2009 Chevrolet Traverse Problems, Recalls & Reliability
584 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse, alongside 8 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 66/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 75,725 miles.
Below average
Where 2009 sits among all Traverse years
What owners report
“When turning at low speed, the power steering goes out and makes it very difficult to turn the vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Traverse
“Stabilitrak light keeps coming on along with brake warning system, car power keeps cutting out, this will reset when i restart the vehicle, while vehicle is moving”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Traverse
“Purchased from honda of slidell, louisiana around 1 1/2 year ago. Has had engine problems, electrical and ac problems since purchased. The engine has to be replaced. The car is crap! Ac system has to be replaced.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Traverse
“My 2009 chevrolet traverse won't go into reverse and also won't switch gears on time while driving with the steering so stiff”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Traverse
“Warning chimes / speakers not working due to water shorting the plugs for the door attachments. Backup safety chimes and all chimes are install with purpose and safety in mind.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Traverse
“We were driving about 50 miles and a trailer hit us from behind and the air safety bags were never activated had an impact in from and back and the seat belts didn't work either”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Traverse
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 489 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 87,321 miles. Half of those reports fall between 62,000 and 110,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (8)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The…
General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008,…
Fix: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner…
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, BUICK ENCLAVE, GMC ACADIA, AND SATURN OUTLOOK VEHICLES. THE SECOND ROW SEAT SIDE TRIM SHIELD RESTRICTS THE UPWARD ROTATION OF THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLE WHEN THE SEAT BACK IS RETURNED…
Fix: DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE SECOND ROW SEAT SIDE TRIM SHIELDS. IF A SAFETY BELT BUCKLE IS DAMAGED, DEALERS WILL REPLACE IT FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 18, 2010. OWNERS MAY…
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…
Fix: 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…
GM IS RECALLING 15,393 MY 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 135, "PASSENGER CAR BRAKE SYSTEMS." THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE A PARK BRAKE CABLE LINK (CONNECTOR) THAT IS NOT TO…
Fix: DEALERS ARE TO REPLACE THE PARK BRAKE CABLE LINK (CONNECTOR) FREE OF CHARGE. GM ANTICIPATES THAT THE DEALER BULLETIN WILL BE SENT MAY 5, 2009 AND OWNER LETTERS WILL BE MAILED IN JUNE 2009. OWNERS…
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 276,729 MY 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE, CHEVROLET COBALT, HHR, MALIBU, TRAVERSE, GMC ACADIA, PONTIAC G5, G6 AND SATURN AURA AND OUTLOOK PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLES SAFETY STANDARD 102,…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND ENSURE THAT THE SHIFT CABLE ADJUSTMENT CLIP IS FULLY ENGAGED. IN THE EVENT THAT THE CLIP DOES NOT ENGAGE, THE SHIFT CABLE WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS…
GM IS RECALLING 16,667 MY 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE, CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, GMC ACADIA, AND SATURN OUTLOOK VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 209, 'SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES.' THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLES IN THE SECOND AND THIRD ROWS, AND REPLACE THEM IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 26, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080;…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 21V245.
Technical service bulletins
1,217 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2009 Traverse TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse reliable?
The 2009 Chevrolet Traverse drew 584 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 66/100, scored against the model's worst year (2011).
What are the most common 2009 Chevrolet Traverse problems?
The top reported problems for the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse are steering (232 complaints), other (63), and engine (62).
At what mileage do 2009 Chevrolet Traverse problems show up?
Owners most often report 2009 Chevrolet Traverse problems around 87,321 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 62,000 and 110,000 miles.
Does the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse have recalls?
8 recall campaigns apply to the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
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.