There are 17 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 2002 GMC Sierrain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
We were in a roll over accident going under 30mph. I was a passenger in the back seat. When I woke up I saw that the driver was hanging out the door window. The air bags did not deploy. The driver who was also the owner of the truck died of multiple blunt forces. The insurance company had the truck towed to COPART in Las Vegas.
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WE HIT BLACK ICE AND ULTIMATELY ENDED UP WITH A FRONT IMPACT WHICH TURNED INTO A 2 TIME VEHICLE ROLLOVER. BOTH FRONT SEAT BELTS AND BUCKLED DURING THE ROLLOVER AND DID NOT LOCK AND NEITHER OF THE AIRBAGS IN FRONT WHEN OFF AT ANY POINT DURING THE COLLISION
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 GMC SIERRA 1500. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT'S SON CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A CONCUSSION, A NECK INJURY, NOSE BRUISING, AND BACK INJURIES DUE TO THE SEAT BELT TIGHTENING. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS RECEIVED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOWING COMPANY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.
AIR BAG SENSOR WENT OUT. 4TH ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED ON 6 JAN 14; THREE OTHERS WERE REPLACED BETWEEN 9 MAR2012 AND 6 JAN 14. RESISTOR FOR AIR CONDITIONING REPLACED ON 9 JUL 13. FRONT HUBS FAILED TWICE REQUIRING THEIR REPLACEMENT WITHIN SIX MONTHS. FRONT BRAKE PADS REPLACED TWICE IN 16 MONTHS AND 10,718 MILES. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS STAYED ON CONTINUOUSLY DURING THIS TIME, EVEN AFTER RESET ON FOUR OCCASIONS. *TR
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE. GOING ABOUT 60 MILES A HOUR WE HIT A PATCH OF BLACK ICE. THE VEHICLE STARTED TO FISHTAIL. THE DRIVER KEPT THE VEHICLE FROM SPINNING OUT AND DOING A 360. WE CROSSED OVER 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC, WITHOUT HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE. WHEN THE TRUCK FINALLY GRIPED ON TO THE ROAD WE HAD NO WAY OF AVOIDING THE CENTER MEDIAN, A CONCRET WALL DIVIDER. UPON IMPACT NEITHER THE DRIVERSIDE OR THE PASSENGERSIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. WE HIT THE WALL AT A 70 DEGREE ANGLE SO IT WAS PRETTY MUCH HEAD ON. WHY DIDN'T THE AIRBAGS DEPLOY??????? FROM READING OTHER POSTS ON OTHER SITES IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS HAPPENS A LOT. WHY ISN'T THERE A RECALL. APPARENTLY THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG AND IT'S UNSAFE. *TR ## VIN PASSED ## GMC, SIERRA, 1500, 2002 ##
WE WERE TRAVELING WEST BOUND ON GEORGE BUSH TURNPIKE IN PLANO, TEXAS AT THE N CENTRAL EXPRESSWAY EXIT A VEHICLE TRAVELING IN THE LANE TO OUR RIGHT CAME INTO MY LANE CUTTING ME OFF AND I SWERVED TO MISS SAID VEHICLE AND CORRECTED TO THE LEFT AND CORRECTED BACK TO THE RIGHT TO MISS A VEHICLE COMING UP ON MY LEFT. IT HAD BEEN RAINING AND THE ROADS WERE SLICK, WE WENT INTO A SKID AND INTO A CONCERT BARRIER TRAVELING AROUND 60 TO 65 MILES AN HOUR. NO OTHER VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED. MYSELF AND MY PASSENGER WERE BOTH INJURED. WE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL SEATBELT TRAUMA TO OUR UPPER TORSO AND MYSELF AS THE DRIVE SUSTAINED A BROKEN KNEE CAP AND MY PASSENGER RECEIVED DEEP BRUISING TO HER UPPER TORSO AND SHOULDER AND DEEP BRUISE AND TISSUE TRAUMA TO HER KNEE. *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 GMC SIERRA 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH,THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE WALL HEAD FIRST. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE RIBS, SHOULDER AND RIGHT KNEE. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE RIGHT KNEE AND LACERATIONS TO THE NECK FROM THE SEAT BELT. THE CONTACT AND THE PASSENGER WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL VIA AMBULANCE. THE POLICE REPORTED TO THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED BY AN ENGINEER. THE CONTACT STATED THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT EXPLAIN THE CAUSE OF THE AIR BAG FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 GMC 3500. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT SWERVED TO AVOID A DEER AND STRUCK A CONCRETE WALL. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS IN THE VEHICLE DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 78,000.
THIS VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE VEHICLE ACCIDENT HITTING A GAURDRAIL AND CONCRETE DIVIDER. THE 2002 GMC SIERRA1 1500 EXT. CAB TRUCK HAS BEEN TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END, HOOD, SIDE PANEL, BED, AND BUMPER, DRIVER SIDE TIRE, ETC. THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. IT ALSO APPEARED THE SEAT BELT JAMMED UPON IMPACT AS OPPOSED TO LOCKING AS IT IS SUPPOSED TO. EVEN THOUGH THE INJURIES WERE NOT SEVERE, SHE HIT HER HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL, AND HAD SUSTAINED PROBLEMS FROM THE EXCESSIVE IMPACT AMONG OTHER THINGS. SOMEONE SHOULD CHECK INTO WHY THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AS WELL AS THE SEAT BELT.*AK
THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BACK FRAME FAILED AT THE WELDED JOINTS. DRIVER WAS THROWN TO RIGHT AND BACK WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THIS COMPONENT ALSO SERVES AS THE SHOULDER/SEAT BELT ATTACHMENT.*AK
WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CONSUMER COLLIDED WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIS. UPON IMPACT BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT. THIS CAUSED THE DRIVER TO SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB. *AK
AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN VEHICLE WENT OFF ROAD AND RASHED; ON-STAR DID NOT FUNCTION EITHER MANUALLY OR UPON IMPACT.*AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WENT AIR BORN AND DID A NOSE DIVE INTO THE GROUND. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONT AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY.*JB
THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT LOCKED UP, AND DID NOT RELEASE WHEN THE SEAT WAS RECLINED. *JB. *JB
WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. DUE TO A MOOSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE CONSUMER WAS TRYING TO AVOID THE MOOSE AND HIT AND ENBANKMENT. THE DUAL AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.
PASSENGER RESTRAINT BELTS DO NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY.*AK THE SEAT BELT HAD BEEN REPLACED TWICE BUT CONTINUES TO LOCK UP.*YH
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026