Most common 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems
Share of the 191 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Silverado 2500 complaints by model year
Best Silverado 2500 years: 2014, 2012, 2013. Years to avoid: 2024, 2022, 2020, 2015, 2025. Compare all years →
2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 recalls (4)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles equipped with non-desiccated, passenger frontal air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2020.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD trucks manufactured November 28, 2006, to August 29, 2008, and 2007-2008 GMC Sierra 2500HD and 3500HD trucks manufactured November 27, 2006, to August 29, 2008.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 27, 2015.
Electrical system
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD 2500/3500 trucks manufactured January 18, 2007, to June 22, 2011, and GMC Sierra HD 2500/3500 trucks manufactured January 22, 2007, to June 21, 2011, and equipped with an auxiliary battery.
Remedy: GM will notify owners and dealers will replace the jumper harness with one that includes a 40 amp inline fuse, and provide the owner with supplemental Owner Manual information, free of charge.
Equipment › Appliance › Air conditioner
Cues, inc. Is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 service vehicles built on various chassis equipped with carrier airv ceiling units, model nos. 68rv0010ba, 68rv0012ca, and 68rv0010ea. The heater element in these assemblies May be defective which could cause the unit to create smoke or sparks.
Remedy: Cues is working with carrier to remedy the affected vehicles. Repairs will be made by carrier free of charge. Please see carrier's defect report 09e-053. The safety recall began on January 5, 2010.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500:
Non-crash engine compartment fires
In response to an information request letter sent by the office of defects investigation(odi) during preliminary evaluation pe08-010, GM provided odi with 41 allegations of non-crash engine compartment fires including 16 allegations of fires originating with the ignition in the off position.one of the fires was determined to be caused by an arson event.odi has also received 5 reports, 4 of which are of duplicative…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Non-crash engine compartment fires
In a letter dated August 27, 2008, general motors corp. (GM) notified NHTSA that it will conduct a safety recall (NHTSA recall number 08v-441) to address a safety relateddefect that can result in engine compartment fire in approximately 850,000 vehicles equipped with a heated windshield washer fluid option.the subject vehicles of this investigation comprise over three-quarters of the recall population.
What 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 owners say
Air bags all 106 →
I had my truck serviced for the airbag recall in 2021 at Clint Newell auto in Roseburg Oregon, they did not have a necessary part to complete the job at the moment and I had moved out of town by the time they got it in. I just today brought it in and they said they did the second half of the recall but the component was not communicating. I was informed they would charge me to investigate why. I am writing to complain and seek resources. I cant afford to have the airbag problem investigated especially since it is likely their fault/negligence. The airbag light remains on and it is still a danger to me, also they were super rude and disorganized. Please help
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. While driving at 67 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle veered off the road and rolled over due to the loss of control. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained severe spine and tail bone fractures that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of failure. The failure mileage was 145,000. The VIN was not provided.
Electrical system all 23 →
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while her husband was driving 55 MPH, the contact and her husband both heard an explosion coming from the vehicle and a white smoke was coming from the rear seat in the vehicle. The contact also stated the that the vehicle stalled and the seat belts locked up. Additionally, the hazard lights independently activated and the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact's husband was able to pull over and inspect the vehicle. The contact stated that the cruise control no longer operated as needed, the seat belts remaining locked; however, the vehicle resumed normal operation. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 224,752.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 at an auction. The contact stated that although the odometer indicated 89,671 miles at the time of purchase, there was a mileage discrepancy discovered during the vehicle registration. The title was marked exempt; there was no official documentation verifying the actual mileage. The discrepancy was attributed to an inoperable odometer or due to the condition of the frame of the vehicle.
Body & structure
Power door locks fail to lock or unlock when warm. Door lock actuators have been replaced previously and now again thy are failing. Leaving the door unlocked after remote locking and unable to unlock the door when needed, including in an emergency situation you are stuck inside unless you can reach to manually unlock the door. This is an unsafe condition and should recall these failing actuators just like the failing transmission lines they won't recall them but they did extend a warranty repair for 10 years. GM do the right thing and issue the same extended repair warranty before someone is killed due to unable to unlock vehicle in an emergency. 66,000 miles and second set of door lock actuators and windows switches. These are possibly failing from all the water the door window seals let inside the doors. Had all the window switches replaced previously as well. …
Entire frame of the truck is rusting away. Some areas is surface rust after the undercoating has just slow peaked away. There is some areas that the rust is so bad I am worried that it will soon or later give and break. I have looked into this online and there is thousands and thousands of complaints out there but GM is not doing anything about this issue.. I finally got a notice after 7 years of complaining about my transmission lines leaking at the crimp.. This is a very well know issue on many of the GM vehicles and has caused many accidents in the past. I would like to seen GM forced to pressed to do something about this because it is a safety factor that could cause a bad accident.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 a good car?
Based on 191 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Silverado 2500 rates avoid: 2.1× as many complaints as a typical year of the Silverado 2500 at the same age. It is one of the Silverado 2500 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500?
The air bags — 106 complaints, 55% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (23) and body & structure (19).
How many recalls does the 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, the most recent from January 10, 2020 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Silverado 2500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2012 and 2013. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2022, 2020, 2015 and 2025. See the full Chevrolet Silverado 2500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 56,000 miles; 46% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.