2009 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500: common problems

Owners of the 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 filed 20 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 20

What fails most often

1 Air bags 45% of all complaints
2 Powertrain 15% of all complaints
3 Structure 15% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
5 Engine 5% of all complaints
6 Steering 5% of all complaints
7 Wheels 5% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Air bags: 9 complaints (45% of all).
Powertrain: 3 complaints (15% of all).
Structure: 3 complaints (15% of all).
Electrical system: 2 complaints (10% of all).
Engine: 1 complaints (5% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 20 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

door locks, latches, handles3 · 15%
knocking, grinding or other noise3 · 15%
infotainment or screen glitches2 · 10%
windows, sunroof2 · 10%
steering or power steering problems1 · 5%
vibration1 · 5%
warning lights, check engine1 · 5%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Air bags	9	0	0
Powertrain	3	0	0
Structure	3	0	0
Electrical system	2	0	0
Engine	1	0	0
Steering	1	0	0
Wheels	1	0	0
Other	7	0	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Takata recall gm recall 49151 for faulty airbags is unable to be performed n my vehicle at dealership due to parts being unavailable in the foreseeable future! I've attempted to make an appointment every 3-4 months since april 2016 with no avail. Recall notice was received by me july 2016!
Air bags · 2017-10-21 · NHTSA complaint #11035467
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 chevrolet avalanche 1500. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v381000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
Air bags · 2017-06-01 · NHTSA complaint #10992692
Engine dies, door locks start opening and closing, all dash lights go off, radio goes off,car starts on own 3 to 6 seconds, did this at 60 mph and at 15 mph.
Powertrain · 2016-05-08 · NHTSA complaint #10863814
Heard a rattle, looked up there and found the cracks. Thousands of incidents across internet. Seat tracks rough sliding and motor failure. Outside mirror motor failure. I am the only driver and dont move seats much. Lack of use kills motors?
Air bags · 2016-03-12 · NHTSA complaint #10846227
Multiple cracks in dashboard deck around airbag compartment as well as instrument cluster. Well maintained and taken care of; literally appeared one day and have spread and gotten worse.
Structure · 2015-01-29 · NHTSA complaint #10679627
Got in to my car that morning and heard a rattling noise coming from my dash and came to find out my dash was cracked. I do nothing but highway driving so there were no extenuating circumstances to cause it. I take great care of my vehicles and have never had this happen before.
Structure · 2013-08-31 · NHTSA complaint #10538224
It started shaking then the tachometer was fluctuating up and down about 500 rpm's. I checked the transmission fluid and looked good. I have a very important business trip tomorrow morning and now I am stuck. I took it for another drive to see if the problem occurred at a higher speed and it does.
Powertrain · 2011-12-18 · NHTSA complaint #10440346
Cracked rim flange in 2 locations. Info as follows: wheel 20x8.5jx; made in china; t-dot gm; cracks are at 12 o'clock and 2:30, full length of the flange where the tire mounts, on the inboard (mounting) side of the wheel.
Wheels · 2011-12-13 · NHTSA complaint #10439762

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20113
20131
20152
20166
20176
20181
20191

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 8,261 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 23% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Avalanche 1500 has 75 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 20, below average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, powertrain, structure. Total complaints: 20. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: door locks, latches, handles (15%), knocking, grinding or other noise (15%), infotainment or screen glitches (10%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2009 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.