Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I have had the Tire Pressure indicator that tells the tire pressure of all four tire replaced several times. John L Sullivan Chevrolet in Roseville California keeps telling me that they are wearing out do to use. But the truck only has 70K in mileage and I they malfunction all the time. I get readings of 99 lbs of air pressure. Then the same tire will say 0 lbs of pressure. And it will say 7, then 29 then 18 lbs of air pressure in a distance of 2 blocks traveled. This is a malfunction due to faulty parts in the GM tire pressure reading system and they need to fix it. If I take it to the Chevy dealer, they want to charge me $209 to per tire to replace them and then they still do not work after they replace them Still get crazy tire pressure readings and it warnings flashing on my instrument panel that are distracting and dangerous. …
My truck has roughly 26,000 miles and the airbag sensing module on it corroded due to water gathering around it in the acoustic padding. It happens because water runs down a line that enters the cab and gets absorbed by the acoustic padding. This is a known issue as there is a recall for other states. My state is not one even though Louisiana is one of the wettest states and we also use salt in the winter when the roads ice. I'm glad I didn't get hurt by this since it can cause the seatbelt pretentioners to fire and/or the airbag to deploy. This is the document from GM/NHTSA. GM Bulletin [redacted] Can you please include Louisiana in this recall since the issue is affecting us?
For the past few years I keep getting code P2138. I have spent several thousand dollars trying to get my truck fixed. I have replaced the accelerator pedal at least 3 times. Replaced the throttle body. Did a complete rewire. Replaced the ECM and still the dealership can't figure it out. Every time I leave I'm hopeful the problem is resolved but then a month or two later I will be driving and then my truck will lose engine power. Someone is going to get killed because of this if they haven't already. Extremely frustrated.
The TCM failed in rush hour traffic! In Minneapolis Minnesota, the stability control light came on, traction control light came on, no throttle, no power. We backed up traffic, got push to the side of the road, towed to the service shop, and was told the Transmission control module (TCM) failed. Then told they are on national backorder from GM. The truck has been down for 3 months with no answers or parts in sight.
Bcm causing electrical problems with instrument cluster causing battery to go flat ... bcm not letting cluster goto sleep causing a battery drain around .5amps... all the gauges will drop below zero and bounce right back to zero in 30 seconds to a minute.
The truck was sitting parked in the driveway and my neighbor noticed that the lights and wipers came on (truck was not on, no keys were in it, nobody was in it or near it!). Smoke then began to billow out from under the hood and a fire started. My neighbor was able to disconnect the battery and put out the fire. I had the truck towed to a garage where they told me that the fuse panel caught on fire. They called GM and was told there was no recall for the part. Dealing with insurance now.
After parking my truck in driveway. I came out the next morning to find my windshield wipers up and the truck dead. The only light that would come on was the engine light. After further inspection, the fuse box had melted and caught on fire. I feel this is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. I do not see a recall on general motors website.
My 2009 Chevrolet Silverado was parked for two days. It was running perfectly up until it was parked..after two days of being parked in the rain,the rear tail light suddenly went on by itself. I opened the door to the vehicle to see how this could happen and the "service engine soon" light was on. I put the key into the ignition and it was totally dead. I opened the hood and lifted off the fuse panel cover,because there was a strong smell of burning. Then,there was smoke. I immediately disconnected the battery and had the vehicle towed to the nearest dealer. After picking it up today,they charged me $1555 to repair,yet could not provide a logical reason why this happened! They said"corrosion" in the fuse panel. How could a vehicle made in 2009 with 72,000 miles have a problem such as this without a major issue being wrong? …
The vehicle was being driven by my son when service engine light came on and I then used my actron scan tool and pulled 3x codes from the computer (ECU) codes related to the fuel pump control module , and trailer brake warning light appeared on the instrument cluster cleared these codes. 2 days later codes reappeared all were fuel pump circuit low, fuel pump module and trailer brake codes. Cleared codes then inspected the fpsm visually removed rear cover and the fpsm was full of water I them dried it out for 2x days in the sun truck ran after reassembly. But 3x days later the truck failed to start this time with computer scan tool in hand I checked the fuel pump pressure, the truck had no fuel pump pressure. I then went to my local Chevrolet dealer and gave them the v.I.n. # to check the vehicle for recalls. Only recall was for safety belt recall which was done in 2009. …
At 75mph on toll road at night, suddenly the lights (all external & internal) went dark. Hazard light would not work, engine quit, bell went off (door-key in ignition bell), RPM surged. Was able to get off road and waited 10 minutes and truck started. Drove off, got to 60 and same thing happened. Waited 30 minutes and truck was OK except when brakes applied -door/key bell went off. Dealer had truck for three days and could not duplicate. Went to utube and typed in electrical problems-2009 Silverado and several pages of the exact same problem appeared.called dealer told them to replace the battery ground cable and to check the mega fuse. So far the truck is running OK (incident happened in July 2017) seems like the back yard mechanics know more about how to fix this problem. This is serious, driving at night at 75 and losing all electrics is an accident waiting to happen. …
NHTSA investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles.
Electrical complaints in other Silverado 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the electrical system of the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 10% of the model year's 444 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 72,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 5 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.