Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
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).
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the service air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the air bag control module was corroded due to moisture in the driver weld. The vehicle was not covered under a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
The contact owns a 2009Chevrolet Silverado LD. The contact stated that he purchased his vehicle 2 months ago and when driving his vehicle at approximately 10 MPH, pulling off from a red traffic light, his vehicle's tailpipe had fallen off. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated at the time, nor an indication that something was wrong with his vehicle. The contact stated that he then took his vehicle to the dealer who advised him of a third party who could look at his vehicle and make the proper diagnoses, however, he would have to pay out of pocket. The contact stated he was unable to have the third party look at his vehicle, so he was able to fix the vehicle himself. The contact stated that shortly after he fixed the failure on his vehicle he went to start the vehicle with the remote start but the vehicle would not turn on. …
This truck has the 5.3L engine with the Active Fuel Management system. I took the truck in for the 55,000 service on 02/04/2020. A month later with 56,000 miles, I had to take the truck in for something. At that time, I found out the truck had used up 2 1/2 qts of oil in 1,000 miles. Never had a problem using oil between the 5,000 mile service intervals before. Their are no leaks anywhere. The dealer had me bring the truck in every 1,000 miles for oil consumption checks for 4 times. The last time it showed a 1/2 qt usage. I had the 60,000 mile service. Then at 62,390 on 01/26/2022 I had some lifter noise. Checked the oil and found it had used 4 qts in 2,390. I had been told that the 2009-2011 Chevy 5.3L engines with the AFM had problems using oil starting around 60,000 miles. 4 qts of oil usage in 2,390 miles is not right.
For the last few months, my Silverado 1500 Hybrid has been experiencing "bump jerk" phenomenon related to the Hybrid mode auto stop mode and the auxiliary transmission pump intermittently not operating correctly. This issue is intermittent. Sometimes in autostop, the truck behaves normally in Hybrid mode. However, when the auxiliary transmission pump is not operating correctly in auto stop mode and below 25 mph, the truck is at risk of not moving forward in proportion to throttle response as well as rolling backward if my foot is let off the brake while in traffic. After some research, this issue is described in PIP4751G.
the warning lights occur frequently when the truck is idling and then disappears and reappears while driving. The "Service Stabilitrak" light will usually appear first and then the car will turn traction control off. Once traction control is turned off, the transmission beings to shift very hard and rough. Additionally, Loss of engine power and or limp mode are also symptoms in addition to very hard shifting.
Truck had been sitting overnight. Woke up to 3rd brake light on. Opened cab door, smelled like smoke and check engine light on, would not turn over. Pop hood and the fuse box and wiring harness had been on fire, were completely melted. Insurance company won't cover because there was not substantial proof of fire, and could not find source. Filed a formal complaint with GM after the dealership told us the wiring harness had been discontinued (on a 7 year old truck). GM won't do anything because they cannot find the source, and they have yet to acknowledge that they discontinued a part. We have no way of fixing this truck.
On thursdsy, April 27, 2017, I parked my 2009 Chevy Silverado at home in my driveway after work and shut it off for the night. It was stationary at that point. I did not restart it or move it for the remainder of the day/evening. The next morning, the engine would not start. It sounded like it was going to start, but to no avail after several tries. I determined it was not getting fuel. I called a local auto repair tech who diagnosed it on site, to be a faulty chassis electronic control module, which sends fuel to the fuel pump. Upon researching the problem, I found a recall bulletin / product safety recall #14515b issued January 2015. It clearly states that the 2007-2013 Chevrolet Silverado (along with many other makes/models/years) May have a chassis electronic module could have internal contamination (water, build-up causing wire and bolt corrosion). …
On March 21, 2018, at or close to 1:45 pm, while driving my 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 the instrument cluster began illuminating and producing auditable alarms. The message center indicated to 'check oil pressure.' during this failure, I lost all motive power and had to maneuver the vehicle off of the highway's traffic as other vehicles were following me, one of which came very close to rear-ending me. I had the vehicle towed to a repair facility in which they had indicated that this was something they had replaced, on separate occasions with this type of vehicle on at least four previous occasions. The repair facility has indicated that it was due to an 'oil pump failure' that is located inside the engine. The mileage is 112,651; I sure would not expect such a catastrophic failure that endangered other motorists and myself. …
Frequently when driving truck will do some or all of the following things, door locks locking and unlocking, dash lights flashing, stereo coming on and off, electronic stability control turns off, all lights, exterior and interior, turn off and on sometimes staying off long enough at night will scare you, truck speeds up but then sometimes losing power. All of those things happen when the truck is in motion. I drive on the highway every day which is bad when truck does these things. Not a safe situation for me. Then sometimes when you turn it off you hear a loud clicking noise. If you do nothing battery will be dead when you try to start it next time. I can get it to stop the clicking by raising hood I and tapping on positive battery can I let or the mega fuse that is on the firewall. Chevrolet has recalled the 2008 trucks for something similar to this. I
My fuel pump control module pn20759945 shorted. Recall bulletin 14515 covers my model year and part number. However, GM claims my VIN is not covered by this. This is the same part and same failure listed in the recall bulletin, and imo it should be covered by GM. Fcpm's are poorly designed and poorly placed and fail on many many GM models over a number of years. This is an item that should be expanded to include all vehicles with that part number, especially if they are mounted externally and exposed to the environment such as on all Chevy sliverados and related trucks. The fault in my case was a check engine light, and not a crank no start. I took the truck to GM for diagnosis. They said the fcpm needs replaced as it shows and internal fault. This is an expensive part and service,which should be covered by GM under the bulletin imo.
Engine complaints in other Silverado 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
NHTSA has 41 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 9% of the model year's 444 complaints. The component named most often is engine (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling 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 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 84,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.