YearToAvoid

2009 Chevrolet Traverse Electrical System Problems

NHTSA has 38 owner complaints about electrical problems in the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse, 8% of all 448 complaints for this model year. That is #9 highest electrical complaint count among 17 Traverse model years. These complaints report 1 crash, 1 fire, and 3 injuries. Median mileage at failure: 88,000 miles.

Electrical System complaints
38
8% of 448
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
3
Median mileage
88,000 mi
Related recalls
1

When 2009 Chevrolet Traverse electrical complaints were filed

First complaint Apr 19, 2010, latest Apr 24, 2023.

2009 Chevrolet Traverse electrical system complaints: complaints filed per month3Apr 2010Apr 2013Jun 2014Sep 2015May 2018Nov 2018Aug 2019Apr 2023
38 complaints filed with NHTSA from Apr 2010 to Apr 2023; peak Jun 2012 (3).

Electrical System recalls for the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse

  1. NHTSA 10V240000Jun 4, 2010Electrical System1,365,070 vehicles

    Electrical system

    Gm is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 buick, lucerne; cadillac dts; hummer h2; model year 2008-2009 buick enclave; cadillac cts; model year 2007-2009 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; gmc acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl; saturn outlook; and model year 2009 chevrolet traverse vehicles equipped with a heated washer fluid system (hwfs). A recall was implemented in 2008 to add a fuse to the control circuit harness to address the potential consequences of a printed circuit board (pcb) electrical short. However, there have been new reports of thermal incidents on hwfs modules after this improvement was installed. These incidents resulted from a new failure mode attributed to the device's thermal protection feature. The significance varies from minor distortion to considerable melting of the plastic around the hwfs fluid chamber.

    Risk: It is possible for the heated washer module to ignite and a fire may occur.

    Remedy: Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module. An updated page for the owner manual will be provided and inserted in the owner manual to document that the feature has been permanently disabled and removed from the vehicle. The safety recall began on june 11, 2010. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, saturn at 1-800-972-8876, gmc at 1-866-996-9463 and hummer at 1-800-732-5493 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.

Electrical System complaints by Traverse model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 200938 (8%)
  2. 201062 (9%)
  3. 201173 (12%)
  4. 201249 (14%)
  5. 201353 (33%)
  6. 2014128 (23%)
  7. 201533 (11%)
  8. 201628 (10%)
  9. 201723 (6%)
  10. 2018109 (24%)
  11. 2019114 (28%)
  12. 202030 (13%)
  13. 202122 (25%)
  14. 202221 (21%)
  15. 202323 (26%)
  16. 202425 (18%)
  17. 202546 (26%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse have electrical problems?
NHTSA has 38 owner complaints about the electrical in the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse, 8% of all complaints for this model year, including 1 that report a crash. Median mileage at failure is 88,000 miles.
Which Chevrolet Traverse year has the most electrical complaints?
The 2014 Chevrolet Traverse has the most electrical complaints (128), compared with 38 for the 2009.
Is there a electrical recall for the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse?
Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse concerns the electrical: 10V240000.

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.