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2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 445 owner complaints about the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 3 safety recalls, and for recall 21V-050 the manufacturer reports only 28% of affected cars repaired.

2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
63
CarFlaw IndexSolid year42% below the Silverado 1500 median · #23 of 28 years by complaints
Safety recalls3Lowest repair rate 28%Owner complaints44518 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage74kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 23, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: SsmIntrigue, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has problems

445 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags2314
Structure544
Electrical system435
Engine361
Electronic stability control (ESC)131
Fuel/propulsion system120
Power train120
Vehicle speed control110
Service brakes110
15 other systems734

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

3 recalls

2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

28%repaired · 2023 Q1

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 21V-050 · Feb 5, 2021 · 2,641,272 vehicles · 734,119 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

38%repaired · 2023 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 21V-052 · Feb 5, 2021 · 557,023 vehicles · 212,499 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

43%repaired · 2023 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 21V-053 · Feb 5, 2021 · 692,526 vehicles · 298,205 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.

Mileage at failure

When do air bags problems start?

74kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 76 air bags complaints. 70% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
8under 30k miles53under 100k miles23100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2009 vs. every other Silverado 1500 year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Silverado 1500 median. How we score

'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 safety ratings

2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Rollover: 4 stars (18.5% risk)
  • Stability control: Optional
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Pedestrian alert soundsDP22005 · closed Aug 7, 2023
    Led to recall 22V-063
  2. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
In owners' words

What Silverado 1500 owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

This is not an incident that happened, but I have a front impact sensor that has gone bad. After doing some research, and looking at all of the reports, claims, and lack of replacement inventory, it seems obvious to me that there is a problem with these parts. There should be a factory recall on…
Complaint 11773192 · Oct 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V052000 (Air Bags) while having an inspection completed. After receiving notification of the recall, while driving approximately 35 MPH, the passenger’s side air bag unexpectedly…
Complaint 11697134 · Nov 3, 2025 · 146,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the service air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the air bag control module was corroded due to moisture in…
Complaint 11580603 · Apr 2, 2024 · 90,000 miles

Own a 2009 Silverado 1500?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.