2009 Chevrolet Silverado 3500: common problems

Owners of the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 filed 10 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 10
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Air bags 30% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
3 Engine 10% of all complaints
4 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
5 Seat belts 10% of all complaints
6 Service brakes 10% 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: 3 complaints (30% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 1 complaints (10% of all).
Engine: 1 complaints (10% of all).
Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (10% of all).
Seat belts: 1 complaints (10% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 10 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

seat belts2 · 20%
airbag warning light1 · 10%
airbags did not deploy1 · 10%
door locks, latches, handles1 · 10%
smoke, burning smell, fire1 · 10%
stalls while driving1 · 10%
warning lights, check engine1 · 10%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Air bags	3	1
Electrical system	1	0
Engine	1	0
Engine and cooling	1	0
Seat belts	1	0
Service brakes	1	0
Other	2	0

What owners report

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

Airbags did not deploy. Concern is that the installation of hyrail wheel assemblies might be impacting the airbag sensor. The hyrail wheel assemblies extend approx. One foot of steel framework ahead of the front and rear bumpers.
Air bags · crash · 2012-11-09 · NHTSA complaint #10483791
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number 21V050000 (Air Bags) however, upon contacting the dealer, he was informed that the remedy may cause the dashboard to crack.
Air bags · 2021-07-12 · NHTSA complaint #11424343
The contact noticed that both seat belt retractors deployed without warning. The contact coasted the vehicle over to the side of the road. The seat belt secured the contact, but he was able to retract the seat belt.
Seat belts · 2019-09-16 · NHTSA complaint #11255816
While driving the vehicle, the engine suffered complete failure due to a sheared camshaft pin. This resulted in loss of control of the vehicle since it would not restart. I narrowly missed having an accident because this happened on a busy main street.
Engine · 2018-01-24 · NHTSA complaint #11064689
The contact stated that the service air bag warning light illuminated before being notified of nhtsa campaign number: 16v381000 (air bags). The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was not available. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Air bags · 2016-08-05 · NHTSA complaint #10893412
Tl contact owns a 2009 chevrolet silverado 3500. The contact stated the brakes were very spongy when he depressed them and they extended to the floor. He had to apply extreme pressure before he could stop the vehicle.
Service brakes · 2011-05-18 · NHTSA complaint #10401392
2009 chevrolet silverado truck had a fire in the dash board on the passenger side while the truck was parked and in the off position. The fire was on the top section of the dash over the passenger airbag area.
Electrical system · 2010-10-13 · NHTSA complaint #10360220
The contact stated when driving at 40 mph and pulling a 40 foot trailer load, the vehicle would stall without warning. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure and did not provide a remedy for the failure. The failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer four times in relation to the failure.
Engine and cooling · 2010-07-16 · NHTSA complaint #10343661

When owners complained

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

20102
20111
20121
20141
20161
20182
20191
20211

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 10,921 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 30% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Silverado 3500 has 34 complaints (32 years in the data). This year has 10, below average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 3500?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, engine. Total complaints: 10. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (20%), airbag warning light (10%), airbags did not deploy (10%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 3500?

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 Silverado 3500 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.