RoadVitals

2009 GMC C Series Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
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Latest Nov 30, 2018
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2009 GMC C Series, 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

  • Body & structure125.0%
  • Brakes125.0%
  • Engine125.0%
  • Steering125.0%

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

Body & structure

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

I POSTED UP HERE LESS THAN A MONTH AGO IN REGARDS TO STEERING ISSUES WITH MY CAR. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE GM DEALER ON JULY 21ST TO HAVE THE RECALLS FIXED. THEY REPLACED MY STEERING PUMP AND 2 OTHER RECALLS WERE FIXED. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I HAVE THE RACK AND PINION EVENTUALLY REPLACED AS WELL AS THE MOTOR MOUNT AND SOME AIR HOSES. OTHER THAN THAT MY CAR WAS FINE ACCORDING TO THEM. I PICKED IT UP AFTER WORK ON THE 24TH AND TOOK IT HOME. MY HUSBAND AND I RODE OUR MOTORCYCLES ALL THAT FOLLOWING WEEKEND SO THE ACADIA WAS NOT DRIVEN MUCH. I ALSO RODE MY MOTORCYCLE TO AND FROM WORK TWO DAYS THE FOLLOWING WEEK. I ONLY DRIVE THE ACADIA THREE DAYS LAST WEEK TO AND FROM WORK! YESTERDAY (AIGUST 1ST) I TOOK MY KIDS TO A WATER PARK 20 MILES AWAY. WHEN WE GOT HOME THE CAR HAD A LITTLE BIT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD AND HAD A HORRIBLE WHINING NOISE! MY HUSBAND LOOKED AND SAW THAT THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING FLUID AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS FLATTERING FLUID ALL UNDER THE CAR ON THE UNDER CARRIAGE. HE SAID HE THOUGHT WE NEEDED TO TAKE IT BACK MONDAY AND FILLED UP THE RESERVOIR WITH FLUID AGAIN. TODAY (AUGUST 2ND) I DROVE 7 MILES TO THE PHARMACY TO GET MEDICINE FOR OUR DAUGHTER. WHEN WE GOT THERE WE NOTICED A LITTLE BIT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD BUT NO WHINING AND FIGURED IT WAS FROM THE FLUID HITTING THE HOT ENGINE. WHEN WE CAME OUT OF THE PHARMACY MY CAR HAD FIRE DRIPPING FROM UNDERNEATH AND THE HOOD WAS ENCASED WITH SMOKE. WE CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BUT BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND HOOD WERE COMPLETELY ON FIRE WITH THE ENGINE MELTED! I JUST PURCHASED MY CAR 4 MONTHS AGO AND IT IS NOW A TOTAL LOSS. GMC HAS DROPPED THE BALL AND I AM DEVASTATED TO SAY THE LEAST!

NHTSA ID 10745653 · filed Aug 2, 2015

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

ABS LIGHT HAS CAME ON AND BRAKES HAVE STARTED ACTING FUNNY. WHEN THE BRAKE IS PRESSED YOU CAN HEAR THE MOTOR CHANGE IDLE AND SOME TIMES THE PEDAL WILL GO THE FLOOR. THIS VEHICLE IS OUR RESCUE UNIT ON OUR TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT.

NHTSA ID 11155149 · filed Nov 30, 2018

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

I POSTED UP HERE LESS THAN A MONTH AGO IN REGARDS TO STEERING ISSUES WITH MY CAR. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE GM DEALER ON JULY 21ST TO HAVE THE RECALLS FIXED. THEY REPLACED MY STEERING PUMP AND 2 OTHER RECALLS WERE FIXED. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I HAVE THE RACK AND PINION EVENTUALLY REPLACED AS WELL AS THE MOTOR MOUNT AND SOME AIR HOSES. OTHER THAN THAT MY CAR WAS FINE ACCORDING TO THEM. I PICKED IT UP AFTER WORK ON THE 24TH AND TOOK IT HOME. MY HUSBAND AND I RODE OUR MOTORCYCLES ALL THAT FOLLOWING WEEKEND SO THE ACADIA WAS NOT DRIVEN MUCH. I ALSO RODE MY MOTORCYCLE TO AND FROM WORK TWO DAYS THE FOLLOWING WEEK. I ONLY DRIVE THE ACADIA THREE DAYS LAST WEEK TO AND FROM WORK! YESTERDAY (AIGUST 1ST) I TOOK MY KIDS TO A WATER PARK 20 MILES AWAY. WHEN WE GOT HOME THE CAR HAD A LITTLE BIT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD AND HAD A HORRIBLE WHINING NOISE! MY HUSBAND LOOKED AND SAW THAT THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING FLUID AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS FLATTERING FLUID ALL UNDER THE CAR ON THE UNDER CARRIAGE. HE SAID HE THOUGHT WE NEEDED TO TAKE IT BACK MONDAY AND FILLED UP THE RESERVOIR WITH FLUID AGAIN. TODAY (AUGUST 2ND) I DROVE 7 MILES TO THE PHARMACY TO GET MEDICINE FOR OUR DAUGHTER. WHEN WE GOT THERE WE NOTICED A LITTLE BIT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD BUT NO WHINING AND FIGURED IT WAS FROM THE FLUID HITTING THE HOT ENGINE. WHEN WE CAME OUT OF THE PHARMACY MY CAR HAD FIRE DRIPPING FROM UNDERNEATH AND THE HOOD WAS ENCASED WITH SMOKE. WE CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BUT BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND HOOD WERE COMPLETELY ON FIRE WITH THE ENGINE MELTED! I JUST PURCHASED MY CAR 4 MONTHS AGO AND IT IS NOW A TOTAL LOSS. GMC HAS DROPPED THE BALL AND I AM DEVASTATED TO SAY THE LEAST!

NHTSA ID 10745653 · filed Aug 2, 2015

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Steering

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

I POSTED UP HERE LESS THAN A MONTH AGO IN REGARDS TO STEERING ISSUES WITH MY CAR. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE GM DEALER ON JULY 21ST TO HAVE THE RECALLS FIXED. THEY REPLACED MY STEERING PUMP AND 2 OTHER RECALLS WERE FIXED. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I HAVE THE RACK AND PINION EVENTUALLY REPLACED AS WELL AS THE MOTOR MOUNT AND SOME AIR HOSES. OTHER THAN THAT MY CAR WAS FINE ACCORDING TO THEM. I PICKED IT UP AFTER WORK ON THE 24TH AND TOOK IT HOME. MY HUSBAND AND I RODE OUR MOTORCYCLES ALL THAT FOLLOWING WEEKEND SO THE ACADIA WAS NOT DRIVEN MUCH. I ALSO RODE MY MOTORCYCLE TO AND FROM WORK TWO DAYS THE FOLLOWING WEEK. I ONLY DRIVE THE ACADIA THREE DAYS LAST WEEK TO AND FROM WORK! YESTERDAY (AIGUST 1ST) I TOOK MY KIDS TO A WATER PARK 20 MILES AWAY. WHEN WE GOT HOME THE CAR HAD A LITTLE BIT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD AND HAD A HORRIBLE WHINING NOISE! MY HUSBAND LOOKED AND SAW THAT THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING FLUID AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS FLATTERING FLUID ALL UNDER THE CAR ON THE UNDER CARRIAGE. HE SAID HE THOUGHT WE NEEDED TO TAKE IT BACK MONDAY AND FILLED UP THE RESERVOIR WITH FLUID AGAIN. TODAY (AUGUST 2ND) I DROVE 7 MILES TO THE PHARMACY TO GET MEDICINE FOR OUR DAUGHTER. WHEN WE GOT THERE WE NOTICED A LITTLE BIT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD BUT NO WHINING AND FIGURED IT WAS FROM THE FLUID HITTING THE HOT ENGINE. WHEN WE CAME OUT OF THE PHARMACY MY CAR HAD FIRE DRIPPING FROM UNDERNEATH AND THE HOOD WAS ENCASED WITH SMOKE. WE CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BUT BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND HOOD WERE COMPLETELY ON FIRE WITH THE ENGINE MELTED! I JUST PURCHASED MY CAR 4 MONTHS AGO AND IT IS NOW A TOTAL LOSS. GMC HAS DROPPED THE BALL AND I AM DEVASTATED TO SAY THE LEAST!

NHTSA ID 10745653 · filed Aug 2, 2015

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

Data on this page last refreshed .