2009 GMC Sierra 3500 recalls and problems

The 2009 GMC Sierra 3500 has 5 safety recalls and 5 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any GMC dealer.

Recalls
5
Complaints
5
Crashes / fires
0 / 0
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2009 GMC Sierra 3500 vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2009 GMC Sierra 3500 recalls

Recall 21V-052: Air Bags

Reported Feb 5, 2021 · 557,023 vehicles affected · General Motors, LLC

Problem: 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, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: 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. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 20, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328780.

Recall 21V-050: Air Bags

Reported Feb 5, 2021 · 2,641,272 vehicles affected · General Motors, LLC

Problem: 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 the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: 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. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 1, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328760.

Recall 21V-053: Air Bags

Reported Feb 5, 2021 · 692,526 vehicles affected · General Motors, LLC

Problem: 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, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010 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 Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2009 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 Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C."

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: 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. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328790.

Recall 18V-267: Equipment

Reported Apr 26, 2018 · 6,154 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD, 2009 GMC Topkick 5000, 6000, 7000 and 8000 Series and Isuzu F Series, and 2009-2018 Chevrolet Express, and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with certain Plastic-Handle Fire Extinguishers or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf

Risk: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, instructing them to contact Kidde to get a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began June 11, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Isuzu customer service at 1-866-441-9638. GM's number for this recall is 18146.

Recall 14V-407: Electrical System

Reported Jul 2, 2014 · 9,371 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD 2500/3500 trucks manufactured January 18, 2007, to June 22, 2011, and GMC Sierra HD 2500/3500 trucks manufactured January 22, 2007, to June 21, 2011, and equipped with an auxiliary battery. Owners may unknowingly draw too much current through the vehicle's trailer harness resulting in the melting of fusible link for the auxiliary battery.

Risk: If the fusible link melts it may come into contact with adjacent components, damage the electrical center cover, the nearby wiring harness conduit and other vehicle components, increasing the risk of a fire.

Fix: GM will notify owners and dealers will replace the jumper harness with one that includes a 40 amp inline fuse, and provide the owner with supplemental Owner Manual information, free of charge. The recall began on August 29, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 14260.

2009 GMC Sierra 3500 problems reported by owners

Problem areaReports
Power Train2
Tires1
Exterior Lighting1
Electrical System1
Vehicle Speed Control1
Engine and Engine Cooling1
Air Bags1

Most reported parts

  • Power Train › Automatic Transmission — 1

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 62,000 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2009 GMC Sierra 3500 complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Engine and Engine Cooling · at 11,200 miles · reported Apr 1, 2014
Feb 7, 2011, with just 11,200 miles replaced two glow plugs. Sept 6, 2013, in millersburg, ohio, with 26,632 another glow plug was replaced and was advised we should have the turbo checked when we returned home in california. March 20, 2014, with 31,986 miles, turbo was replaced. Given that our 2005 gmc truck, VIN # [xxx], blew up and burned up with only 30,000 miles, this is very alarming that our 2009 truck is having such major problems. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (Foia), 5 U.S.c. 552(B)(6).
Power Train · at 73,883 miles · reported Sep 9, 2012
I drove my wife to the pharmacy and after pulling out of the parking lot onto palmdale road in victorville the truck went into to limp mode. The transmission locked up into park at 25mph almost causing a rear collision behind us. The gmc sierra 3500hd 2009 came to a screeching stop causing a bit of whiplash to my wife and daughter on board. The TCM transmission control module along with the allison transmission failed causing this close accident. The vehicle is inoperable at this time. This is a dangerous defect.
Power Train · at 62,000 miles · reported Feb 9, 2011
The contact owns a 2008 gmc sierra 3500. The contact stated that while getting a service inspection at the dealer, they found that there was a transmission line leak. The dealer advised him that the line needed to be replaced and that it was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was also contacted and advised him to contact NHTSA and file a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.
Tires · at 10,000 miles · reported Aug 12, 2010
I bought a gmc sierra 3500hd dually and the top roof lights keep burning out. I have replaced lights rt and lt 4times at the dealer . My warranty 36000mils expired and the lights are burnout ,I can also smell burn solder inside truck cab. Also my tires are no good after 10000 miles tires wore out general tires aw . Tires should have lasted more specially coming from the dealership. Please help. Thank you.

Other GMC Sierra 3500 years

Compare all GMC Sierra 3500 years · All GMC models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2009 GMC Sierra 3500 have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2009 GMC Sierra 3500: 21V-052 (air bags), 21V-050 (air bags), 21V-053 (air bags), 18V-267 (equipment), 14V-407 (electrical system). Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2009 GMC Sierra 3500?

Owners report power train problems most often (2 reports), followed by tires (1). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 62,000 miles.

Are GMC recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized GMC dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.