Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||||
| SB-08-09-41-002C | 02/01/2009 | 10029924 | General motors: diagnostic information for intermittent restraints, air bag (sir) indicator/lamp on with dtc(s) b0012, b0013, b0016, b0016, b0019, b0020, b0022, b0023, b0026, b0033, b0040, b0042 or b0044 set. this may be caused by a loose, | 07/20/2009 | |
| 4011 | 12/13/2007 | 4011F | 10020881 | Air bag indicator light is on. *kb updated on 12/13/07. *nj | 01/25/2007 |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||
| 12/03/2012 | 39990 | ||
| The passenger seat airbag does not work when the person in the passenger seat is under 110 lbs. my grand son is only 10 years old and i'm affraid to let him sit in the passenger seat cause the airbag doesn't work when him or any light weight person sits in the seat.i have brought it to the chevrolet dealer and they can't or won't spend the money to replace the seat sensor in the seat which they say is the problem. | |||
| 12/10/2012 | 112000 | 1 | |
| Service airbag lights up in the dash and the passenger side airbag light goes off. i have taken it to the dealership and have gotten no satisfaction. i was told since it goes back off after a while i have to wait until it stays on to know exactly which sensor has went bad because it is an out of pocket expense. *tr | |||
| 12/10/2012 | 112000 | ||
| Service airbag lights up in the dash and the passenger side airbag light goes off. i have taken it to the dealership and have gotten no satisfaction. i was told since it goes back off after a while i have to wait until it stays on to know exactly which sensor has went bad because it is an out of pocket expense. | |||
| 06/01/2012 | 40000 | 1 | |
| My 2008 chevy equinox has had the airbag error light on the console intermittently on for several months. now it is just on. paid $124 to have it look at the dealership i purchased it from, currently has 55k miles on it so out of warranty. the said the sensor unit under the passenger seat needs to be replaced which mean replacing that whole seat cushion over $800, the part is over $500. with this airbag error light on the airbags will not activate on impact so this is a safety risk. why would this not be part of a recall since i read the 2007s have the same problem. there has been no damage to that seat, this is faulty equipment. *tr | |||
| 06/01/2012 | 40000 | ||
| My 2008 chevy equinox has had the airbag error light on the console intermittently on for several months. now it is just on. paid $124 to have it look at at the dealership i purchased it from, currently has 55k miles on it so out of warranty. the said the sensor unit under the passenger seat needs to be replaced which mean replacing that whole seat cushion over $800, the part is over $500. with this airbag error light on the airbags will not activate on impact so this is a safety risk. why would this not be part of a recall since i read the 2007s have the same problem. there has been no damage to that seat, this is faulty equipment. | |||
| 11/16/2012 | 83000 | 1 | |
| Airbag sensor - service airbag is illuminated for no reason. multiple owners have the same issues, yet warranty doesn't cover. *tr | |||
| 11/16/2012 | 83000 | ||
| Airbag sensor - service airbag is illuminated for no reason. multiple owners have the same issues, yet warranty doesn't cover. | |||
| 12/23/2010 | 37000 | 1 | |
| The passenger side airbag light began displaying intermittently turning the passenger airbag on and off while displaying a service airbag message on the instrument panel. after several months the passenger side airbag now remains off at all times still displaying the service airbag message. this is with a 200 pound man sitting in the passenger seat. turning off and restarting the engine no longer clears the problem. my understanding is that the 2007 equinox was recalled for the same reason so why aren't the 2008 models not being included in the recall? also, after someone mentioned that their equinox had the same problem i started asking other owners. apparently it is fairly common and i guess a source of income for gm. one woman told me the chevy tech told her that air bag problems were common after 45,000 miles and was considered a routine repair. dealer wants $500 plus to repair. as long as dealers are telling people this is a routine repair no one is going to report it as a problem. also, the front right tire pressure indicator constantly reads 15 pounds when two separate manual air gauges show 37 psi. in addition, the electronic stability control message comes on periodically even when parked. driving is difficult until it clears which is also after a restart. *tr | |||
| 12/23/2010 | 37000 | ||
| The passenger side airbag light began displaying intermittently turning the passenger airbag on and off while displaying a service airbag message on the instrument panel. after several months the passenger side airbag now remains off at all times still displaying the service airbag message. this is with a 200 pound man sitting in the passenger seat. turning off and restarting the engine no longer clears the problem. my understanding is that the 2007 equinox was recalled for the same reason so why aren't the 2008 models not being included in the recall? also, after someone mentioned that their equinox had the same problem i started asking other owners. apparently it is fairly common and i guess a source of income for gm. one woman told me the chevy tech told her that air bag problems were common after 45,000 miles and was considered a routine repair. dealer wants $500 plus to repair. as long as dealers are telling people this is a routine repair no one is going to report it as a problem. also, the front right tire pressure indicator constantly reads 15 pounds when two separate manual air guages show 37 psi. in addition, the electronic stability control message comes on periodically even when parked. driving is difficult until it clears which is also after a restart. | |||
| 09/03/2011 | 83075 | 1 | |
| I took my 2008 chevy equinox to the dealer because the service airbag light was on. it was determined that the roof rail module needed replacement at a cost of $1,475. i had to rent a car for $175 and leave equinox for repair when the gm tech told me the equinox was dangerous to drive because the airbags would not deploy in an accident. upon completion, the service airbag light was off and the passenger airbag light displayed on as my 115lb daughter was in the passenger seat. half way home, passenger air bag light switched to off. would the airbag have deployed in an accident now that the sensor wasn't detecting anyone in the passenger seat? most likely not. sometimes the passenger light is on and then it goes off. sometimes it never senses a passenger at all. i have contacted gm corporate office and they will not rectify the problem. they want to give a $2,000 loyalty certificate to purchase a new gm vehicle within a year. i can't afford to purchase a new vehicle. per gm corporate, this $1,475 repair is routine maintenance. this contradicts the certified gm tech who told me this shouldn't be happening. he said it had nothing to do with the mileage or maintenance of the vehicle. a quality vehicle & the safety of their customers is of no concern to gm. i've had this issue for a year now since the passenger presence module was replaced in september 2011 at a cost of $545. bob bell chevy bel air can't replicate the problem so therefore deemed there is no problem. i can't have anyone sit in the passenger seat due to this defective airbag system. there are many complaints about the equinox on this same issue. in fact, 2007 equinox was recalled for similar airbag issues. i have requested a full refund from gm but they refuse. i am concerned for my safety and my children's safety. replacing air bag modules & sensors is not routine maintenance that i should be forced to bear. *tr | |||
| 09/03/2011 | 83075 | ||
| I took my 2008 chevy equinox to the dealer because the service airbag light was on.it was determined that the roof rail module needed replacement at a cost of $1,475. i had to rent a car for $175 and leave equinox for repair when the gm tech told me the equinox was dangerous to drive because the airbags would not deploy in an accident. upon completion, the service airbag light was off and the passenger airbag light displayed on as my 115lb daughter was in the passenger seat.half way home, passenger air bag light switched to off. would the airbag have deployed in an accident now that the sensor wasn't detecting anyone in the passenger seat? most likely not. sometimes the passenger light is on and then it goes off. sometimes it never senses a passenger at all. i have contacted gm corporate office and they will not rectify the problem. they want to give a $2,000 loyalty certificate to purchase a new gm vehicle within a year. i can't afford to purchase a new vehicle. per gm corporate, this $1,475 repair is routine maintenance. this contradicts the certified gm tech who told me this shouldn't be happening. he said it had nothing to do with the mileage or maintenance of the vehicle.a quality vehicle & the safety of their customers is of no concern to gm. i've had this issue for a year now since the passenger presence module was replaced in september 2011 at a cost of $545. bob bell chevy bel air can't replicate the problem so therefore deemed there is no problem. i can't have anyone sit in the passenger seat due to this defective airbag system.there are many complaints about the equinox on this same issue. in fact, 2007 equinox was recalled for similar airbag issues. i have requested a full refund from gm but they refuse. i am concerned for my safety and my children's safety. replacing air bag modules & sensors is not routine maintenance that i should be forced to bear. | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 35852 | 1 | |
| Does not recognize passenger, and airbag is off. this has happened beginning first day vehicle was purchased, and intermittently since. problem appears to be getting worse, as it usually does not recognize adult passenger of less than about 150 lbs. most recent trip a few days ago with three adults of medium size had problems with none of occupants being recognized by sensor, even when properly seated and buckled. literature states passengers of over about 100 lbs should be recognized. we have also found that it sometimes spontaneously shuts airbag off when traveling down the road, leading to concern that this essential safety feature may not work when needed in a crash. we have found it necessary to pull off the road, shut off engine and wait several minutes before restarting engine to activate passenger airbag. sometimes multiple attempts are needed, and passenger has had to move to rear seat when activation failed. it always recognizes a larger adult passenger, but typical passenger is of medium size. this is a completely unacceptable situation from a safety standpoint. gm position is that it is not covered under standard warranty, and our research shows repair cost to be substantial. research has turned up other customers having same issue with same vehicle. if a recall were to be called for, customers would not have to bear this high cost. *tr | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 35852 | ||
| Does not recognize passenger, and airbag is off. this has happened beginning first day vehicle was purchased, and intermittently since. problem appears to be getting worse, as it usually does not recognize adult passenger of less than about 150 lbs.most recent trip a few days ago with three adults of medium size had problems with none of occupants being recognized by sensor, even when properly seated and buckled. literature states passengers of over about 100 lbs should be recognized. we have also found that it sometimes spontaneously shuts airbag off when traveling down the road, leading to concern that this essential safety feature may not work when needed in a crash. we have found it necessary to pull off the road, shut off engine and wait several minutes before restarting engine to activate passenger airbag. sometimes multiple attempts are needed, and passenger has had to move to rear seat when activation failed. it always recognizes a larger adult passenger, but typical passenger is of medium size. this is a completely unacceptable situation from a safety standpoint. gm position is that it is not covered under standard warranty, and our research shows repair cost to be substantial. research has turned up other customers having same issue with same vehicle. if a recall were to be called for, customers would not have to bear this high cost. | |||
| 06/01/2011 | 50000 | 1 | |
| The passenger side airbag light began turning off and on intermittently turning the passenger airbag on and off while displaying a service airbag message on the instrument panel. after a few months the passenger side airbag just remains off at all times still displaying the service airbag message. this is with a 120 pound woman or a 170 pound man sitting in the seat. from what i understand the 2007 equinox was recalled for the same reason why is this one not being recalled? *tr | |||
| 06/01/2011 | 50000 | ||
| The passenger side airbag light began turning off and on intermittently turning the passenger airbag on and off while displaying a service airbag message on the instrument panel. after a few months the passenger side airbag just remains off at all times still displaying the service airbag message. this is with a 120 pound woman or a 170 pound man sitting in the seat. from what i understand the 2007 equinox was recalled for the same reason why is this one not being recalled? | |||
| 05/10/2012 | 32000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the passenger air bag sensor in the passenger seat did not identify that a passenger was sitting in the seat. this caused the passenger side air bag light to illuminate and the passenger side air bag would not to deploy in the event of a crash. the contact took the vehicle to a dealer for a diagnostic test. the dealer could not identify the issue. the contact stated that the air bag light illuminated intermittently. the failure mileage was 32,000. | |||
| 05/10/2012 | 32000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the passenger air bag sensor in the passenger seat did not identify that a passenger was sitting in the seat. this caused the passenger side air bag light to illuminate and the passenger side air bag would not to deploy in the event of a crash. the contact took the vehicle to a dealer for a diagnostic test. the dealer could not identify the issue. the contact stated that the air bag light illuminated intermittently. the failure mileage was 32,000. sm. | |||
| 05/10/2012 | 32000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 equinox. the contact stated the passenger air bag sensor in the passenger seat does not identify a person sitting the seat. this caused the passenger side air bag light to illuminate and will cause the passenger side air bag not to deploy in the vehicle crashed. the contact took the vehicle to a dealer for a diagnostic test. the dealer could not identify the issue. the contact stated the air bag light works intermittently. the failure mileage was 32,000. jo | |||
| 02/01/2012 | 81000 | ||
| Air bag light continues to state that it is off when passenger is sitting in passenger front seat. passenger weighs 115 +lbs. seems to be faulty sensor as sometimes it works correctly and the next it does not. should be a recall on this as there are plenty of complaints reguarding this issue. | |||
| 08/29/2011 | 48388 | ||
| Service airbag light would come on for days and go off for days and continued doing this for a month till we took it to the dealership. problem was right front seat module shorted out and was replaced. module kit 14.865 (part fp 19207140) total cost of repair was $416.75. at this time, there are no recalls for this problem on this model per gm. i do have a file number with gm and they will notify me should there be a recall. | |||
| 06/09/2011 | |||
| My 2008 chevy equinox has been messing up with the airbag sensor! i took it to get it checked and was charge $50 dollars and then they told me it was the module that had gone bad and it would cost me like $600 to fix that's just ridiculous. they should have a recall on this since ive read a lot of people having the same issue with the 08 equinox | |||
| 04/10/2011 | 34400 | ||
| Tl. the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated the passenger side air bag light always come on. the air bag light indicates a faulty passenger side air bag. the contact has taken the vehicle to the dealer and the dealer can not determine why the air bag light comes on because the codes are not showing up. the contact stated the vehicle is unsafe to drive due to the air bag malfunctioning. the failure mileage was 34,400. jo | |||
| 05/25/2011 | |||
| Tlhe service air bag light would come on and go off and had been doing it for quite some time. carried it to the dealer and was told the passenger side grid and module would have to be replaced and would cost $486.00. i started checking and found the '07 model had a recall for the same problem. it appears the '08 still has the problem. why is there not a recall on it? | |||
| 02/01/2011 | 37000 | ||
| Passenger side airbag seat sensor does not work when someone that weighs 130lbs is sitting in the passenger seat. gm will not acknowledge that there is a problem with the airbag sensor on this vehicle. the chevy dealership said that *i* would have to pay to have the problem fixed because it's out of warranty. this is the same exact problem that the 2007 equinox's had, which were recalled. it would seem to me that gm should have a recall on this vehicle since it is obviously a factory defect and could cause serious injury or death to someone if i were to get into an accident. this problem clearly violates fmvss standard number 208! | |||
| 02/10/2001 | 66000 | ||
| I purchased my car in dec. 2007 and have had electrical issues since jan. 2008. at first it was simple things like replacing the radio in apr. 2008 (under warranty), faulty wiper switch in sept. 2009 (under warranty). then in oct. 2010 i had to pay $175.54 to replace a faulty spark plug and wire. but february 2011 has been the worst! on 2/10/11 i was driving down a mountain in bad weather on my way to work when my entire dashboard lit up, stabilitrack disabled, abs, traction control turned off, check engine light; i couldn't drive faster than 20 mph without my car sliding all over the place. i was terrified. the dealership said the vacuum line wasn't plugged back in during my last oil change and that's what was causing it. i drove home and the same thing happened all the lights lit up again. back to the dealership 2/16/2011. dirty sensor, they cleaned it. i picked up my car and all the lights were on again so they replaced the sensor costing me $174.54. eight days later my car is back in the shop. the check engine light came on, stabilitrack light came on and my power steering failed. the dealership says its electrical and i most likely wont have to pay for it but i don't feel safe driving my car at all anymore. i have read numerous complaints online with the exact same issues and some are worse than mine. gm needs to take responsibility and recall this vehicle. and for years my passenger side airbag hasn't worked properly. i'm 112lbs and it doesn't turn on when i'm sitting in the passenger seat. this can't be safe! | |||
| 08/07/2009 | 6000 | 1 | |
| 2008 chevrolet equinox air bag light indicates off when a 107# lady is setting in seat. often you can turn off engine and restart engine and light will function correctly. have had to dealer 4 times and they say that it can't be fixed. this could be a real problem if i were to have an accident. this has been an on going problem since i purchased the vehicle. *tr | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| 05/12/2010 | 27000 | ||
| My vehicle is a 2008 chevy equinox. the passenger air bag sensor will not activate the device when my 107 to 110 lb wife is sitting in the vehicle. i have taken it to the dealer twice, they advise the system is functioning normally, as it was designed, and that my wife does not weigh enough to activate the on function of the air bag. this seems unsafe, and unreasonable to me. i'd like to file a complaint, and ask, does this violate nhtsa safety standards? does the nhtsa research support that a 110 lb adult should not have airbag protection? i've noticed similar complaints on your website for this issue. thanks. | |||
| 08/07/2009 | 6000 | 1 | |
| 2008 chevrolet equinox air bag light indicates off when a 107# lady is setting in seat. often you can turn off engine and restart engine and light will function correctly. have had to dealer 4 times and they say that it can't be fixed. this could be a real problem if i were to have an accident. this has been an on going problem since i purchased the vehicle. *tr | |||