2009 GMC Sierra problems & reliability
37 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 GMC Sierra, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2009 GMC Sierra vehicles were involved in 116 fatal crashes with 52 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 9 | 24% |
| Electrical System | 9 | 24% |
| Structure | 6 | 16% |
| Engine | 3 | 8% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 5% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 5% |
| Steering | 2 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 42,000 miles (middle 50% between 30,000 and 60,000 miles), based on 33 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2009 GMC Sierra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number - 09184C (Material Over Sensing and Diagnostic Module Retaining Moisture) . The vehicle was taken to a…”
Air Bags · filed Feb 16, 2023
“2009 gmc sierra. Consumer writes seeking reimbursement for repairs related to takata airbag safety recall. The consumer stated the airbag light illuminated. The dealer stated the airbag recall had already been perfomed on the vehicle. The consumer paid to have the airbag sensor repaired.”
Air Bags · filed Aug 11, 2022
“The contact owns a 2009 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at 45 MPH, he crashed into the driver's side of another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact did not know whether a warning light illuminated. A police report was filed. The contact did not sustain any injuries and drove the…”
Air Bags · filed Nov 4, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
281 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 GMC Sierra. The 10 most recent:
This technical bulletin provides a procedure to lube the rear leaf springs on vehicles with the condition of a squeak noise originating from the rear of the vehicle.
06-03-09-004H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 17, 2017
14648A - Customer Satisfaction. Certain vehicles have a performance issue with their OnStar modules that could impact the vehicle?s battery life. If the vehicle?s OnStar module contains this condition, the OnStar green…
GCUS-3-854 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 23, 2017
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have a bump feel or clunk noise at a stop or on launch. Dealer should communicate to the customer this condition…
PIT5161E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 8, 2017
This Preliminary Information communication advises the technician that the Hydro-Boost is not serviceable and will need to be replaced if the brake pedal moves or applies on its own at a full turn.
PIT3665E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 31, 2017
This Preliminary Information communication provides the technician with a list of modules to check for communication with the scan tool, if the navigation radio does not display the current Hybrid mode. Dealer will use…
PIT4989B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2016
This Preliminary Information communication provides steps the technician will uses to diagnose and repair vehicles that have low oil pressure after an oil change with the engine Regular Production Option Code L20, L77…
PIP5276F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2016
This Preliminary Information communication provides the technician with the additional steps that are needed to help perform a successful brake bleed on the 2-Mode Hybrid with Regular Production Option Code HP2. With a…
PIT4597E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2016
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have an issue when using Bluetooth voice recognition with an iPhone. Technician should work with the customer to…
PIC5953A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 23, 2016
This preliminary information communication provides information to the technician about finding needle bearings during an oil change. Technician will gain access to the roller rockers to inspect them. Only replace the…
PIP5226A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 11, 2016
This preliminary information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have a cold engine tick noise for 50 seconds at start up. Technician determines if the tick noise is possibly…
PIP5104B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 9, 2016
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2009 GMC Sierra has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2009 GMC Sierra?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 42,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.