2009 Chevrolet Express 3500 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2009 Chevrolet Express 3500 has 9 NHTSA complaints and a complaint index of 73, ranking 4th worst of 12 model years, with a Caution verdict. Fuel system and suspension issues each account for 22% of complaints.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 73/100
- #4 of 12 Express 3500 years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 9
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 2
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 1
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Top issue
- Fuel System
Top 2009 Chevy Express 3500 problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Fuel System2 (22%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires2 (22%)
- Airbags1 (11%)
- Electrical System1 (11%)
- Engine1 (11%)
- Other1 (11%)
- Structure & Body1 (11%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Vehicle reportedly rolled forward on its own at low speed with the gear shift in park and no driver present, leading to a crash into a wall.
- Tire valve stems blew off the top repeatedly over a short period, occurring on multiple tires within a two-week span.
- A fuel oil heater under the cab produced an intermittent odor of partially burned fuel and exhaust that entered the cabin during low-speed cold-weather driving.
- Gasoline backed up and overflowed the filler pipe during refueling, repeatedly shutting off the pump nozzle.
- The ignition key sometimes failed to turn to start the vehicle and could be removed while the engine was running, an intermittent issue over several years.
- Steel belts inside the tires were reported as defective, causing bulging and shaking that a shop attributed to tire construction rather than alignment.
2009 Chevrolet Express 3500 recalls
2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 14V706000Nov 5, 2014Other34 vehicles
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Cummings Mobility Conversion & Supply (Cummings) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 Ford E-150, E-250, E-350, Chevrolet Express, 2006-2008 Dodge Sprinter, and 2009-2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, and 2013 Ford Transit Connect vehicles manufactured January 1, 2006, to October 8, 2014, equipped with certain model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts manufactured by Ricon Corporation after January 1, 2006. The platform side plate of the affected wheelchair lifts may crack.
Risk: If the platform side plates crack, the lift platform can separate from the lift and come to rest against the vehicle's lift door. When the doors are opened, the platform may fall out, increasing the risk of injury to the lift operator.
Remedy: Cummings will notify owners to take buses to a Ricon dealer or service center who will install supplemental platform support bumpers. Any platform that has already started cracking will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began January 13, 2015. Owners may contact Cumming's customer service at 1-800-639-5438 or Ricon customer service at 1-800-322-2884. Cumming's number for this recall is 14E-041.
- NHTSA 09V456000Nov 19, 2009Other269 vehicles
Equipment:appliance:air conditioner
Cues, inc. Is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 service vehicles built on various chassis equipped with carrier airv ceiling units, model nos. 68rv0010ba, 68rv0012ca, and 68rv0010ea. The heater element in these assemblies may be defective which could cause the unit to create smoke or sparks.
Risk: This defect could result in a fire.
Remedy: Cues is working with carrier to remedy the affected vehicles. Repairs will be made by carrier free of charge. Please see carrier's defect report 09e-053. The safety recall began on january 5, 2010. Owners may contact carrier at 1-877-584-7059 or cues at 1-407-849-0190.
2009 compared with other Express 3500 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2009 Chevrolet Express 3500 reliable?
- NHTSA lists 9 complaints for the 2009 Express 3500, giving it a complaint index of 73 and a Caution verdict, ranking 4th worst among 12 model years covered.
- What are the most common problems with the 2009 Chevrolet Express 3500?
- Fuel System and Suspension, Wheels & Tires issues each make up 22% of complaints, followed by Airbags, Electrical System, Engine, and Structure & Body at 11% each.
- Does the 2009 Chevrolet Express 3500 have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2009 Express 3500, one from 2009 involving a heater element in certain service vehicle conversions and one from 2014 involving platform support installation on wheelchair-lift conversions.
- How does the 2009 model compare to other Express 3500 years?
- The 2009 model's complaint index of 73 is lower than 2005 (100), 2006 (82), and 2007 (91), all rated Avoid, but higher than 2008 (64, Caution) and 2010 (36).
- At what mileage do problems typically show up on the 2009 Express 3500?
- The median mileage at failure across reported complaints is 59,747 miles, though individual problem areas ranged from a median of 32,500 miles for suspension issues to 123,000 miles for the engine complaint.