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Chevrolet TraverseModel year report

2009 Chevrolet Traverse Problems

Compared with other Chevrolet Traverse years

Typical for this model

64/100 1.4× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with a typical complaint level and no open NHTSA investigation: 2012

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
448filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
80,000miles, 394 complaints with mileage
Recalls
8campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
19 mpgcombined, 3.6L 6-cyl FWD · 17 city / 24 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse most often write about the power steering becoming hard or impossible to turn, usually at low speed while parking, turning a corner, or pulling out of a driveway. Many complaints say the steering rack or pump was replaced, sometimes more than once. Transmission concerns (including a failed transmission wave plate) and intermittent engine misfires with reduced-power or StabiliTrak warnings also recur in the sample.

  1. Steering

    Power steering hard to turn or quits at low speed

    • 219 complaints (49%)
    • median 75,450 mi at 5.5 yrs old (201 state mileage)
    • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,200 (median of 43 quotes)
    • filed 2010–2023

    Owners describe the steering wheel suddenly becoming very difficult to turn, most often while turning at low speed, entering a parking space, or pulling out of a driveway. Some say the assist returns when engine speed rises or when the wheel is straightened, and a few report a whining or squealing noise when turning. Complaints mention dealers or independent shops diagnosing a failing steering rack, power steering pump, or bearing, with repairs often quoted in the hundreds to over a thousand dollars, and some owners say the problem returned after the repair. Reported from a few thousand miles up to well past 150,000 miles, with many complaints between roughly 50,000 and 100,000 miles.

    What to check: Test the steering at parking-lot speeds with the engine idling, and check the power steering fluid level and colour. Ask whether the rack, pump, or lines have been replaced and whether any whine or stiff spots remain.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “When making turns into parking spaces, a driveway, sharp or wide turns it seems the power steering goes out. I can hardly turn the car and have almost been in several accidents. Based on the complaints online and on this site it appears to cost several hundred to thousands of dollars to repair. To me this is a serious safety issue.”

    NHTSA complaint #10511090, filed 2013-05, 51,000 miles

    “Turning down a street when steering locked on me. Almost hit a car and almost lost control. I had to stop and try to not go up over the curb all the while another car was coming as I was crossing. It continues to do this locking while steering into parking places as well. Very scary that this happened while my children were in the car. Thank you for your time in looking into this.”

    NHTSA complaint #10586677, filed 2014-05, 94,000 miles
  2. Transmission and drivetrain

    Transmission wave plate failure and hard or delayed shifting

    • 94 complaints (21%)
    • median 87,160 mi at 6.4 yrs old (80 state mileage)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,785 (median of 23 quotes)
    • filed 2009–2026

    Several owners describe the transmission failing to shift into a gear, slipping, revving high without acceleration, or making the vehicle shudder at low speeds. Complaints mention diagnostics pointing to a broken transmission wave plate and damaged internal parts, sometimes with related trouble codes, and some owners report a full transmission replacement while others say a coverage program did not apply to their vehicle. A few describe the vehicle refusing to exceed low speeds after being shifted into drive. Mostly reported between about 65,000 and 120,000 miles, though a few owners noted shuddering within the first year of ownership.

    Recall 09V0730001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Drive at steady and changing speeds and feel for shuddering, delayed or harsh shifts, and check that the transmission fluid is clean and at the right level. Ask whether the transmission has been rebuilt or replaced and keep the service history.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While driving our 2009 Chevrolet Traverse, lt, back from vacation, we experienced a sudden high RPM rate while noticing a decrease in acceleration. Took vehicle to a transmission repair center and was told it is a common issue with the GM models similar to the Traverse. The manufacturer recognizes the issue, as it relates to their service bulletin sb-07-30-012a. Had to have the transmission wave plate replaced, as well as some other internal parts. Total cost of $3500. Vehicle has 117,000 miles. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10920101, filed 2016-10, 117,000 miles

    “Couple months ago I was out with my family and noticed that the car was almost stuttering when I placed it in reverse. A little like when you drive a car with a manual transmission and you depress the clutch but don't give the car enough gas and is starts to jerk backwards instead of roll smoothly. Then as I traveled home I noticed a sort of shutter when the car shifts at 25 MPH- I'm guessing around 3rd gear. No shuttering at a higher gear. It has been in my garage since that day and I have not driven it. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11375161, filed 2020-11, 10 miles
  3. Engine

    Engine misfire with reduced power and warning lights

    • 57 complaints (13%)
    • median 100,000 mi at 7.2 yrs old (52 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $2,026 (median of 10 quotes)
    • filed 2010–2026

    Owners report shuddering or stumbling on acceleration along with the check-engine light, and often that ignition coils, spark plugs, or sensors were replaced without a lasting fix. Some complaints describe the vehicle dropping to low speed with stability and traction-control messages showing, and others mention repeated misfires or catalytic converter replacement. Several say the vehicle stalled or lost power while driving and would not restart. Spread widely, from around 30,000 to over 150,000 miles, with many complaints above 80,000 miles.

    4 related service bulletins

    What to check: Scan for stored and pending trouble codes rather than only looking at the dash, and ask for records of ignition coil, plug, and injector work. Confirm the vehicle starts reliably and does not stumble or drop power on a test drive.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My 09' Traverse started to shudder intermittently on acceleration and then the service engine light (sel) came on. I had the car diagnosed and the code was a p0302 (misfire cyl). I had the car serviced and repaired by an ase certified mechanic. All coils and spark plugs were replaced along with fuel inj service, performance restore (oil, gaskets, etc). No discrepancies were noted with previous coils/plugs. The car appeared to be fixed. No problems were noted during an 800 mile roundtrip. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11180828, filed 2019-02, 51,000 miles

    “2009 Traverse purchased 4/30/2009. From the start it had a check engine light on but no symptoms of failure. We took it to dealer 1 on 9/02/2010, with 22,753 miles. They replaced wiring under engine plenum to #1 ignition coils. A couple of days later, the check engine light came back on. At this time the car started to lose power on the freeway sometimes. We took it to dealer 2 on 10/11/2010, they had to get parts and did a temporary fix. We brought it back on 11/1/2010, with 24,656 miles on it and they supposedly fixed it. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10389972, filed 2011-03, 32,600 miles
  4. Electronic stability control

    StabiliTrak, traction control, and reduced engine power

    • 30 complaints (7%)
    • median 93,000 mi at 7.0 yrs old (27 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,135 (median of 5 quotes)
    • filed 2012–2026

    Complaints describe the StabiliTrak and traction-control lights coming on while driving, followed by the vehicle slowing or limiting power, at times on a highway or while pulling away from a stop. Owners say the condition was intermittent and some had the vehicle towed, while others report no clear diagnosis. A few mention the same message appearing together with a check-engine or service-engine light. Mostly reported above 70,000 miles, often past 100,000 miles.

    What to check: During the test drive, watch for the StabiliTrak or traction-control lamp coming on and for any sudden loss of power. Have the vehicle scanned for chassis and engine codes and ask whether the module or related wiring has been serviced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Riding down the road and the stabilitrak/traction light comes on, car powers down and car behind me almost hit me causing an accident. Good thing kids were not in car. Dangerous and scary situation, getting a lawyer...”

    NHTSA complaint #10574861, filed 2014-03, 77,000 miles

    “Was driving fine and all of a sudden with no warning car would not go faster than 15 MPH. Check engine light came on then traction control went off. Across the dash it said service traction control, service stabilitrack and reduced engine power the car started shifting between 2 different gears making it extremely scary to try driving to a safe spot with 3 young kids.”

    NHTSA complaint #11397260, filed 2021-02, 163,000 miles

Buying note. Check the steering carefully at low speed and get a pre-purchase scan for transmission and engine codes, since these are the areas owners write about most. Ask for service records on the steering rack, transmission, and liftgate, and confirm whether open recalls have been completed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 448 consumer complaints for the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse. 394 of the complaints include a mileage, and 19% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 80,000 miles. Of all complaints, 17 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 16 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns and 1,216 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 14 Chevrolet Traverse model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 64 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Suspension (13), Engine cooling (12), Fuel system (10), Body and structure (9), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (9), Exterior lighting (6), Tires (6), Seats (2), Wheels (2), Latches, locks and linkages (1).

Example complaints

Steering: “I have been having the following problems: steering wheel whining and grinding steering froze/stuck while turning steering wheel shaking this is scary considering I'm driving this vehicle everyday with 3 small kids in the car. After doing an online search it's not hard to find that everyone with the same vehicle is having the same problems.”

NHTSA complaint #10573932, filed 2014-03, 100,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “I was pulling out of my driveway in reverse and control of the car was lost. I could have been killed. I just bought the car and I was never told of any issues or recalls with the car as it should have went through a safety inspection. Even when I looked online the vehicle was cleared for recall repairs. No service engine lights alerted me of any problems. This happened instantly and without warning. My vehicle was in motion backing into a city street.”

NHTSA complaint #11397542, filed 2021-02, 68,000 miles

Engine: “I was driving and my car quit running. Took it to the shop and it was the timing chain broke. I haven't had this car a year yet and this happens. It's not right it should be a recall on these engines. From several mechanics I have talked to said they are known to have these problems. They need to be taken off the market.”

NHTSA complaint #11217537, filed 2019-06, 150,000 miles

Other or unknown: “Well first of all the car runs stable on cruise control and I don't know where it starts shaking hesitating it seems like there's a lot of chevy Traverse the be doing the exact same thing from 2009 I've been looking it up and there's a lot of them the do the exact same thing and nobody seems to figure out what's wrong with them”

NHTSA complaint #11231061, filed 2019-07, 118,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

19% of the 394 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 58,900 and 102,000 miles.

4%0–103%10–2512%25–5025%50–7528%75–10023%100–1506%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (394 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 80,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’10’13130’16’19’22’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Traverse · sedan FWD/AWDnot rated5 / 5——4 · 15.5% risk

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2009 Chevrolet Traverse version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Traverse AWD3.6L 6-cyl6-speed automatic162319$3,550
Traverse FWD3.6L 6-cyl6-speed automatic172419$3,550

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

See all 8 recalls for the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 1,216 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 1,216 bulletins →

Other model years of the Chevrolet Traverse

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2026263,0001522Too new to compareToo new
202518511,0000523Too new to compareToo new
20241439,01004–523Too new to compareToo new
20239538,50024–52124 · FewerToo new
202210150,15014–5217 · FewerRising
20219361,000352111 · FewerRising
202023553,500852160 · TypicalRising
201941242,000352258 · TypicalRising
201846532,000252265 · MoreRising
201736138,000351840 · TypicalRising
201629247,750551850 · TypicalRising
201531352,000551945 · TypicalRising
201454865,323751970 · MoreRising
201316271,000451916 · FewerFalling
201235485,000551941 · TypicalFalling
201160870,636551977 · MoreFalling
201066975,0005—1964 · TypicalFalling
200944880,0008—1964 · TypicalFalling

All Chevrolet Traverse model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse?

Owners of the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse most often write about the power steering becoming hard or impossible to turn, usually at low speed while parking, turning a corner, or pulling out of a driveway. The issues reported most often: Power steering hard to turn or quits at low speed; Transmission wave plate failure and hard or delayed shifting; Engine misfire with reduced power and warning lights.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse have?

NHTSA recorded 448 consumer complaints for the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse is reported most often?

Steering is named most often, in 231 complaints (52% of the total), followed by transmission and drivetrain with 58.

Has the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse been recalled?

NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse get?

The EPA rates the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse (Traverse FWD, 3.6L 6-cyl) at 19 mpg combined, 17 city and 24 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,550 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse reported?

Among the 394 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 80,000 miles and the middle half falls between 58,900 and 102,000 miles; 19% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.