2009 Chevrolet Colorado Problems, Recalls & Reliability

87 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2009 Chevrolet Colorado, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 11/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 60,000 miles.

One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2009 Chevrolet Colorado has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.

87Complaints
11/100Trouble index
3Recalls
58,371Typical trouble mileage

Better year

Where 2009 sits among all Colorado years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Electrical 39 complaints (45%) · typically ~60,000 miles
“Truck starts fine except about every month on average i will go to start truck and nothing happens. At first i thought i had a dead battery. After the third time this happened i googled the problem and found out it was the passlock system. If i wait ten minutes truck starts. This first started to…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Colorado
Fuel system 12 complaints (14%) · typically ~53,787 miles
Engine 10 complaints (11%) · typically ~82,261 miles
Other 8 complaints (9%)
Airbags 6 complaints (7%)
Body & structure 5 complaints (6%)

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 72 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 58,371 miles. Half of those reports fall between 41,000 and 88,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (3)

CHILD SEAT 10V575000 2010

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2011, CHEVROLET COLORADO, GMC CANYON, MODEL YEAR 2006, ISUZU I-280/I-350, AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2008, I-290/I-370, REGULAR CAB VEHICLES AND EXTENDED CAB VEHICLES WITHOUT A REAR SEAT AND EQUIPPED WITH A FRONT 60/40 SPLIT…

Fix: DEALERS WILL CUT A HOLE INTO THE BACK PANEL TRIM COVER TO ALLOW ACCESS TO THE TOP TETHER ANCHOR FOR THE FRONT CENTER SEAT POSITION AND WILL PROVIDE SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION AS TO USE IN THE OWNER'S…

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 09V310000 2009

GM IS RECALLING 185,903 MODEL YEAR 2004-2009 COLORADO, GMC MODEL YEAR 2009-2004 CANYON, MODEL YEAR 2006 I-280, I-350, MODEL YEAR 2007-2008 I-290, AND I-370, PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF ALABAMA, ARIZONA,…

Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE NECESSARY COMPONENTS AS SPECIFIED IN THE RECALL BULLETIN FREE OF CHARGE. GM ANTICIPATES THAT PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE BY JUNE 2010. A SPECIAL COVERAGE FOR…

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 09V154000 2009

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. THE FUEL SYSTEM CONTROL MODULES…

Fix: 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…

Technical service bulletins

1,042 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2009 Chevrolet Colorado. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2009 Colorado TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2009peak 21 in 20142023

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2009 Chevrolet Colorado reliable?

The 2009 Chevrolet Colorado drew 87 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 11/100, scored against the model's worst year (2016).

What are the most common 2009 Chevrolet Colorado problems?

The top reported problems for the 2009 Chevrolet Colorado are electrical (39 complaints), fuel system (12), and engine (10).

At what mileage do 2009 Chevrolet Colorado problems show up?

Owners most often report 2009 Chevrolet Colorado problems around 58,371 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 41,000 and 88,000 miles.

Does the 2009 Chevrolet Colorado have recalls?

3 recall campaigns apply to the 2009 Chevrolet Colorado. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

← 2008 Colorado All Colorado years 2010 Colorado →
Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.