2009 Chevrolet Express Passenger

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
14 mpgcombined; city 12–13, highway 15–16; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$23,200U.S. average; Ohio $20,730 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedlowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
0none on file
Owner complaints
5filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Express Passenger. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by part of the car
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air bags2000
Seat belts1000
Steering1000
Tires1000
Unknown or other1000

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

  1. 20065
  2. 20075
  3. 20089
  4. 20095
  5. 20100
  6. 20110
  7. 20120
  8. 20130
  9. 20140
  10. 20150
  11. 20160
  12. 20170

Every Express Passenger year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2009 Express Passenger. NHTSA's recall lookup checks a specific VIN.

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 195 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2009 Express Passenger, the latest on Sep 9, 2025. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: equipment (63), engine and engine cooling (41), electrical system (36), power train (22), unknown or other (16).

NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2009 Express Passenger.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Specs

EPA class: vans, passenger type. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Express 1500 Passenger
Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cylAutomatic 4-spdRegular Gasoline or E8513 / 16 / 14
Express 1500 Passenger
4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cylAutomatic 4-spdRegular Gasoline or E8513 / 16 / 14
Express 1500 Passenger
Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cylAutomatic 4-spdRegular Gasoline13 / 16 / 14
Express 1500 Passenger
4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cylAutomatic 4-spdRegular Gasoline12 / 15 / 14

Sources and dates

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data