500 HD 4X4 USED WITH ONLY 42000 MILES ON IT. WITHIN 1000 MILES OF THAT PURCHASE, THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACED. I WAS PULLING INTO THE GAS STATION AND ALMOST TOOK OUT A FUELING TOWER. POWER STEERING PUMPS DO NOT FAIL -- THEY ARE MANUFACTURING DEFECTS. I HAVE HAD VEHICLES FOR 30 YEARS…

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I BOUGHT MY 2013 SIERRA 2500 HD 4X4 USED WITH ONLY 42000 MILES ON IT. WITHIN 1000 MILES OF THAT PURCHASE, THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACED. I WAS PULLING INTO THE GAS STATION AND ALMOST TOOK OUT A FUELING TOWER. POWER STEERING PUMPS DO NOT FAIL -- THEY ARE MANUFACTURING DEFECTS. I HAVE HAD VEHICLES FOR 30 YEARS AND NEVER HAD A PS PUMP FAILURE. MOST PEOPLE NEVER EXPERIENCE THIS. I HAD TO FORK OUT $500 FOR THE REPAIR -- GMC SHOULD REIMBURSE ME FOR THIS ; THEY ARE LUCKY THIS DID'T TURN OUT TO BE A CATASTROPHE. I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN MOVING VERY SLOWLY DUE TO THE CONGESTION AT THE STATION.

NHTSA ODI #11129310

Mileage unknown · Aug 27, 2018
Air BagsUnknown Or Other

CRACKED DASH GOING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG COVER TO THE DASH VENT. ALSO, THE MOUNTING BRACKET FOR THE SAMES VENT CLIP IS BROKEN CAUSING THE DASH COVER TO BOUNCE AROUND.

NHTSA ODI #11122786

12,000 miles · Jul 30, 2018
Steering

THE VEHICLE LOSES POWER STEERING IN SLOW CONDITIONS, NORMALLY WHILE IN PARKING LOTS OR MAKING A TURN. THIS NORMALLY ONLY HAPPENS WHEN MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN. WHEN THIS OCCURS, IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTINUE THE TURN OF THE WHEEL TO COMPLETE YOUR TURN. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE NEW TO…

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THE VEHICLE LOSES POWER STEERING IN SLOW CONDITIONS, NORMALLY WHILE IN PARKING LOTS OR MAKING A TURN. THIS NORMALLY ONLY HAPPENS WHEN MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN. WHEN THIS OCCURS, IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTINUE THE TURN OF THE WHEEL TO COMPLETE YOUR TURN. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE NEW TO RECENT AND WE ARE ALWAYS TOLD THAT THEY CANNOT RE-CREATE THE ISSUE, SO THERE IS NOTHING TO FIX. THE PROBLEM WILL LIKELY RESULT IN A CRASH AT SOME POINT IF IT IS NOT ADDRESSED, AS IT CREATES A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION AND INABILITY TO CONTROL THE TURN OF THE VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE TRUCK WAS NEW UP UNTIL MOST RECENTLY TODAY, JULY 30, 2018.

NHTSA ODI #11114578

Mileage unknown · Mar 13, 2018
Unknown Or Other

DASH IS CRACKED NEAR THE AIRBAG

NHTSA ODI #11079009

58,000 miles · Oct 11, 2017
Structure

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 GMC SIERRA 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD BEGAN TO CRACK SEVERELY. THE LOCAL DEALER (FRANK KENT COUNTRY, 2000 E. STATE HWY 31, CORSICANA, TX 75110) WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 GMC SIERRA 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD BEGAN TO CRACK SEVERELY. THE LOCAL DEALER (FRANK KENT COUNTRY, 2000 E. STATE HWY 31, CORSICANA, TX 75110) WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 58,000.

NHTSA ODI #11032958

3,000 miles · Sep 6, 2017
Steering

POWER STEERING GOES IN AND OUT WHEN MAKING TURNS AT LOW ENGINE RPM. HAPPENS REGULARLY WHEN TURNING INTO A PARKING SPOT IN A PARKING LOT. SOMETIMES, THE POWER STEERING COMPLETELY GOES OUT DURING THE TURN THAT YOU MUST COME TO A COMPLETE STOP BEFORE STRIKING ANOTHER VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI #11021860

62,000 miles · Jul 30, 2017
Service Brakes

DIC DISPLAYS, "SERVICE TRAILER BRAKE SYSTEM" TRAILER NOT CONNECTED AT THE TIME OF MESSAGE. NO FRAYED, LOOSE, OR CORRODED WIRES FOUND AND FUSES LOOK GOOD. CONNECTIONS DISCONNECTED, BLOWN OUT, AND RECONNECTED. MESSAGE STILL READS EVERY DAY OF DRIVING. SEEMED TO START AFTER DRIVING IN RAIN. MAYBE JUST A COINCIDENCE.

NHTSA ODI #11011574

45,489 miles · Jun 15, 2017
Unknown Or Other

MY DASH HAS CRACKED AROUND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. IF AIR BAG DEPLOYS, IT COULD SEND SHRAPNEL TOWARDS THE PASSENGER. GM IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR REPAIR. EVERETT GMC TOLD ME THEY USE TO REPAIR FOR $100.00. NOW THEY WANT $1,600.00 AND STATED IT WOULD PROBABLY OCCUR AGAIN DUE TO CHEAP PLASTIC PA…

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MY DASH HAS CRACKED AROUND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. IF AIR BAG DEPLOYS, IT COULD SEND SHRAPNEL TOWARDS THE PASSENGER. GM IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR REPAIR. EVERETT GMC TOLD ME THEY USE TO REPAIR FOR $100.00. NOW THEY WANT $1,600.00 AND STATED IT WOULD PROBABLY OCCUR AGAIN DUE TO CHEAP PLASTIC PARTS INSTALLED BY GM. MY VEHICLE IS GARAGE KEPT.

NHTSA ODI #10995392

Official recalls

3

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.

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.

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.