The 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche has 4 recalls, the most serious being a passenger-side airbag inflator that can explode and send sharp metal fragments into the cabin, posing a risk of serious injury or death.
Three of the four recalls cover this same airbag inflator defect, filed across different geographic groups of registered vehicles. The inflator can rupture with far more force than intended, turning pieces of its metal housing into projectiles that can strike the driver or passengers. Because these filings target vehicles based on where they were originally sold or registered, some owners may be covered by more than one campaign, but the physical danger is the same in each case.
The fourth recall affects vehicles equipped with the optional heated washer fluid system. The module that heats the washer fluid can ignite on its own, creating a fire risk in the engine compartment. This recall only applies to vehicles that were built with that specific option.
At a glance
What can fail
The front passenger air bag inflator may explode due to propellant breakdown after prolonged exposure to high humidity, heat, and temperature changes.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with a different inflator at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
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At a glance
What can fail
The front passenger air bag inflator contains a propellant that can degrade and rupture after prolonged exposure to high heat, humidity, and temperature swings.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with a different one at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The front passenger air bag inflator may fail to deploy or deploy incorrectly in a crash.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The heated washer fluid system can overheat due to a failure in its thermal protection feature, causing the plastic around the fluid chamber to distort or melt.
What the fix does
Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module. An updated manual page documenting this removal will be provided.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
