2011 Chevrolet Impala Airbags Problems

Your passenger-side airbag unexpectedly turned off while someone was sitting in the front passenger seat. You'll see an airbag warning light and message on your dashboard. An independent mechanic recommended taking the car to a Chevrolet dealer for diagnosis and repair, but the issue hasn't been fixed yet.

Your Impala's passenger seat occupant sensor sometimes fails to detect when someone is sitting in the passenger seat, causing the airbag off warning light to stay on. This means the passenger airbag may not deploy in a crash even if someone is seated there. The dealer said the replacement part wasn't available and suggested checking a junkyard. The fix will require replacing the occupant sensor module in the passenger seat.

Your airbag warning light stays on and won't turn off. This means your airbags may not deploy properly in a crash, even though there's no current crash or fire issue. You'll need to have the airbag system diagnosed with a scan tool to identify what's triggering the light.

Your passenger seat airbag warning light turns on whenever someone sits in the front passenger seat. This problem has occurred in both Impalas you've owned. The airbag system may need diagnostic testing to identify why the passenger sensor is triggering the warning light.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR FAILED TO RECOGNIZE AN OCCUPANT SEATED IN THE PASSENGER'S SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DON FRANKLIN CHEVROLET BUICK GMC INC (345 S. HWY 27, SOMERSET, KY 42503) AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SUBJECTED TO A RECALL. THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED AN ESTIMATE FOR THE REPAIR. AN EMAIL WAS SENT TO THE MANUFACTURER HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE RECEIVED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

WHEN YOU SEAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE SERVICE AIR BAG WILL COME ON. MY IMPALA ISN'T THE ONLY VEHICLE THAT IS DOING. I KNOW SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. ITS THE SAME YEAR AND THE SAME VEHICLE. AND WHAT I WAS TOLD THAT IF I GET INTO AN ACCIDENT MY AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE PASSENGER. AND COULD LEAD TO A LAWSUIT TO CHEVROLET. MY CAR ONLY HAS 63,000 MILES ON IT. IT SHOULDN'T HAVE ISSUES WITH THE AIRBAGS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THE SERVICE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE A PASSENGER WAS SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT, THE SENSOR FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE SEAT WAS OCCUPIED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AS A OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. NEITHER A DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP, ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN A RED LIGHT AND COLLIDED DIRECTLY INTO THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE HEAD, BACK, NECK, CHEST, AND SHOULDER. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS RECEIVED. POLICE REPORT NUMBER: MP19030877 WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN UNKNOWN LOCATION WHERE IT WAS DEEMED DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT AND CHIME IS CONSTANTLY GOING OFF. AT FIRST IT WAS RANDOM AND INTERMITTENT BUT NOW IT IS FREQUENT. THIS IS WITH NO ONE IN THG HE SEAT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE AIR BAGS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

"TAKATA RECALL" VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A REAR END COLLISION, WAS PUSHED INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND HIT HEAD ON. AIR BAG NEVER DEPLOYED ADDITIONALLY THE BACK OF DRIVERS SEAT COLLAPSED INTO THE REAR SEAT

WELL I HAVE NOT TO MANY COMPLAINTS AS I DO MY OWN MAINTENANCE BUT SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR USED AT 32000 MILES AT 83000 DRIVER SEAT HEATER UNION AND NOW AT 114764 MILES SERVICE AIR BAGS LIGHT IS ON DISPLAY AND LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED AT ALL TIMES. IT STARTED WHEN CAR WAS TURNED ON SEPT 30 2017 IN THE MORNING.

MU AIRBAG LIGHT KEEP COMING ON. REPLACED SENSORS AND ATILL HAVEN'T FIXED2

TAKATA RECALL MY STABILA TRACT AND REDUCED POWER TRACTION CONTROL KEEPS COMING UP ON MY DASHBOARD IT STARTS JERKING AND NO POWER. EVERY TIME I START MY CAR THESE LIGHTS COME ON AND THE CAR WILL NOT PICK UP SPEED IT HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY IT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT.

"TAKATA RECALL?' CHECK AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON CONTINUOUSLY. DEALER STATES IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE AND WILL COST OVER $400. TO CORRECT. NOT CLEAR IF THIS LIGHT COULD BE AN ACTUAL WARNING OF MALFUNCTION CAUSING RECALL.

"TAKATA RECALL" ? CHECK AIRBAG LIGHT IS CONTINUOUSLY ON. DEALER STATES IT IS NOT RELATED TO RECALL AND NO RISK. THEY WILL REPAIR FOR A RIDICULOUS CHARGE. IF THERE IS NO RISK, I WILL NOT CONCERN MYSELF. THE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE ON A ROAD TRIP. IT IS UNKNOWN WHAT PART IS AT FAULT OR IF CONNECTED TO TAKATA ISSUES. IT HAS BEEN OVER 6 MONTHS.

"SERVICE AIR BAG" WARNING COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY: WHEN STARTING UP AND WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE AND NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS AND HAVE FOUND MANY TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.

"TAKATA RECALL" - SERVICE AIR BAGS WARNING JUST RECENTLY CAME UP ON MY DASHBOARD WHEN DRIVING. PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT SOUNDS OFF, AND FLASHES TO FASTEN SEAT BELT WHEN THERE IS NO PASSENGER IS IN THE CAR, AND THE AIR BAG PANEL FLICKS ON AND OFF CONSISTENTLY. WHEN I OPEN THE DRIVERS DOOR, THERE A TAPPING LIKE SOUND STARTS AND CONTINUES FOR FIVE TO SIX SECONDS AND THEN STOPS. WHEN I PUSH THE HEAT AND AIR LEVERS, IT STOPS. WHEN I TURN ON THE AIR OR HEAT, IT WILL MAKE THE TAPPING NOISE AND STOP AFTER A SHORT WHILE. THE NOISE SEEM TO BE GETTING LOUDER. WHEN THE CAR IS SITTING IN THE HEAT OR WHEN IN THE CAR JUST SITTING AND THE CAR NOT TURNED ON, THE SAME TAPPING NOISE WILL OCCUR. THE NOISE SOUNDS LIKE A WOOD PECKER SOUND. IT SOUND LIKE IT IS LOCATED IN THE COOLING SYSTEM AREA, CLOSE BY THE DASHBOARD AREA.

G.M. REPLACED MY INGINTION SWITCH ON A NATIONAL RECALL. I WAS HIT IN LEFT REAR QTR. PANEL. I LOST ALL POWER AND COULD NOT STOP OR STEER THE CAR. I CAREENED ACROSS HIGHWAY AND RAN INTO A HOUSE. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED EITHER. G.M. SENT A TEAM TO RECOVER COMPUTER INFO AND HAS NOW TOLD ME THERE IS NO PROBLEM.

DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, I WAS REAR ENDED, SPUN AROUND TWO TO THREE TIMES; HIT A GUARDRAIL HEAD ON BEFORE COMING TO A STOP; AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. THE IGNITION RECALL HAD BEEN FIXED OVER THE PAST SUMMER AT A LOCAL DEALERSHIP.

MY SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON. I HAD IT CHECKED OUT. THE PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR IS FAULTY OR HAS FAULTY WIRING. IT'S A NEWER VEHICLE, I CURRENTLY HAVE 72,000 MILES ON IT. AND IS A SAFETY CONCERN FOR ANYBODY ESPECIALLY MY KIDS WHO RIDES IN MY PASSENGER SEAT. THE SENSOR WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ANY WEIGHT ON THE SEAT AND WILL NOT ACTIVATE IF I WERE TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. I CALLED UP A WHILE BACK AND PUT IN A COMPLAINT. SOMEBODY CALLED ME BACK BUT NEVER ANSWERED MY PHONE OR MESSAGES I HAD LEFT. I'VE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND HAVE NOTICED THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I EXPECT CHEVY TO STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT AND ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO AN EMBANKMENT. THE DRIVER SIDE FRONTAL AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUFFERED INJURIES TO THE HEAD, ARM, AND CHEST. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS RECEIVED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V355000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AFTER THE CRASH OCCURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED NECK, BACK, AND SHOULDER INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR REPAIRS. THE DRIVER AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOORS, SIDE PANEL, TRUNK, AND REAR BUMPER WERE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 10/09/14*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED FUMES WOULD ENTER THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE VENTS. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ROARING NOISES IN THE REAR ON THE HIGHWAY. UPDATED 3/26/2015 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT WAS INJURED BECAUSE THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO HER VEHICLE HEAD ON. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED BRUISED RIBS AND NECK INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000.

I WAS ON MY TO WORK AND A DEER RAN OUT IN FRONT OF ME. I OF COURSE LIKE OTHERS SWERVED TO MISS THE ANIMAL CAUSING ME TO ROLL 3 AND A HALF TIMES SIDE TO SIDE WILL WEARING SEATBELT. I RECEIVED SCRATCHES ON LEFT SIDE OF FACE AND STRUCK STEERING WHEEL WITH MY CHEST AT THE BOTTOM OF MY STERNUM. CAUSING SEVERE CHEST PAIN AND SLIGHT PNEUMOTHORAX TO LEFT LUNG AND SOMETHING HAD GOTTEN BEHIND ME CAUSING LEFT BUTTOCK BLACK BRUISING AND BRUISING ON MY SPINE CAUSING SLIGHT PARALYSIS FOR QUITE SOME TIME. NO AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT HAPPENED AND I HAVE PICTURES OF ALL THIS INCLUDING PICTURES OF AIRBAG COMPARTMENTS BUSTED OPEN AND SENSORS SHOWING THAT WAS SUPPOSE TO DEPLOY THEM. I HAD TO BE EXTRICATED FROM CAR AND FLOWN BY HELICOPTER TO TRAUMA CENTER. SEATBELT HELD AT WAIST BUT DID NOT LOCK AT TOP HOLDING ME STILL AT ALL. I STILL HAVE PAIN IN MID STERNUM AREA. THIS CAR WAS VERY UNSAFE IN MY OPINION AND I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER. I BELIEVE IF AIRBAGS HAD DEPLOYED AND SEATBELT HELD I WOULD NEVER HAD RECEIVED THESE INJURIES. CAR WAS INSURED AND IN SOME JUNK YARD NOW SOMEWHERE. PLEASE DO GIVE ME A CALL IF YOU WOULD LIKE PICTURES OF ALL THIS AND GIVE ME SOME ADVICE. WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A FRACTURED WRIST AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE UNKNOWN REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 12,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

SERVICE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON WHEN START. WILL RESET TILL RESTART. DEALER QUOTE WAS 550 FOR PART 200 LABOR. JUST NOW 3 YEARS OLD WITH ALL OTHER COMPLAINTS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECTIVE SAFETY RELATED PART. CHEVY AND GM APPEAR TO BE IGNORING THIS ISSUE AND MAKING A GOOD PROFIT ON DEFECTIVE PARTS. COME ON GM HOW ABOUT BACKING UP YOUR PRODUCT. WE BAILED YOU OUT HOW ABOUT MAKING THINGS RIGHT WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL BUYING YOUR CARS. THIS MAY BE MY 3RD AND LAST GM PRODUCT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR SEAT MIDDLE HEAD REST OBSTRUCTED HER VIEW OF THE ROADWAY WHEN LOOKING THROUGH THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. THE HEAD REST COULD NOT BE REMOVED. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WAS NOT PUSHED FLAT DOWN INTO THE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,855.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH IN WHICH THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURY TO THE CHEST AND BACK. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER OF THE OPPOSING VEHICLE SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE HANDS AND CHEST. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO ASSIST AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT STATES THAT THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED AND REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 97,000. UPDATED 9/19/11 *CN