2009 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2009 Chevrolet Suburban 1500, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags2544.6%
- Body & structure814.3%
- Engine610.7%
- Electrical610.7%
- Interior & seats35.4%
- Driver assistance35.4%
- Fuel system23.6%
- Powertrain (other)11.8%
- Brakes11.8%
- Other / unspecified11.8%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
TAKATA RECALL RECALL 16V381 IS QUITE OLD AND NEEDS TO BE FINALIZED. IT IS DIFFICULT TO TELL IF THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE OR NOT.
THE DASHBOARD CRACKED IN TWO PLACES AT AROUND 50,000 MILES. THERE IS A CRACK BETWEEN THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG COVER AND THE FRONT EDGE OF THE DASHBOARD AND ONE OVER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO THE FRONT EDGE OF THE DASHBOARD. I WAS TOLD INITIALLY THAT THIS IS SIMPLY A COSMETIC ISSUE, BUT SUBSEQUENT REPORTS SUGGEST THAT THESE CRACKS MAY CAUSE THE DASHBOARD TO SPLINTER WITH AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT, CAUSING PREVENTABLE HARM TO PASSENGERS.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
DASHBOARD IS CRACKED AND CONTINUES CRACKING. THIS CONTINUES TO HAPPEN OVER TIME. NOT ONLY IS IT UNSIGHTLY BUT IF THERE WERE A CRASH AND AIR BAGS DEPLOYED THE PIECES OF DASHBOARD WOULD BECOME SHRAPNEL.
DASH BOARD HAS DEVELOPED MAJOR CRACKS, PARKED IN DRIVE WAY MOTOR MOUNT BROKE, DISCOVERED AT INSPECTION ENGINE HAD TO BE REBUILT DIE TO EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION (COVERED UNDER WARRANTY) WHEELS CORODED FROM INSIDE, PITTED HEAD, TIRES LEAK AIR AS A RESULT PURCHASED AS A GM CERTIFIED VEHICLE, 32K MILES. HAD TO TAKE BACK NEXT DAY DUE TO WARPED FRONT BRAKE ROTORS...ANT CHEVY, SELLERSVILLE PA.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
THIS ENGINE USES 1 QUART OF OIL IN 750 MILES. THIS IS EXCESSIVE!
DASH PANEL HAS CRACKS ON DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE. BOTH MOTOR MOUNTS ARE DEFECTIVE. ENGINE BURNS OIL BADLY.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
DOOR LOCK/UNLOCK ACTUATORS ARE FAILING TO OPERATE, WHICH POSES SAFETY CONCERN FOR CHILDREN IN THESE VEHICLES. I'VE HAD TWO FAIL. THIS IS A COMMON AND WIDE-SPREAD ISSUE WITH MANY 2007-2013 GM TRUCKS AND SUVS. JUST FOR MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE (2009 SUBURBAN) I COUNTED 13 OTHER COMPLAINTS (WITH NHTSA ID #S) ON THIS WEBSITE FOR THIS ISSUE. APPARENTLY THE ELECTRIC MOTOR IN THE ACTUATOR MODULE FOR EACH DOOR LOCK IS POOR QUALITY AND PRONE TO FAILURE. GIVEN THE SAFETY RISK AND NUMBER OF VEHICLES INVOLVED, I'M SURPRISED THAT A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED.
WITHIN THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE IT DEVELOPED CRACKS ALL ALONG THE DASHBOARD. THE CRACKS GOT BAD ENOUGH THAT RECENTLY A LARGE PIECE OF THE DASHBOARD FELL OUT. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO GET CHEVROLET TO HELP PAY FOR REPLACING IT BUT THEY ARE UNWILLING AND I CANNOT AFFORD THE ENTIRE BILL ALONE. I AM WORRIED THAT THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT WORK AND THAT HAVING ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL EXPOSED WILL CAUSE HARM TO MYSELF OR THE VEHICLE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE DOOR LOCK ON THE DRIVER SIDE SECOND ROW WOULD NOT UNLOCK WHEN THE CAR WAS PARKED EITHER BY THE INSIDE UNLOCK MECHANISM OR THE REMOTE CONTROL DOOR UNLOCK BUTTON. HAD TO MANUALLY UNLOCK IN FROM THE INSIDE WHICH WAS DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF HAVING A CARSEAT BACK THERE. SHOULD THERE HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE WHERE I NEEDED TO GET MY CHILD OUT IN A HURRY, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR ISSUE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AND REAR DRIVER SIDE DOORS WERE DEFECTIVE AND WOULD ONLY OPEN WHEN PULLING THE LATCH MANUALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,600. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE SUDDENLY GOES INTO "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" MODE ("LIMP MODE") WITH CONSOLE MESSAGE "TRACTION CONTOL DISABLED, SERVICE STABILITRAK, ENGINE POWER REDUCED". GENERALLY OCCURS WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE LOWER THAN 25 DEGREES FARENHEIT. SHUTTING DOWN VEHICLE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AND RESTARTING LEADS TO NORMAL OPERATION, HOWEVER VEHICLE WILL GENERALLY REPEAT SAME PROBLEM WITHIN 5-15 MINUTES IF OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE IS COLD ENOUGH (BELOW 25 DEGREES FARENHEIT) . ERROR CODE P1235 (THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR 1-2 CORRELATION...) IS SET, BUT MAY NOT PERSIST IN MEMORY. GM IS PROVIDING OWNERS WITH ADDITIONAL PROTECTIONS FOR 10 YEARS/120,000 MILES UNDER CSC-10047220-3332 (BULLETIN NO. 11273), HOWEVER NOT ALL VINS ARE INCLUDED. VEHICLE HAD THROTTLE BODY (INCLUDING SENSOR) REPLACED IN 2010 AND APPEARS TO BE EXHIBITING EXACT PROBLEMS COVERED BY THIS BULLETIN, HOWEVER GM DEALER AND GM ARE NOT EXTENDING PROTECTION FOR THIS VEHICLE. DEALER IS RECOMMENDING ANOTHER NEW THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR AND/OR THROTTLE BODY (INCLUDING SENSOR), ALONG WITH COMPUTER RESET. THIS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED FOR MORE THAN THREE YEARS AND POSES A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISK WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS (DRASTIC SUDDEN DECELERATION IN TRAFFIC).
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH NO ICE OR ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. WHILE DRIVING MY 2009 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, THE COMPUTER FLASHED THE STABILITRAK IS DISABLED AND THE ENGINE IS POWERING DOWN. I WAS DRIVING 75 MILES PER HOUR IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND ALL THE CARS AROUND ME HAD TO SLAM ON THEIR BRAKES AND GO UP ON TO THE MEDIAN TO AVOID ME. MY ENGINE SEIZED UP AND THE CAR WAS MOTIONLESS. THIS IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS AND I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
I RECENTLY EXPERIENCED THE CONDITIONS DESCRIBED BY THE GM RECALL 14515 IN MY 2009 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. IN THE PAST 6 WEEKS, THE CAR HAS FAILED TO START. THE FIRST INCIDENT REQUIRED NEARLY 10 MINUTES OF STARTING THE CAR BEFORE IT WOULD START. ONCE STARTED THE CAR WAS FINE. IT WAS A COLD START - FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. ABOUT A MONTH LATER IT FAILED TO START GAIN, AFTER BEING PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS. AGAIN, AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES, THE TRUCK STARTED AND DROVE FINE AFTERWARDS. TODAY - ABOUT 2 WEEKS AFTER THE 2ND INCIDENT, THE TRUCK STALLED WHILE MY WIFE WAS AT A STOP LIGHT. IT TOOK 6-7 ATTEMPTS TO START BEFORE THE TRUCK AGAIN FIRED UP AND WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THIS CONDITION IS EXACTLY WHAT IS DESCRIBED IN GM RECALL 14515. HOWEVER, GM IS SAYING THAT MY VEHICLE (VIN: [XXX]) IS NOT COVERED IN THE RECALL. I THINK THAT AN ERROR AND DISAGREE WITH HOW NHTSA AND GM DETERMINED WHICH CARS ARE AFFECTED.... I AM APPALLED THAT GM IS ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH THIS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT
WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE SUDDENLY GOES INTO "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" MODE ("LIMP MODE") WITH CONSOLE MESSAGE "TRACTION CONTOL DISABLED, SERVICE STABILITRAK, ENGINE POWER REDUCED". GENERALLY OCCURS WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE LOWER THAN 25 DEGREES FARENHEIT. SHUTTING DOWN VEHICLE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AND RESTARTING LEADS TO NORMAL OPERATION, HOWEVER VEHICLE WILL GENERALLY REPEAT SAME PROBLEM WITHIN 5-15 MINUTES IF OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE IS COLD ENOUGH (BELOW 25 DEGREES FARENHEIT) . ERROR CODE P1235 (THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR 1-2 CORRELATION...) IS SET, BUT MAY NOT PERSIST IN MEMORY. GM IS PROVIDING OWNERS WITH ADDITIONAL PROTECTIONS FOR 10 YEARS/120,000 MILES UNDER CSC-10047220-3332 (BULLETIN NO. 11273), HOWEVER NOT ALL VINS ARE INCLUDED. VEHICLE HAD THROTTLE BODY (INCLUDING SENSOR) REPLACED IN 2010 AND APPEARS TO BE EXHIBITING EXACT PROBLEMS COVERED BY THIS BULLETIN, HOWEVER GM DEALER AND GM ARE NOT EXTENDING PROTECTION FOR THIS VEHICLE. DEALER IS RECOMMENDING ANOTHER NEW THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR AND/OR THROTTLE BODY (INCLUDING SENSOR), ALONG WITH COMPUTER RESET. THIS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED FOR MORE THAN THREE YEARS AND POSES A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISK WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS (DRASTIC SUDDEN DECELERATION IN TRAFFIC).
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
DASH BOARD HAS DEVELOPED MAJOR CRACKS, PARKED IN DRIVE WAY MOTOR MOUNT BROKE, DISCOVERED AT INSPECTION ENGINE HAD TO BE REBUILT DIE TO EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION (COVERED UNDER WARRANTY) WHEELS CORODED FROM INSIDE, PITTED HEAD, TIRES LEAK AIR AS A RESULT PURCHASED AS A GM CERTIFIED VEHICLE, 32K MILES. HAD TO TAKE BACK NEXT DAY DUE TO WARPED FRONT BRAKE ROTORS...ANT CHEVY, SELLERSVILLE PA.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
EARLY AND REPEATED WARPING OF THE ROTORS ON MY 2007 LTZ CHEVY SUBURBAN. IN TALKING TO THE MECHANIC IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT CAN HAPPEN QUICKLY WITHOUT WARNING AND CAUSE YOU TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE DURING BRAKING. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
DASH BOARD HAS DEVELOPED MAJOR CRACKS, PARKED IN DRIVE WAY MOTOR MOUNT BROKE, DISCOVERED AT INSPECTION ENGINE HAD TO BE REBUILT DIE TO EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION (COVERED UNDER WARRANTY) WHEELS CORODED FROM INSIDE, PITTED HEAD, TIRES LEAK AIR AS A RESULT PURCHASED AS A GM CERTIFIED VEHICLE, 32K MILES. HAD TO TAKE BACK NEXT DAY DUE TO WARPED FRONT BRAKE ROTORS...ANT CHEVY, SELLERSVILLE PA.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .