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2009 Chevrolet Colorado Pickup 4WD

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2009 Colorado Pickup 4WD.

Body TRUCK

The 2009 Chevrolet Colorado Pickup 4WD is a mid-size truck that runs on 5W-30 API oil with a 5-quart capacity, situated within a Chevrolet model run that has spanned from 2004 through 2026. Across that lineage, owner-reported complaints have ranged from a single filing in 2013 to a peak of 695 in 2016 — a wide arc that defines the platform's reliability reputation more by specific model years than by any steady trend. For 2009 specifically, the truck carries 67 total owner complaints with the electrical system as the most-cited trouble area, alongside three recalls on file. Placed in that historical context, the model year sits comfortably below the platform's worst stretches, making it a comparatively quiet benchmark for researchers tracking how complaint volume shifted across the Colorado's generation.

Model year2017 2009

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 86 · 590 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731179. Note the factory engine air filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 86 · 590 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeCANYON ZQ8 P235-50R18OEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731179 alt 12690386
Engine air filter	15942429 discontinued
Spark plug	12681663 alt 12621258
Front wiper blades	88958228 alt 88958226
Serpentine belt	19210691 alt 12611636
Thermostat	89018168 alt 12561155

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	207.1 in
Overall width	68.5 in
Overall height	63.8 in
Wheelbase	126 in
Curb weight	3752 lb
Track (front / rear)	59.8 / 60.2 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	57/43

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, SYNTHETIC · 75W-90 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 19.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	ATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	5
Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Differential Gear Oil	SYNTHETIC · 75W-90
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	3.5 qt
Engine Coolant	DEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	5 qt

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	7.3 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	15 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	19.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	8.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Leaf Spring to Axle (U-bolts)	56.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Chassis Bracket	92.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Rear Shackle	63.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring Rear Shackle to Chassis Bracket	63.0 ft-lbs
Lug Nuts	100 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug	29.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug	29.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	191 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-5-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order	1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap	0.042 in
Spark Plug Torque	13.0 ft-lbs
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap	0.040 in
Spark Plug Torque	13.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.45 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	4.00 oz
Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.28 lbs
Oil Group	PAG

Service checks

Pressure Test	15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	194-225 °F
Pressure Test	15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	194-225 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	50-62
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	50-62

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	47 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	133 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	0.055
Drum Runout Limit	0.006 in
Drum Maximum Machining	11.673 in
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.002 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.141 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

110 ft. lbs., step 2: 150 ft. lbs., step 3: 180

110 ft. lbs

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

110 ft. lbs., step 2: 150 ft. lbs., step 3: 180

110 ft. lbs

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

3.7 ft. lbs., step 2: 7.4

3.7 ft. lbs

Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

11 ft. lbs., step 2: 18

11 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 25,000 mi	Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect)
Every 50,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 100,000 mi	Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2009 Chevrolet Colorado Pickup 4WD dominate in one area — the electrical system, 24 of 67 reports (36%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 3 recall campaigns target the electrical system, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 1 of the reports describe a crash and 4 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the electrical system pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

1043

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

1 involved a crash · 4 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08’09’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’22 ’23 ’24 ’25 ’26

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 67 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Electrical System24

Fuel/Propulsion System6

Air Bags5

Electrical System,Engine5

Unknown Or Other4

Engine3

Fuel System, Gasoline3

Structure2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

09V154000Fuel System, GasolineReported 06/05/2009

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… 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…

10V575000Child SeatReported 18/11/2010

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… 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…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1043 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
13598	2025-09-09	Unknown Or Other	New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
PIC5650M	2025-08-06	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP5601C	2025-07-18	Unknown Or Other	This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Colorado Pickup 4WD. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 86 battery Vehicles taking 5 qt Engine oil filter 12731179 Engine air filter 15942429 Spark plug 12681663 Front wiper blades 88958228

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2009 Colorado Pickup 4WD take?

5 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2009 Colorado Pickup 4WD have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.