vehicle signal
U.S. public vehicle records

2009 Gmc CANYON: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

27 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

49,928 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2009 model year. Data snapshot: . 22 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 8 of 27 complaints (29.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior622.2%
Engine operation518.5%
Transmission and shifting311.1%
Electrical and battery issues311.1%
Steering behavior27.4%
Fuel system concerns27.4%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Electrical System
8
Air Bags
3
Engine
3
Fuel System, Gasoline
3
Fuel/Propulsion System
3
Power Train
3
Service Brakes
3
Exterior Lighting
2
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Electrical System8
Air Bags3
Engine3
Fuel System, Gasoline3
Fuel/Propulsion System3
Power Train3
Service Brakes3
Exterior Lighting2

Electrical System: 8; Air Bags: 3; Engine: 3; Fuel System, Gasoline: 3; Fuel/Propulsion System: 3; Power Train: 3; Service Brakes: 3; Exterior Lighting: 2

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
7
25,000 to 49,999
4
50,000 to 74,999
4
75,000 to 99,999
4
100,000 to 149,999
2
150,000 and above
1
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0007
25,000 to 49,9994
50,000 to 74,9994
75,000 to 99,9994
100,000 to 149,9992
150,000 and above1

Under 25,000: 7; 25,000 to 49,999: 4; 50,000 to 74,999: 4; 75,000 to 99,999: 4; 100,000 to 149,999: 2; 150,000 and above: 1

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (7). 5 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2009
2
2010
2
2011
1
2012
1
2013
1
2014
7
2015
1
2016
3
2017
2
2018
2
2020
2
2021
2
2023
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20092
20102
20111
20121
20131
20147
20151
20163
20172
20182
20202
20212
20231

2009: 2; 2010: 2; 2011: 1; 2012: 1; 2013: 1; 2014: 7; 2015: 1; 2016: 3; 2017: 2; 2018: 2; 2020: 2; 2021: 2; 2023: 1

Pattern summary

Electrical System leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 6 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 5 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 3 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Examples from the source records

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10273632 · 2009-06-12 (June 12, 2009)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 GMC CANYON. WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT 10 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS AIR IN THE BRAKE LINE, AND THAT THE AIR SHOULD BE BLED FROM THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT OTHER VEHICLES WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE AND BLEEDING THE AIR OUT OF THE HYDRAULIC BRAKING SYSTEM WOULD NOT REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE MECHANIC FURTHER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED TO OPERATE IN THAT MANNER. CURRENTLY, THE BRAKES CONTINUE TO F…

Owner-reported narrative. 50 miles reported. Look up ODI 10273632 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10288583 · 2009-10-15 (October 15, 2009)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 GMC CANYON. WHEN SHE SLIGHTLY STRUCK THE GEAR SHIFTER AT 20 MPH THE GEAR SHIFTED FROM "DRIVE" INTO THE "REVERSE" GEAR. SHE WAS ABLE TO REGAIN VEHICLE CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,400. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,700.

Owner-reported narrative. 3,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10288583 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10336031 · 2010-06-13 (June 13, 2010)

WAS DRIVING SLOWLY IN A PARKING LOT AND WAS STARTING THE TURN INTO A PARKING STALL WHEN THE STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT AND THE VEHICLE HAD DIFFICULTY MOVING FORWARD. TRANSMISSION HAD GONE INTO 4X4 LOW WITHOUT ANYONE PUSHING THE BUTTON ON THE DASH. I HAD A 2007 CANYON AND IT DID THE SAME THING ABOUT 3 TIMES WHILE DRIVING IN A PARKADE. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALER THERE COMMENT WAS TO BRING IT IN WHILE THE INCIDENT IS OCCURRING. WHEN I DID TAKE THE 2007 IN FOR SERVICE THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. I WILL MENTION THE INCIDENT ON 2009 WHEN …

Owner-reported narrative. 12,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10336031 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10352000 · 2010-08-26 (August 26, 2010)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 GMC CANYON. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 65 MPH WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE FUEL CONTROL MODULAR WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V154000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) AND WAS ADVISED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED WITH THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10352000 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10401855 · 2011-05-14 (May 14, 2011)

ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM WOULD NOT ALLOW THE TRUCK TO START, THEN ONCE STARTED THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD COMPONENTS FAILED NO SPEEDOMETER, FUEL, TEMP OR AIR CONDITIONER WOULD WORK, ALSO THE TRACTION CONTROL WENT INTO ALARM... GMC PEOPLE SAID THEY COULD NOT SEE ANY ALARM CODES AND FAILED TO REPAIR THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM... RECOMMENDED I GET ON-STAR TO HELP IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM.. I DID, IT FAILED AGAIN AND ON-STAR SAW THE CODES HOWEVER GMC SAYS THEY CANNOT TRUST ON-STAR FINDINGS, EVEN THOUGH THEY RECOMMENDED THEM WHICH IS COSTING ME $30.00 A MONTH TO MONITOR…

Owner-reported narrative. 14,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10401855 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10468516 · 2012-07-31 (July 31, 2012)

MY HUSBAND'S BRAKE LIGHTS WENT OUT ON HIS 2009 GMC CANYON. HE TOOK IT TO A DEALER TO HAVE IT FIXED. WE READ ONLINE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR HIS BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. THEY CHECKED HIS VIN AND SAID THERE WASN'T ANYTHING. IT ISN'T THE BULBS, FUSE, ETC. THEY "FIXED" IT AND SAID "IT'LL EITHER WORK FOR THE NEXT 5 MIN OR IT WON'T WORK AT ALL." AND HANDED HIM THE KEYS. HE DROVE IT AND SURE ENOUGH, THE LIGHTS WENT OUT, AGAIN. HE TOOK IT BACK AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. "IT MAY OR MAY NOT WORK, YADA YADA..." WHY WOULD THEY HAND THEM THE KEYS PLUS ALLOW…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10468516 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10525733 · 2013-07-19 (July 19, 2013)

THIS INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A STOPPED POSITION AND GOING THROUGH THE GEARS WHEN ACCELERATING QUICKLY, THE ACCELERATOR HAS STUCK EVEN WHEN MY FOOT IS TAKEN OFF OF THE PEDAL. THIS HAPPENS AS I AM SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR, WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS THEN PUSH IN THE CLUTCH AND SHIFT GEAR AND RELEASE THE CLUTCH, THE COMPUTER DOES NOT RESPOND TO MY FOOT COMING OFF THE THROTTLE. THE TRUCK CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE EVEN WITH MY FOOT OFF OF THE THROTTLE. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE ACCELERATION IS TO …

Owner-reported narrative. 18,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10525733 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10566208 · 2014-02-27 (February 27, 2014)

WHEN STEPPING ON BRAKE PEDAL YOU STEP ON GAS PEDAL AT SAME TIME, NO PROPER SPACE BETWEEN THE TWO PEDALS. INSTEAD OF SLOWING DOWN VEHICLE KEEPS GOING. SEEMS UNSAFE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10566208 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

3 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

09V154000 · Fuel System, Gasoline

Reported: 2009-05-06 (May 6, 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 MAY HAVE A CONDITION IN WHICH AN ADHESIVE SEPARATION OF THE ROOM TEMPERATURE VULCANIZING (RTV) SEAL BETWEEN THE SEAL AND THE HOUSING MAY ALLOW WATER TO SEEP INTO THE MODULE.

Consequence: WATER IN THE MODULE COULD CAUSE A SHORT OR OPEN CIRCUIT, ILLUMINATION OF THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LAMP, SETTING OF DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES OR THE ENGINE MAY BE HARD TO START, MAY NOT START OR MAY STALL INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: 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 1-866-996-9463 OR AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
09V310000 · Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch

Reported: 2009-07-29 (July 29, 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, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, HAWAII, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, NEVADA, NEW MEXICO, PUERTO RICO, SOUTH CAROLINA, TEXAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AND UTAH. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A BRAKE LAMP SWITCH THAT MAY NOT WORK AS DESIGNED DUE TO CONTAMINATION IN THE SWITCH.

Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE SIMULTANEOUS LOSS OF ALL BRAKE LAMPS OR CAUSE ALL OF THE BRAKE LAMPS TO STAY ON CONTINUOUSLY. BOTH OF THESE CONDITIONS COULD FAIL TO WARN OTHERS OF THE DRIVER'S INTENTIONS AND COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: 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 VEHICLES REGISTERED IN ALL OTHER STATES WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE SAME TIME FRAME. IN THE INTERIM, OWNERS WHO EXPERIENCE THE FAILURE CAN OBTAIN A FREE REPAIR, HOWEVER THEY WILL BE REQUIRED TO RETURN WHEN THE NEW DESIGN PART BECOMES AVAILABLE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, ISUZU AT 1-800-255-6727 OR AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
10V575000 · Child Seat

Reported: 2010-11-18 (November 18, 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 BENCH SEAT. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 225, "CHILD RESTRAINT ANCHORAGE SYSTEMS." THE TOP TETHER ANCHOR FOR THE FRONT CENTER SEAT IS NOT ACCESSIBLE AND THE OWNER MANUAL DOES NOT INCLUDE INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING HOW TO USE THE TOP TETHER.

Consequence: BOTH NHTSA AND GM DISCOURAGE PLACEMENT OF A CHILD IN A FRONT SEAT. NEVERTHELESS, THERE ARE INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MAY REQUIRE PLACEMENT OF A CHILD IN A RESTRAINT IN THE FRONT CENTER SEATING POSITION OF THIS VEHICLE THAT DOES NOT OFFER A REAR SEAT. LACK OF ACCESS TO THE TOP TETHER ANCHOR AND A LACK OF INSTRUCTIONS AS TO HOW TO USE IT, MAY RESULT IN IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF A CHILD RESTRAINT. IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF A CHILD RESTRAINT CAN RESULT IN A REDUCTION IN THE RESTRAINT'S PERFORMANCE IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH AND AN INCREASED RISK OF INJURY OR DEATH TO THE CHILD SEATED IN THE RESTRAINT.

Remedy: 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 MANUAL. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT YET PROVIDED AN OWNER NOTIFICATION SCHEDULE FOR THIS CAMPAIGN. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, ISUZU AT 1-800-255-6727 OR VISIT GM'S WEBSITE AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.

NHTSA campaign record ↗