STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE
2009 Chevrolet Traverse
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 448 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse, most frequently naming the steering, engine and powertrain (other) categories. 8 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 3 NHTSA investigations name it; and 1,217 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| May 2016 | 3 | 322 |
| Jun 2016 | 3 | 325 |
| Jul 2016 | 1 | 326 |
| Aug 2016 | 1 | 327 |
| Sep 2016 | 3 | 330 |
| Oct 2016 | 2 | 332 |
| Nov 2016 | 1 | 333 |
| Dec 2016 | 2 | 335 |
| Jan 2017 | 2 | 337 |
| Feb 2017 | 1 | 338 |
| Mar 2017 | 2 | 340 |
| May 2017 | 1 | 341 |
| Jun 2017 | 2 | 343 |
| Jul 2017 | 3 | 346 |
| Aug 2017 | 2 | 348 |
| Sep 2017 | 5 | 353 |
| Oct 2017 | 3 | 356 |
| Nov 2017 | 4 | 360 |
| Dec 2017 | 3 | 363 |
| Jan 2018 | 3 | 366 |
| Feb 2018 | 3 | 369 |
| Mar 2018 | 1 | 370 |
| Apr 2018 | 1 | 371 |
| May 2018 | 3 | 374 |
| Jun 2018 | 5 | 379 |
| Jul 2018 | 1 | 380 |
| Aug 2018 | 2 | 382 |
| Sep 2018 | 1 | 383 |
| Oct 2018 | 3 | 386 |
| Nov 2018 | 4 | 390 |
| Dec 2018 | 3 | 393 |
| Jan 2019 | 1 | 394 |
| Feb 2019 | 2 | 396 |
| Mar 2019 | 2 | 398 |
| Apr 2019 | 2 | 400 |
| May 2019 | 2 | 402 |
| Jun 2019 | 5 | 407 |
| Jul 2019 | 3 | 410 |
| Aug 2019 | 6 | 416 |
| Sep 2019 | 2 | 418 |
| Oct 2019 | 1 | 419 |
| Nov 2019 | 3 | 422 |
| Jan 2020 | 1 | 423 |
| Feb 2020 | 1 | 424 |
| Jul 2020 | 4 | 428 |
| Aug 2020 | 1 | 429 |
| Oct 2020 | 1 | 430 |
| Nov 2020 | 1 | 431 |
| Jan 2021 | 2 | 433 |
| Feb 2021 | 3 | 436 |
| Mar 2021 | 1 | 437 |
| Jun 2021 | 2 | 439 |
| Jul 2021 | 1 | 440 |
| Nov 2021 | 2 | 442 |
| Apr 2022 | 1 | 443 |
| Jul 2022 | 1 | 444 |
| Apr 2023 | 1 | 445 |
| Aug 2023 | 1 | 446 |
| Jan 2024 | 1 | 447 |
| Jan 2026 | 1 | 448 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Steering23142.5%
- Engine6211.4%
- Powertrain (other)549.9%
- Electrical366.6%
- Driver assistance356.4%
- Airbags264.8%
- Seat belts183.3%
- Brakes132.4%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
8 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govSEAT BELTS
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
On August 31, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA) EA20002, as an upgrade of Recall Query (RQ) RQ19003. This investigation, related to recall 14V-266, was opened to investigate instances of detachment of the flexible steel seat belt anchor cable attached to the outboard side of the front seats in vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The subject vehicles included model year (MY) 2009 through 2014 GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and Chevrolet Traverse SUVs as well as MY 2009 through 2010 Saturn Outlook SUVs. These vehicles were previously repaired for this defect under recall 14V-266. The subject vehicle population is approximately 1.3 million vehicles. Special Coverage N192219480, issued in June 2019, addressed the subject defect in vehicles that previously received the recall remedy repair for subject recall 14V-266. The Special Coverage allows for component replacement for 12 years or 180,000 miles from the initial sale date, whichever comes first. Special Coverage N192219480 instructed service technicians to inspect the driver’s seat belt anchor cable for any damage to the protective sleeve and if damage was observed, the cable was replaced with a new sleeve as well as a new closeout piece that relocated the cable to mitigate the subject condition. In view of the Special Coverage conducted by General Motors, the high detectability of the subject failure, and the low rate of occurrence, this Engineering Analysis is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov. Please see the attached document “EA20-002 Detailed Closing Summary” for more a detailed closing resume summary.
Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
On May 19, 2014, General Motors LLC (GM) notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) that it would conduct Safety Recall 14V266 to address fatigue and separation of the flexible steel cable that connects the front outboard seat belts to the seat-mounted belt pre-tensioner in 1.4 million model year (MY) 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook, 2009-2014 Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse (Lambda Platform) vehicles.The remedy was to inspect for signs of damage and replace pre-tensioner anchor cables as needed. Re-work was conducted to relocate the pre-tensioner anchor cable out of the occupant entry path. ODI has subsequently received four (4) Vehicle Owners Questionnaires (VOQ) reporting anchor cable separations with no apparent warning in covered vehicles after the Recall 14V266 remedy had been applied.ODI opened RQ19-003 to assess the effectiveness of the actions GM took in Recall 14V266 and review the full warranty and complaint data related to seat belt anchor cable separations and replacements. ODI continues to receive occasional cable failure complaints both for the subject vehicles and other GM models and model years that have also been previously recalled addressing this condition.Although the cable separation complaint rate is very low, over the past three years ODI has received two (2) additional VOQ?s citing belt cable separations for Lambda platform vehicles outside the scope of recall 14V266, (11217092, 11118075) and complaints for other GM models covered in a number of similar Safety Recalls:* 15V269, 2011-12 Chevrolet Malibu (11181115, 11288168); * 16V209, 2014-15 Silverado 1500, Sierra 1500 (11254364, 10935183, 10953851, 11025376, 11282043, 11288701, 11309884); and * 16V518 2014-16 Caprice Police Pursuit, SS (10905644, 10990669, 11340893).ODI's review of GM's data confirms the low potential failure rate for the vehicles covered by recall 14V266. However, ODI believes that complainants may not recognize accumulating cable fatigue damage from the visual cues available in routine vehicle use.ODI is upgrading RQ19-003 to an Engineering Analysis to more closely assess seat belt conditions and strength levels in the field. This work will include the collection of seat belt samples from a wider range of recalled and peer vehicles for detailed analysis and testing.The ODI reports (VOQs) associated with this RQ19-003 can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under the following reference numbers: 11144704, 11076704, 11185619, 11151922, 11164011, 10967518, 11113486, 11115648
Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit
On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.RMD queried three (3) major motor vehicle manufacturers (Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors) and requested data regarding completion figures for fifteen (15) discreet safety recalls.Analysis of this data demonstrated that rental car recalls completion was neither complete nor consistent.The rental car companies representing the largest market share in the industry were then queried as to their respective policies for the rental, lease, and sale of vehicles with open recalls.The data and responses from the manufacturers and the rental car companies can be found in the document repository by accessing the ?Associated Documents link above.In December 2015, Congress enacted the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.One section of the Act prohibits rental car companies from renting, leasing, or selling motor vehicles subject to open safety recalls.With the passage of the FAST Act and its prohibition, there is no continuing need for the agency to investigate rental car recall completions.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The agency reserves the right to open any future investigations, including audits of individual recalls, or groups of recalls, or rental car companies, to examine more closely safety recalls performance and completion issues in this area.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Limp mode. It doesn't have speed only goes about 10-20 mph, doesn't give any gas it'll stall act as if it wants to shut down. Transmission Shift Cable. Stalls want let me get gas or nothing slowing down in traffic, it just gives up. No. yes. others Check engine light, Stabilitrak/traction control system, ABS sensor Whenever the check engine light came early part of December.
- NHTSA ID
- 11711721
- Incident
- Jan 18, 2026
I just bought the car from sb auto . The car I had for 4 days wasn't making funny nosies nothing. The timing went when I was driving the car it came to a dead stop lost power steering . Had me and my son in the car thankfully I was Turning into a complex when it happened. It's got 159163 miles
- NHTSA ID
- 11567801
- Incident
- Sep 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that when she started her vehicle and shifted into drive (D) and depressed the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that she attempted to drive the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH. The contact stated that the check engine and TPMS warning lights were illuminated. The contact parked the vehicle nearby her residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed and had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11540277
- Incident
- Aug 15, 2023
- Mileage
- 110,000 mi
I bought the car in August of last year and drove it for about 3 days before it started giving me problems. First incident I was driving my children home from the hairdresser and the car completely went out us on the highway, after repeated attempts for a half hour or so I was able to start it and drive it back home very slowly..this happened twice I went to get it diagnosed and codes came up for crank shaft sensor and o2 sensor, before I could even get that fixed more problems came up, the steering wheel began to become stiff and almost impossible to turn, while picking my son up from school I was trying to pull away from the curb in the drop off spot and almost hit another car and a child because the steering wheel stiffened up on me!!! I was told I would need an entire steering rack!!! ...also the key has gotten stuck in the ignition and wouldn't start and I had to have it towed to a mechanic for that as well. Driving up hill one day I lost power that made it seem like it was stuck in low, then we lost reverse altogether as well as the ability to climb hills. I got the transmission repaired, barely made it home before it started doing the exact same thing, no reverse and won't go up hills, so I had to get it towed back to the shop to fix it once again, now I find out that the computer went bad as well and was causing the car to perform in neutral. This car has given me nothing but problems since I bought it! It is very dangerous to be on the road! I don't understand how they're even still in circulation!! This is by far the worst experience I've ever had with a vehicle! Upon doing research online I seen that there were HUNDREDS of people with these cars experiencing the same problems. Something has to be done!! I had the car almost a year and only got about a week's worth of use!!
- NHTSA ID
- 11518764
- Incident
- Sep 3, 2022
I bought my car and not even a month later I was driving off the interstate and it shut down on me. I had it towed to my house and it won’t start anymore. The car makes a funny clickin noise. It could have killed me if I would have wrecked.
- NHTSA ID
- 11473430
- Incident
- Jul 11, 2022
Wiring failing, abs won't work, track control not working, reverse camera, stable track,
- NHTSA ID
- 11459250
- Incident
- Apr 1, 2022
The car appeared to have lost power, not while entering the freeway. I pressed on the gas, but it made a loud sound and barely moved. I then saw smoke, pulled over and the car cut off. The car continued to smoke. I opened the hood, and it was a fire under it. Prior to driving, the check engine light was on.
- NHTSA ID
- 11441528
- Incident
- Nov 23, 2021
Airbag “Service Airbag” light appears on dash intermittently.
- NHTSA ID
- 11441133
- Incident
- Nov 19, 2021
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on. Technician may find Diagnostic Trouble Codes B3055, B3060, B3935, C0750, C0755, C0760, C0765, and/or C0775.
This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 52.4 |
| 2025 | 171 | 0 | 0 | 43.2 |
| 2024 | 129 | 0 | 0 | 43.1 |
| 2023 | 85 | 2 | 0 | 56.4 |
| 2022 | 95 | 1 | 0 | 51.0 |
| 2021 | 86 | 3 | 0 | 57.6 |
| 2020 | 217 | 8 | 0 | 60.4 |
| 2019 | 400 | 3 | 0 | 56.2 |
| 2018 | 454 | 2 | 0 | 52.6 |
| 2017 | 360 | 3 | 0 | 52.5 |
| 2016 | 291 | 5 | 0 | 50.5 |
| 2015 | 313 | 5 | 0 | 51.7 |
| 2014 | 547 | 7 | 2 | 55.2 |
| 2013 | 161 | 4 | 2 | 55.4 |
| 2012 | 354 | 5 | 2 | 55.1 |
| 2011 | 608 | 5 | 2 | 54.3 |
| 2010 | 668 | 5 | 2 | 55.0 |
| 2009Viewing | 448 | 8 | 3 | 58.4 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.