YearToAvoid

2009 Chevrolet Colorado Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

25/100

#16 most-complained of 21 Colorado years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2009 Chevrolet Colorado has 67 owner complaints and 3 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 25 out of 100 — #16 highest of 21 Colorado model years (verdict: Good). The most reported problem area is electrical system (37 complaints, 55% of the total). Complaints report 1 crash, 4 fires, and 2 injuries.

Complaints
67
Recalls
3
Crashes / fires
1 / 4
Injuries / deaths
2 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
19
16.5 city / 22.5 hwy

Top 2009 Chevy Colorado problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Electrical System37 (55%)
  2. Fuel System12 (18%)
  3. Engine10 (15%)
  4. Other7 (10%)
  5. Airbags6 (9%)
  6. Structure & Body4 (6%)
  7. Brakes3 (4%)
  8. Suspension, Wheels & Tires2 (3%)
  9. Transmission & Powertrain2 (3%)
2009 Chevrolet Colorado complaints: complaints filed per month9Oct 2009Apr 2014Feb 2015Dec 2015Dec 2016Dec 2017Mar 2019Jun 2021
83 complaints filed with NHTSA from Oct 2009 to Nov 2023; peak Aug 2014 (9).

2009 Chevrolet Colorado recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 10V575000Nov 18, 2010Other192,676 vehicles

    Child seat

    Gm is recalling certain model year 2004-2011, chevrolet colorado, gmc canyon, model year 2006, isuzu i-280/i-350, and model year 2007-2008, i-290/i-370, regular cab vehicles and extended cab vehicles without a rear seat and equipped with a front 60/40 split bench seat. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." the top tether anchor for the front center seat is not accessible and the owner manual does not include instructions regarding how to use the top tether.

    Risk: Both NHTSA and gm discourage placement of a child in a front seat. Nevertheless, there are individual circumstances that may require placement of a child in a restraint in the front center seating position of this vehicle that does not offer a rear seat. Lack of access to the top tether anchor and a lack of instructions as to how to use it, may result in improper installation of a child restraint. Improper installation of a child restraint can result in a reduction in the restraint's performance in the event of a crash and an increased risk of injury or death to the child seated in the restraint.

    Remedy: Dealers will cut a hole into the back panel trim cover to allow access to the top tether anchor for the front center seat position and will provide supplemental information as to use in the owner's manual. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule for this campaign. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, isuzu at 1-800-255-6727 or visit gm's website at www.gmownercenter.com.

  2. NHTSA 09V310000Jul 29, 2009Electrical System185,903 vehicles

    Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch

    Gm is recalling 185,903 model year 2004-2009 colorado, gmc model year 2009-2004 canyon, model year 2006 i-280, i-350, model year 2007-2008 i-290, and i-370, passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of alabama, arizona, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, nevada, new mexico, puerto rico, south carolina, texas, u.s. Virgin islands and utah. Some of these vehicles have a brake lamp switch that may not work as designed due to contamination in the switch.

    Risk: This condition could cause the simultaneous loss of all brake lamps or cause all of the brake lamps to stay on continuously. Both of these conditions could fail to warn others of the driver's intentions and could lead to a vehicle crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the necessary components as specified in the recall bulletin free of charge. Gm anticipates that parts will be available by june 2010. A special coverage for vehicles registered in all other states will be implemented in the same time frame. In the interim, owners who experience the failure can obtain a free repair, however they will be required to return when the new design part becomes available. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, isuzu at 1-800-255-6727 or at www.gmownercenter.com.

  3. NHTSA 09V154000May 6, 2009Fuel System27,188 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline

    Gm is recalling 27,188 my 2009 cadillac escalade, escalade hybrid, escalade esv, and escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, suburban, tahoe, tahoe hybrid, and colorado; and gmc yukon, yukon hybrid, yukon xl, and canyon vehicles. The fuel system control modules may have a condition in which an adhesive separation of the room temperature vulcanizing (rtv) seal between the seal and the housing may allow water to seep into the module.

    Risk: Water in the module could cause a short or open circuit, illumination of the service engine soon lamp, setting of diagnostic trouble codes or the engine may be hard to start, may not start or may stall increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will install a new fuel system control module free of charge. The recall began on may 18, 2009. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 and gmc at 1-866-996-9463 or at www.gmownercenter.com.

2009 Chevrolet Colorado fuel economy and fuel cost

City
16.5 MPG
Highway
22.5 MPG
Combined
19 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,400
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2009 compared with other Colorado years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2007Good45140318
2008Good3581218
2009Good2567319
2010Best1028219
2011Best2042519

All Chevrolet Colorado years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2009 Chevrolet Colorado a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2009 Chevrolet Colorado ranks #16 of 21 among Colorado model years (Complaint Index 25/100, verdict: Good). It has 67 complaints and 3 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Chevrolet Colorado?
The most reported problem areas are electrical system (37 complaints), fuel system (12 complaints), and engine (10 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 54,000 miles.
Does the 2009 Chevrolet Colorado have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2009 Chevrolet Colorado, most recently reported 2010, covering other, electrical system, and fuel system.
What is the fuel economy of the 2009 Chevrolet Colorado?
EPA rates the 2009 Chevrolet Colorado at 19 MPG combined (16.5 city / 22.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,400. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.