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2009 GMC Sierra 2500 problems

The most common problem on the 2009 GMC Sierra 2500 is electrical system, typically around 65,000 miles. It has fewer complaints than a typical Sierra 2500 model year.

Fewer complaintsAmong the best years of this model
Year score
82/100
Owner complaints
31
Recalls
5
Service bulletins
1,177
Worst area
Electrical

The worst 2009 GMC Sierra 2500 problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

  • Electrical
    7
  • Airbags
    5
  • Brakes
    5
  • Body
    4
  • Engine
    3
  • Driver assistance
    2
  • Fuel system
    2
  • Locks
    2
  • Tires
    2
  • Acceleration
    1
  • Seat belts
    1
  • Steering
    1

Specific symptoms reported on the 2009 GMC Sierra 2500

Door locks 5

Recalls 5

Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator moduleReported February 5, 2021 · 2,641,272 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 1, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020; Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006; and GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328760.

Recall number 21V050000 · Recall details

Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator moduleReported February 5, 2021 · 557,023 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 23, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 20, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006, and GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328780.

Recall number 21V052000 · Recall details

Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator moduleReported February 5, 2021 · 692,526 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C."
Risk
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 24, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020; and GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328790.

Recall number 21V053000 · Recall details

EquipmentReported April 26, 2018 · 6,154 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD, 2009 GMC Topkick 5000, 6000, 7000 and 8000 Series and Isuzu F Series, and 2009-2018 Chevrolet Express, and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with certain Plastic-Handle Fire Extinguishers or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit:
Risk
In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, instructing them to contact Kidde to get a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began June 11, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782, and Isuzu customer service at 1‑866‑441‑9638. GM's number for this recall is 18146.

Recall number 18V267000 · Recall details

Electrical systemReported July 2, 2014 · 9,371 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD 2500/3500 trucks manufactured January 18, 2007, to June 22, 2011, and GMC Sierra HD 2500/3500 trucks manufactured January 22, 2007, to June 21, 2011, and equipped with an auxiliary battery. Owners may unknowingly draw too much current through the vehicle's trailer harness resulting in the melting of fusible link for the auxiliary battery.
Risk
If the fusible link melts it may come into contact with adjacent components, damage the electrical center cover, the nearby wiring harness conduit and other vehicle components, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy
GM will notify owners and dealers will replace the jumper harness with one that includes a 40 amp inline fuse, and provide the owner with supplemental Owner Manual information, free of charge. The recall began on August 29, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020 or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is 14260.

Recall number 14V407000 · Recall details

See all 5 recalls for the 2009 GMC Sierra 2500

Defect investigations

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureOpened September 17, 2021, still open

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

EA21002

Technical service bulletins for the 2009 GMC Sierra 2500 1,177

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 1,177 bulletins for the 2009 GMC Sierra 2500

What 2009 GMC Sierra 2500 owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Aug 5, 2025 · Airbags · SC

Local dealer is not repairing my recall. I keep getting told parts are not available and this has gone on for years.

Filed Jan 27, 2025 · Electrical, Fuel system · WI

When I am driving in town I have an indication message that comes up and says engine power reduced

Filed Sep 14, 2020 · Airbags · 75,000 miles · OH

Dash cracked on passenger side of vehicle. It happened shortly after we owned the vehicle.

Filed Sep 10, 2020 · Airbags · 80,000 miles · OH

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 gmc sierra 2500. The contact stated that after driving for 45 minutes, the vehicle was parked for two hours and the service air bag warning light illuminated. The contact called ballas buick gmc (5715 central ave, toledo, oh 43615, (567) 202-1198) and provided a fee for the diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 80,000.

Filed Sep 10, 2020 · Airbags · 80,000 miles · OH

Service airbag warning light came on, and is still on. Vehicle had been running then parked for about 2 hrs. When started the light came on with the bulb check suite then stayed on when all the other lights went out

Filed Jul 9, 2020 · Airbags · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 gmc sierra 2500. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v381000 (air bags) however, the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Ed dena's auto center (1500 w el monte way, dinuba, ca 93618), was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Jan 17, 2020 · Body · 48,000 miles · TX

Multiple cracks in the dash. 3 are at the passenger airbag. 2 of those have cracked all the way through allowing a piece of the dash capable of dislodging if the airbag deploys creating a hazardous projectile. The crack above the instrument cluster measures over 7 inches in length. Pictures provided. It is unknown if the issue started when the vehicle was parked or in motion.

Filed Jul 25, 2019 · Brakes, Electrical · 73,900 miles · CA

Receiving a "service trailer brake system" message while in motion on both highway and city streets when applying brakes both with and without tow\haul mode engaged. There is a recall notice #14515 on this vehicle and the federal safety agency site says that all recalls have been performed. What am I to do?

Filed Mar 12, 2018 · Engine · 40,000 miles · NY

My pickup has broken exhaust manifold bolts, causing the check engine light to come on, the code is for an emission problem, g.m. Will not repair it under the emission warranty, at this time there are 40,021 miles on the vehicle.

Filed Dec 18, 2017 · Driver assistance · 204,000 miles · SC

While driving the stabiltrak fault light came on and the right front brake locked up and jerked the vehicle to the right. The vehicle was traveling at 30 MPH on a secondary road.

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Compare the 2009 GMC Sierra 2500

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Questions about the 2009 GMC Sierra 2500

Is the 2009 GMC Sierra 2500 reliable?

Owners have filed 31 complaints about the 2009 GMC Sierra 2500, fewer than a typical Sierra 2500 model year.

What is the 2009 GMC Sierra 2500 year score?

The 2009 GMC Sierra 2500 scores 82 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the GMC Sierra 2500: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.

What is the most common problem with the 2009 GMC Sierra 2500?

Electrical system, with 7 complaints, typically around 65,000 miles. Next is airbags (5).

How many recalls does the 2009 GMC Sierra 2500 have?

5 recalls, covering air bags, equipment and electrical system.

Was there a recall on the 2009 GMC Sierra 2500 electrical?

Yes, 1 recall: 14V407000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

What year does the GMC Sierra 2500 have the most electrical problems?

The GMC Sierra 2500 model years with the most electrical complaints are 2004 (48 complaints), 2005 (42 complaints) and 2003 (36 complaints).

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