2009 GMC Sierra 1500: common problems

Owners of the 2009 GMC Sierra 1500 filed 234 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 234
involving a crash: 4

What fails most often

1 Air bags 52% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
3 Structure 9% of all complaints
4 Engine 6% of all complaints
5 Vehicle speed control 5% of all complaints
6 Fuel/propulsion system 4% of all complaints
7 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
8 Service brakes 3% 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: 122 complaints (52% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 20 complaints (9% of all).
Structure: 20 complaints (9% of all).
Engine: 13 complaints (6% of all).
Vehicle speed control: 12 complaints (5% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 234 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

warning lights, check engine17 · 7%
airbag warning light14 · 6%
knocking, grinding or other noise9 · 4%
door locks, latches, handles7 · 3%
rust, corrosion5 · 2%
stalls while driving5 · 2%
jerking, harsh shifts4 · 2%
won't start4 · 2%
oil leak or consumption4 · 2%
fuel system, fuel smell3 · 1%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Air bags	122	3
Electrical system	20	0
Structure	20	0
Engine	13	0
Vehicle speed control	12	1
Fuel/propulsion system	9	0
Powertrain	9	0
Service brakes	6	0
Engine and cooling	4	0
Suspension	4	0
Electronic stability control	3	0
Exterior lighting	3	0
Latches, locks, linkages	3	0
Visibility	3	0

What owners report

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

The TPMS warning light was illuminated. None of the air bags deployed upon impact. The contact's father suffered rib, pelvis, and spine fractures and was transported to the hospital by ambulance. A police report was filed.
Air bags · crash · 2023-04-25 · NHTSA complaint #11518943
The front end of the contact's vehicle was severely damaged, but the front air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained an injured back and neck that required medical attention. The vehicle was not destroyed and was towed to an undisclosed location. A police report was filed.
Air bags · crash · 2018-05-11 · NHTSA complaint #11093327
"just drive the truck" on december 11 the 2009 struck a telephone pole breaking the pole and the air bags did not deploy neither did on star respond. Due to this accident I has sustained neck injury, and neither gmac or the dealership will respond to the concerns about the air bags not deploying from a front end…
Air bags · crash · 2010-01-27 · NHTSA complaint #10302484
â¢ Clunking/Knocking Noises: Audible front-end knocking at low speeds, a well-known symptom of failing tie rod joints. â¢ Severe Safety Risk: Instances where tie rods have separated or become dangerously compromised, directly affecting steering control.
Steering · 2026-02-11 · NHTSA complaint #11717359
The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The traction control and check engine warning lights were illuminated.
Engine · 2025-08-18 · NHTSA complaint #11681424
Safety Risk: Engine failure puts driver and passenger safety at serious risk, particularly if the vehicle loses power unexpectedly while in motion. In both instances, the failure created unsafe driving conditions. 3.
Engine · 2025-06-18 · NHTSA complaint #11667844
Allison transmission - random hard shifts, random multiple DTC's, random limp mode. Clear codes and works fine until it doesn't. Might have to clear codes 3-4 times a day or it might make it a week before it goes into limp mode again.
Powertrain · 2025-03-11 · NHTSA complaint #11647697
The vehicle started jerking and suddenly shutoff. I had no power steering, No power brakes. I had to manually steer and stop the truck into the median, while avoiding oncoming traffic. I got the vehicle to stop. I tried to restart and the engine turned over, but would not start.
Electrical system · 2023-07-31 · NHTSA complaint #11535542

When owners complained

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

20094
20105
20113
20122
20136
20149
20156
201637
201764
201832
201917
202017
202116
20225
20234
20242
20254
20261

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 1,732 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 5% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Sierra 1500 has 266 complaints (34 years in the data). This year has 234, about 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.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2009 GMC Sierra 1500?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, structure. Total complaints: 234. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (7%), airbag warning light (6%), knocking, grinding or other noise (4%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 GMC Sierra 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 GMC Sierra 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 2026-11-05.