Most common 2009 Chevrolet Suburban problems
Share of the 106 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Suburban complaints by model year
Best Suburban years: 2014, 2009, 2020. Years to avoid: 2015, 2021, 2023, 2022, 2024. Compare all years →
2009 Chevrolet Suburban recalls (5)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida,…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 24, 2021.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas,…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 23, 2021.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021.
Electrical system
GM is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Buick, lucerne; Cadillac dts; Hummer h2; model year 2008-2009 Buick enclave; Cadillac cts; model year 2007-2009 Cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; Chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; GMC acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl; Saturn outlook; and model year 2009…
Remedy: Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module. An updated page for the owner manual will be provided and inserted in the owner manual to document that the feature has been permanently…
Fuel system, gasoline
GM is recalling 27,188 my 2009 Cadillac escalade, escalade hybrid, escalade esv, and escalade ext; Chevrolet avalanche, suburban, tahoe, tahoe hybrid, and colorado; and GMC yukon, yukon hybrid, yukon xl, and canyon vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new fuel system control module free of charge. The recall began on May 18, 2009. Owners May contact Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 and GMC at 1-866-996-9463 or at…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2009 Chevrolet Suburban:
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
What 2009 Chevrolet Suburban owners say
Air bags all 38 →
I am STILL waiting for this recall to be fixed. Why is this taking so long? Every time I drive this vehicle, it is a danger for my passenger due to the defective airbag. It almost seems to me that maybe this is a stall tactic so there will be less of a cost for the repairs due to the less vehicles still on the road. Just my opinion. I would like to know what is taking so long to fix. It is already late 2021 and this vehicle is a 2009. Wow. I guess the safety of the customers is second to the cost of repairs.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at a low rate of speed, she attempted to make a left turn and was hit by a car coming from the opposite side. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The driver was treated for whiplash and multiple bulged disks in her back which would require surgery. A police report was not filed. The driver was able to drive the vehicle home after the accident. The contact stated that the vehicle had been included in NHTSA campaign number: 16V381000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 167,000.
Electrical system
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while her son was seated in the driver's side front seat with the door opened, the key was not in the ignition, the doors inadvertently locked and unlocked. The contact's son noticed that there was smoke coming from the dash and exited the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact and her son detected a burning odor and noticed that there was smoke coming from underneath the hood; however, there were no flames. The contact's son opened the hood and disconnected the battery. The fire department arrived and inspected the vehicle. The fireman informed the contact that the alternator and battery connectors were extremely hot. The fire department assisted in moving the vehicle away from the residence. A fire department report was filed. …
My 2009 Chevrolet Suburban began stalling in the middle of intersections after it had rained heavily the day prior. The shop discovered that the issue was the fuel system control module. There was a recall on this, but GM informed me that it excluded my VIN #. The problem with the module was exactly what is listed in the recall and was not related to "wear and tear" as suggested by randy with GM (senior advisor), but a faulty seal intended to prevent water infiltration. I am requesting a recall that includes my VIN...I am not sure how this can happen on the exact year and car listed in the recall, yet be excluded. I have found additional 2009 Chevy owners with the same issue through online blogs that also were denied this recall.
Engine & cooling
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle started to sputter and shake with a loud knocking sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated and the vehicle shifted into limp mode and decelerated. The vehicle was driven back to the contact's residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine was low on oil. Additionally, the number 6 lifter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 167,000.
I have noticed over the last few oil changes at every 3000 miles. There seems to be an extensive amount of oil consumption with this motor. It seems to me that it consumes a quart every 1000 miles. There is no visible leaks on the motor or any where in the engine compartment. Also I have noticed that at a cold start up there is a "puff" of black smoke that comes out of the tail pipe. This also can be confirmed by looking at the tip of the tail pipe and the rear body panel behind the tail pipe were black soot has formed.
2009 Chevrolet Suburban engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 20 / 16 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Chevrolet Suburban a good car?
Based on 106 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Suburban rates better than average: 63% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Suburban at the same age. It is one of the best Suburban years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Chevrolet Suburban?
The air bags — 38 complaints, 36% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (16) and engine & cooling (12).
How many recalls does the 2009 Chevrolet Suburban have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2009 Chevrolet Suburban, the most recent from February 5, 2021 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Suburban?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2009 and 2020. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2015, 2021, 2023, 2022 and 2024. See the full Chevrolet Suburban years comparison.
At what mileage do 2009 Chevrolet Suburban problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 85,000 miles; 27% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.