YearToAvoid

2009 Chevrolet Traverse Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

81/100

#4 most-complained of 17 Traverse years

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

The 2009 Chevrolet Traverse has 448 owner complaints and 8 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 81 out of 100 — #4 highest of 17 Traverse model years (verdict: Avoid). The most reported problem area is steering (231 complaints, 52% of the total). Complaints report 17 crashes, 2 fires, and 16 injuries.

Complaints
448
Recalls
8
Crashes / fires
17 / 2
Injuries / deaths
16 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
19
16.5 city / 23.5 hwy

Top 2009 Chevy Traverse problems

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

  1. Steering231 (52%)
  2. Engine76 (17%)
  3. Transmission & Powertrain58 (13%)
  4. Electrical System38 (8%)
  5. Other36 (8%)
  6. Brakes35 (8%)
  7. Airbags26 (6%)
  8. Suspension, Wheels & Tires20 (4%)
  9. Seat Belts17 (4%)
  10. Structure & Body12 (3%)
2009 Chevrolet Traverse complaints: complaints filed per quarter692009 Q12011 Q12012 Q42014 Q32016 Q22018 Q12019 Q42021 Q4
568 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2009 Q1 to 2026 Q1; peak 2014 Q2 (69).

2009 Chevrolet Traverse recalls

8 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 15V415000Jun 30, 2015Structure & Body691,144 vehicles

    Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured August 17, 2006, to March 18, 2010. The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall.

    Risk: If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on November 15, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 15240.

  2. NHTSA 14V266000May 20, 2014Seat Belts1,339,355 vehicles

    Seat belts

    General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through March 18, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cable that connects the seatbelt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue and separate over time.

    Risk: If the steel cable becomes fatigued and separates, the seatbelt may not properly restrain the seat occupant increasing the risk of an injury in a crash.

    Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in July 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on July 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on July 11, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). General Motors recall number for this campaign is 14187.

  3. NHTSA 14V118000Mar 17, 2014Airbags1,176,407 vehicles

    Air bags:side/window

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses may result in the SIAB and seat belt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.

    Risk: Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.

See all 8 recalls for the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse →

2009 Chevrolet Traverse fuel economy and fuel cost

City
16.5 MPG
Highway
23.5 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 Traverse years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2009Avoid81448819
2010Avoid100669519
2011Avoid88608519

All Chevrolet Traverse years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse ranks #4 of 17 among Traverse model years (Complaint Index 81/100, verdict: Avoid). It has 448 complaints and 8 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse?
The most reported problem areas are steering (231 complaints), engine (76 complaints), and transmission & powertrain (58 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 80,000 miles.
Does the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse, most recently reported 2015, covering structure & body, seat belts, airbags, and electrical system.
What is the fuel economy of the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse?
EPA rates the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse at 19 MPG combined (16.5 city / 23.5 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.