Most common 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe problems
Share of the 284 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Tahoe complaints by model year
Best Tahoe years: 2020, 2014, 2018. Years to avoid: 2021, 2023, 2015, 2011, 2022. Compare all years →
2009 Chevrolet Tahoe recalls (5)
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.
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.
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 Tahoe:
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 Tahoe owners say
Air bags all 97 →
The Side area bags are Deployed a The vehicle is parked an not be operated. It wasn't involved in any collision, The front Dash board airbags & steering wheel air bags aren't Deployed an are in tact....there is No Body Damged or The Vehicle was Parked Not Being Operated for Over a month I Don't understand How The Side air bags Have ruptured without any Cause That is Very Big Danger to My self an Family...There is No warning Lamps On Or Check Engine Light activated,
I have this car since 2018. The dashboard of this car was in good condition however in the last few months we have see cracks developing near the airbag and the driver steering wheel. These are deep cracks. The car was 100% parked inside the garage. We are concerned if the airbag function will be impacted due to this cracks
Body & structure all 52 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V381000 (air bags). The contact stated that the driver's side dashboard had a three to four inch crack. Additionally, there was a one inch crack on the passenger side dashboard. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer (musson patout Buick GMC, 214 w. Hwy 90 frontage rd., new iberia, la 70560) where it was diagnosed that air bag parts were not available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and did not assist. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 131,415.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that there was premature deterioration on the interior door handles of the front driver and passenger side doors. The contact stated that the handles were fraying with sharp edges. The dealer was notified of the failure and indicated that the two front interior door handles needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA action number: ea10004 (latches/locks/linkage, structure). The failure mileage was 46,700.
Electrical system all 33 →
The dash and front and rear lights keep going on and off. And I changed all my lights on from and rear and it still happens there is a smell coming from my glove box. I can show you in person so we can see what can be done to fix this problem.
P2138 code causing the car to have reduced engine power causing unsafe driving conditions and danger to other traffic. Vehicle has been to dealer multiple times for issue, ECM replaced costing thousands and still not working.
2009 Chevrolet Tahoe engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0L 8-cyl hybrid | CVT | RWD | 21 / 22 / 21 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl hybrid | CVT | 4WD/AWD | 20 / 20 / 20 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 20 / 16 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 12 / 19 / 15 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 19 / 14 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe a good car?
Based on 284 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Tahoe rates average: 14% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Tahoe at the same age. 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 Tahoe?
The air bags — 97 complaints, 34% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the body & structure (52) and electrical system (33).
How many recalls does the 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe, 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 Tahoe?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2020, 2014 and 2018. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2021, 2023, 2015, 2011 and 2022. See the full Chevrolet Tahoe years comparison.
At what mileage do 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 78,000 miles; 23% 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.