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2009 GMC Sierra 2500Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 31 owner complaints about the 2009 GMC Sierra 2500, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 5 safety recalls, and for recall 18V-267 the manufacturer reports only 14% of affected cars repaired.

2009 GMC Sierra 2500
72
CarFlaw IndexOne of the best years61% below the Sierra 2500 median · #25 of 28 years by complaints
Safety recalls5Lowest repair rate 14%Owner complaints311 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage52kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through August 5, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: SsmIntrigue, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2009 GMC Sierra 2500 has problems

31 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
Electrical system70
Air bags50
Structure40
Service brakes30
Tires20
Engine20
Latches/locks/linkages20
Electronic stability control (ESC)21
Service brakes, hydraulic20
6 other systems60

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

5 recalls

2009 GMC Sierra 2500 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 →

14%repaired · 2019 Q3

Equipment

Recall 18V-267 · Apr 26, 2018 · 6,154 vehicles · 844 repaired

Risk. In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 1 more recall
33%repaired · 2015 Q4

Electrical system

Recall 14V-407 · Jul 2, 2014 · 9,371 vehicles · 3,088 repaired

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…

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 GMC.

Best & worst years

2009 vs. every other Sierra 2500 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 Sierra 2500 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 GMC Sierra 2500 safety ratings

2009 GMC Sierra 2500 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Rollover: 4 stars (19.1% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2009 GMC Sierra 2500, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
In owners' words

What Sierra 2500 owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

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 NHTSA SITE SAYS THAT ALL RECALLS HAVE BEEN PERFORMED. WHAT AM I TO DO?
Complaint 11234837 · Jul 25, 2019 · 73,900 miles
THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR WILL NOT WORK OR ONLY PARTIALLY WORK AT TIMES. SOMETIMES IT WORKS, SOMETIMES IT DOES NOT WORK AND SOME TIMES IT HALF ENGAGES SO THE DOOR CAN BE HALF WAY OPENED, BUT THE LATCH IS STILL ENGAGED SO IT CANNOT BE OPENED ALL THE WAY. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE DOOR…
Complaint 10904473 · Sep 7, 2016 · 106,000 miles
IGNITION SWITCH FAILED INTERNALLY WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE. SWITCH WILL NOT ROTATE TO THE START POSITION. STEERING WHEEL LOCK IS NOT ENGAGING (FAILED). IGNITION TONE NOTIFYING THAT THE KEY IS IN THE IGNITION IS NO LONGER WORKING (WAS INITIALLY).
Complaint 10721088 · May 22, 2015 · 20,000 miles

Own a 2009 Sierra 2500?

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