2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Good The 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 carries a complaint index of 35, ranked 14th of 21 model years, and earns a Good verdict. Airbags account for 47% of its 520 complaints, with a median failure mileage of 76,600, backed by 3 recall campaigns for the same passenger airbag inflator issue.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 35/100
- #14 of 21 Silverado 1500 years
- Verdict
- Good
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 520
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 3
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 14
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 9
- Injuries
- 7
- Top issue
- Airbags
Top 2009 Chevy Silverado 1500 problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags246 (47%)
- Structure & Body75 (14%)
- Engine68 (13%)
- Electrical System66 (13%)
- Other63 (12%)
- Brakes38 (7%)
- Fuel System22 (4%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires21 (4%)
- Transmission & Powertrain15 (3%)
- Steering11 (2%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Airbags fail to deploy during frontal or off-road crashes, sometimes at highway speeds around 35 to 55 mph.
- Electrical fires have started from the ECM or dashboard area, in some cases while the truck was simply parked.
- Power door lock actuators fail and are later followed by a burning plastic smell from inside the cabin.
- Vehicles have unexpectedly lost all electrical power, with dashboard warning lights coming on before the ignition went dead.
- Structural components like the rear bumper have bent or deformed even in low-speed impacts.
2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 recalls
3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 21V050000Feb 5, 2021Airbags2,641,272 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 1, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328760.
- NHTSA 21V053000Feb 5, 2021Airbags692,526 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C."
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 24, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328790.
- NHTSA 21V052000Feb 5, 2021Airbags557,023 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 23, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 20, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328780.
2009 compared with other Silverado 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2009 Silverado 1500 has a complaint index of 35 and ranks 14th out of 21 model years, earning a Good verdict relative to other Silverado years.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2009 Silverado 1500?
- Airbags are the top problem area, making up 47% of the 520 complaints filed, with a median failure mileage of 76,600.
- Does the 2009 Silverado 1500 have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2009 Silverado 1500, all involving replacement of the front passenger airbag inflator.
- Which Silverado 1500 years are worse than 2009?
- Years with higher complaint indexes and Avoid verdicts include 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, all ranked worse than 2009.
- Are there any do-not-drive recalls on the 2009 Silverado 1500?
- No. NHTSA lists 0 do-not-drive recalls for the 2009 Silverado 1500.