2009 Chevrolet Suburban 1500: common problems

Owners of the 2009 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 filed 55 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and structure. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 55

What fails most often

1 Air bags 45% of all complaints
2 Structure 15% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
4 Engine 11% of all complaints
5 Latches, locks, linkages 5% of all complaints
6 Electronic stability control 4% of all complaints
7 Fuel/propulsion system 4% of all complaints
8 Powertrain 2% 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: 25 complaints (45% of all).
Structure: 8 complaints (15% of all).
Electrical system: 6 complaints (11% of all).
Engine: 6 complaints (11% of all).
Latches, locks, linkages: 3 complaints (5% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 55 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

door locks, latches, handles5 · 9%
oil leak or consumption4 · 7%
vibration3 · 5%
won't start2 · 4%
loss of power / limp mode2 · 4%
stalls while driving2 · 4%
A/C or heater1 · 2%
engine failure or replacement1 · 2%
windows, sunroof1 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Air bags	25	0	0
Structure	8	0	0
Electrical system	6	0	0
Engine	6	0	0
Latches, locks, linkages	3	0	0
Electronic stability control	2	0	0
Fuel/propulsion system	2	0	0
Powertrain	1	0	0
Service brakes	1	0	0
Vehicle speed control	1	0	0
Wheels	1	0	0
Other	14	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.

In the past 6 weeks, the car has failed to start. The first incident required nearly 10 minutes of starting the car before it would start. Once started the car was fine. It was a cold start - first thing in the morning. About a month later it failed to start gain, after being parked for approximately 2 hours.
Fuel/propulsion system · 2019-04-22 · NHTSA complaint #11202992
The dashboard cracked in two places at around 50,000 miles. There is a crack between the passenger side airbag cover and the front edge of the dashboard and one over the instrument panel to the front edge of the dashboard.
Air bags · 2019-04-21 · NHTSA complaint #11202758
Dashboard is cracked and continues cracking. This continues to happen over time. Not only is it unsightly but if there were a crash and air bags deployed the pieces of dashboard would become shrapnel.
Structure · 2018-01-21 · NHTSA complaint #11063945
Dash board has developed major cracks, parked in drive way motor mount broke, discovered at inspection engine had to be rebuilt die to excessive oil consumption (covered under warranty) wheels coroded from inside, pitted head, tires leak air as a result purchased as a gm certified vehicle, 32k miles.
Structure · 2017-07-12 · NHTSA complaint #11004961
Door lock/unlock actuators are failing to operate, which poses safety concern for children in these vehicles. I've had two fail. This is a common and wide-spread issue with many 2007-2013 gm trucks and suvs.
Electrical system · 2017-06-16 · NHTSA complaint #10995503
Dash panel has cracks on driver and passenger side. Both motor mounts are defective. Engine burns oil badly.
Engine · 2017-03-24 · NHTSA complaint #10968430
Excessive oil consumption is a problem affecting a lot of people with this model in 2009-2010. Chevy needs to issue the recall and address their problem. Very sad and frustrating.
Engine · 2016-11-28 · NHTSA complaint #10928390
Dash on 2009 chevrolet suburban has cracked on the passenger side next to the airbag panel. Dash has also cracked on the driver side above the instrument panel cluster.
Structure · 2016-05-05 · NHTSA complaint #10863435

When owners complained

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

20091
20102
20112
20121
20132
20146
20154
201610
201711
201811
20195

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 5,078 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Suburban 1500 has 58 complaints (25 years in the data). This year has 55, about average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
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.
Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.

Questions and answers

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

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, structure, electrical system. Total complaints: 55. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: door locks, latches, handles (9%), oil leak or consumption (7%), vibration (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 Chevrolet Suburban 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 Suburban 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.