Most common 2008 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 problems
Share of the 101 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Suburban 1500 complaints by model year
Best Suburban 1500 years: 1995, 1996, 1997. Years to avoid: 2025, 2023, 2011, 2004, 2007. Compare all years →
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2008 Chevrolet Suburban 1500:
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…
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 Suburban 1500 owners say
Air bags all 40 →
Takata recall - I'm the owner of a 2008 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 ltz. Two years ago I received a letter saying that the Takata air bags were subject to recall due to explosive hazards, but said that we should continue to drive the Suburban as usual (? - does that make any sense?) and that it was illegal to disconnect them even though they might kill you if they exploded! Does that make any sense? (not to me!) I am a grandfather with two precious grandchildren. We go camping with them and my grandson who is 14 and six feet tall often sits in the front passenger seat even though we've told him to sit in only the rear seats ('I'm not a child anymore grandpa'). GM has plenty of time to replace these airbags. We live in indiana we're the spring summer humidity is over 80% on a regular daily basis. …
I was driving on 7th ave and a car ran a stop sign at an intersection. It was dark early morning. I hit the car coming across and drove it into a tree.the driver in the camry had to be cut out of her car . My car had the front end severely damaged. Almost $10,000 damage to my car. The airbags did not activate. I asked the body shop doing the work and the state farm insurance claims person about why they did not work and was told the accident May not have been severe enough or the angle we hit did not require them to deploy. The driver in the other car went to the hospital. And I had knee surgery. I do not know the status of her injuries. I wonder why my airbags did not deploy at such a collision and if there are other suburbans out there with the same problem the owner just doesn't know or won't know til a collision.
Body & structure
Earlier today, the dashboard on my Suburban spontaneously three crackswith no impact whatsoever. One of the cracks runs all the way from the windshield to the top of the dash above the steering wheel. The second crack splits off the first one and is heading toward the driver side window. This occurred while the vehicle was sitting in a parking lot, locked up and with nobody in the vehicle. Prior to this happening, there was no previous sign of cracks of any kind and the vehicle was parked in the shade under a tree for the entire day. In addition, it was a rainy overcast day and the ambient temperature was only about 70 degf.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Suburban 1500. While checking the brakes and removing one of the tires, the contact noticed that the cross member that held the steering stabilizer bar was rusted completely through on the passenger side near the bolts. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 114,000.
Locks & latches
Complaint to document a safety issue on a 2008 Chevy Suburban. Sharp edges on interior door handles causing serious injuries to the hands of passengers. The chrome finish is delaminating from the interior door handles causing sharp knife like edges as noted on several 2007 GM models in defect investigation report ea10004. My 2008 Chevrolet Suburban has the same problem as described in the previous investigation. Several people have been injured by the sharp edges on the door handles in my 2008 Suburban when trying to open the door from the inside. The sharp edges have caused deep cuts to the hands of my wife, and her mother, as well as minor cuts to others. There is a very serious potential for infection and transmission of disease because of the amount of bleeding from these injuries. …
Vehicle automatic door locks will not work a described often requiring someone to crawl in the backseats to unlock the doors in order to get the kids out. There are no key locks on new vehicles for the back doors and when the locks mess up it requires someone to crawl across and unlock it manually.. Recently my back left door lock messed up and I took it in and paid out of my pocket to have it fixed due to the fact that I cannot find any GM dealership in belgium that will honor a GM warranty due to a fallout with Chevrolet. One month after I had the back left door lock replaced out of my pocket, the front left went out and will not lock or unlock. This vehicle has 20,000 miles on it and is still under factory warranty. …
2008 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 20 / 16 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 12 / 17 / 14 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 17 / 14 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 a good car?
Based on 101 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Suburban 1500 rates average: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Suburban 1500 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 Suburban 1500?
The air bags — 40 complaints, 40% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the body & structure (18) and locks & latches (14).
How many recalls does the 2008 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2008 Chevrolet Suburban 1500. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Suburban 1500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 1995, 1996 and 1997. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2025, 2023, 2011, 2004 and 2007. See the full Chevrolet Suburban 1500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2008 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 69,000 miles; 38% 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.