Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 GMC Sierra 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While driving on Saturday, July 29th, I went to make a right turn @ intersection of Nottingham Way onto Ledo Rd. The vehicle started jerking and suddenly shutoff. I had no power steering, No power brakes. I had to manually steer and stop the truck into the median, while avoiding oncoming traffic. I got the vehicle to stop. I tried to restart and the engine turned over, but would not start. I contacted the local Chevrolet dealership, and was told they don't work on anything older than 2013 vehicles. I had the truck towed to the house. After further investigation, there was a service bulletin 14515B, that replaced 14515A. The Safety recall stated CHASSIS ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE INTERNAL CONTAMINATION. So GM is aware of this issue, that could have caused an accident. The local dealership is denying that my truck is involved in this recall. …
My dashboard instrument cluster has been going in and out since iv owned the vehicle in February of 2022 and iv replaced fuses did the reset test and everything on it and nothing I can't see my speed rpm's gas gauge nothing all the lights are on but nothing else moves or comes on I can't even tell the speed I'm going or if I even have enough gas in the truck to even make it to a store I have add electrical problems since day one with the truck and replaced so many fuses for everything and nothing work's really even my alarm system don't work
Transmission Control Module Since the summer of 2020 the vehicle has at least half a dozen times, without warning, experienced the following symptoms (most recently July 27, 2021 when I captured it on video). 1. power door locks begin cycling open and closed 2. intermittent chime operation 3. transmission locks into a single gear and won't shift or will shift harshly 4. gauges fluctuate 5. traction control and stabilitrak turn off 6. service traction control and service stabilitrak messages appear 7. transmission position indicator disappears
Dashboard instrument panel all lights and gauges goes out while driving down the road when vehicle is turned off a clicking noise is made in the dash. This issue causes when driving down the road, not knowing the speed because the speedometer is out or how much gas the vehicle has, or any other readings, and at night all lights go out, not able to see while driving down the road.
TCM and electrical transmission grounded out TCM IN MY RESEARCH a lot of people are having issues with these. Dealers are of no help "backordered" so having to rebuild them. This is an expensive failure!
Tl* the contact owns 2009 GMC Sierra denali. The contact stated that in attempt to start the vehicle, he smelled an abnormal smoke and burning odor and the vehicle failed to start with the check engine light illuminated. The contact open the hood and observed the fuse box melted and covered in black. The contact had the vehicle towed to local dealer robertson's GMC truck located at 2680 cranberry hwy, wareham, ma 02571 where the failure has not been determined. The dealer also stated that the fuse box and circuit harness needed to be repaired. The vehicle has not been repaired. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 10V240000 (electrical systems). The manufacturer was contacted and notified of failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
My truck died in traffic but I was able to get started and home (2 miles). My check engine light came on and I am reading a code u0191, which refers to the fuel pump flow control module. I had to purchase a battery because I had a battery draining issue and was having to jump it if it sat for a couple of days. My truck will not start at this time. After doing some checking, both my fuel pump and fuel flow module fuses are hot even with the truck ignition off. Which would indicate a short in the system. After some research , I found a safety recall that describes the exact issue but my VIN doesn't come up in the recall. Recall bulletin # 14515b . I guess what I am asking is why wasn't my vehicle included in the recall? Apparently this is affecting more vehicles that what the recall included.
I'm having electrical/computer problems that started over a year ago and continue to increase. First, my speakers go off and on as they please. The driver side door speaker is the only one that stays on consistently, and it has nothing to do with hitting bumps or anything else. Second, my power looks have gone out. My key fob will still work them and they still lock and unlock when truck is moved between park and drive. But the buttons on the door do not work. I've replaced all the fuses, and still, nothing. Third, my cruise control is going out. On a long drive I used it for half and then the other half it wouldn't even try to come back on. A few days later it worked again.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated and stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to serra Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC (189 stonebridge blvd, jackson, tn 38305, [phone]) where they replaced the fuel pump module, cleaned the throttle body, replaced the fuel pump sending unit, and reprogrammed the module. The contact stated that the engine power was reduced due to lack of communication with the fuel pump module. Shortly after the repair, all of the warning indicators flashed, which had not occurred prior to the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000.
Vehicle will randomly show a warning signal for stabiltrack turning off. Then it will cycle door locks up and down, turn on the air bag light, ABS light, and sometimes reduce power to 20 MPH. It will also kill the vehicle gauges. Numerous trips to the shop have failed to correct the issue. A quick google search of stabiltrack 2009 Chevy/GMC will show a ton of hits. Due to the safety concerns of these critical systems powering down, this is clearly a safety issue. This occurs while the vehicle is in motion, which makes it more concerning. This issue started with 66K miles and has persisted. Vehicle now has 96K.
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 Sierra 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2009 GMC Sierra 1500?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the electrical system of the 2009 GMC Sierra 1500, 9% of the model year's 234 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 GMC Sierra 1500 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2009 GMC Sierra 1500, though it has 4 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 GMC Sierra 1500 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire 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.