Most common 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems
Share of the 31 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Silverado 3500 complaints by model year
Best Silverado 3500 years: 2014, 2017, 2012. Years to avoid: 2024, 2025, 2021, 2020, 2022. Compare all years →
2008 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 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.
Electrical system
GM is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Buick, lucerne; Cadillac dts; Hummer h2; model year 2008-2009 Buick enclave; Cadillac cts; model year 2007-2009 Cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; Chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; GMC acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl; Saturn outlook; and model year 2009…
Remedy: Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module. An updated page for the owner manual will be provided and inserted in the owner manual to document that the feature has been permanently…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 3500:
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 3500 owners say
Air bags
Airbag and steering wheel problems. Neither driver's nor passenger's airbag deployed in a major crash. Our truck was hit by a fully loaded dump truck, speed unknown. Our driver had "mustang sign," bruising to chest. Passenger had seatbelt bruising. No warning lights or other indication was present to indicate that there was any problem with the airbags. We are the original owners and there was no previous use of, nor work done on the airbags. Steering wheel collapsed onto driver's legs, which we were told is common for adjustable steering wheels. Vehicle was totaled and is at junk yard. We have requested the collision report and can provide upon request.
Purchased new 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. Vehicle was involved in head on collision resulting in the vehicle being totaled by insurance company. The air bag did not deploy and OnStar which is standard in the vehicle did not respond. We filed a formal complaint with general motors regarding the air bag and OnStar failure. General motors product allegation department ordered an event data recording of the crash with the documented cdr file information "event recovered" stating "none" therefore inconclusive.. Our safety concern was ignored with the investigation by general motors being 'closed" via letter dated August 26, 2009. No satisfactory reason was given as to why the airbag failed during a crash that resulted in a total loss vehicle. …
Electrical system
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 162,000. It was later discovered upon checking a Carfax report that the mileage was 270,000.
Started vehicle, drove 100 yards, check charging system popped up on display, smoke immediately started pouring in vents as it burst into flames under the hood. Got kids out and called fire department. Vehicle burned from the motor to the box while waiting for fire department.
Engine & cooling
Purchased vehicle and immediately noticed a burning odor within the cab at times. This odor/fumes would burn my eyes, leave me coughing, give me headaches, and make me feel dizzy and sleepy. The problem continues and comes and goes. I have taken to the GM dealer 6 times. On 2 occasions the vehicle was brought in while the problem was there and the mechanic and service writer noted the fumes within the ca, the dealer has performed many test and repaired what they thought was the problem twice. This problem cant be repeated it but does happen quit often. The dealer and GM are not wanting to work on the vehicle because the problem is too hard to repeat. I feel this problem is a serious safety concern. I feel I could potentially pass out and at the least loose visibility because of the burning sensation in my eyes when the problem occurs.
I was driving down the interstate and check engine light came on, digital dash stated "power reduced" + "exhaust filter requires cleaning", and speed dropped to no more than 45mph. = = after a few minutes, operation was back to normal. = = this issue has continued and seems to be getting worse whether pulling a trailer or not; flat or hills makes no difference. = = took the Chevy dealer in terre haute, in (spent hundreds of dollars) and local dealer in clinton twp., mi and they could not correct this dangerous performance issue. = = this problem should be a recall as I've it will cost me approx. $3000 to correct this "exhaust filter" problem / issue (which is really caused by the federal congress mandating through legislation about nothing they know about)...
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 a good car?
Based on 31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Silverado 3500 rates average: 31% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Silverado 3500 at the same age. 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 3500?
The air bags — 14 complaints, 45% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal. Next are the electrical system (6) and engine & cooling (4).
How many recalls does the 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 3500, 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 3500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2017 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2025, 2021, 2020 and 2022. See the full Chevrolet Silverado 3500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 83,000 miles; 44% 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.