Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Front passenger seatbelt is stuck won't expand to buckle up, when turning on right blinker the high beam lights turn on. Which is unsafe for other drivers being blinded by the bright lights. Back hatch does not operate at all, could potentially be life threatening if that was an only exit due to unexpected Circumstances
Takata recall - I have been checking on this for a year and a remedy is still not available. I was involved in an accident April 10 2017 and the Tahoe sustained significant front and rear damage while stationary. I was hit from behind by a large truck and was then pushed into the car in front of me. No airbags deployed.
Dash is cracked in three (3) locations. One location is near air bag and passenger air bag light will not engage. Dealership and GM directly have advised they will not repair. The airbag could deploy on its own, or could fail to deploy if needed, both of which are a safety issue. Dash cracks are large. Thousands of GM owners are experiencing this same issue. Electrical system has gone haywire. After three attempted repairs by a dealership, they finally replaced the negative battery cable. The vehicle would disable completely at random, requiring tows on too many occasions to recall. Electrical issues still remain. I am afraid that the vehicle will catch fire, as the electrical system appears to be engaged and operating when there is no power to the vehicle. Door handle on drivers side will not engage with automatic lock feature. Other doors lock and unlock, but drivers side will not. …
There are very large cracks on my dash board, the worst one being around the airbag plastic cover on the passenger side of the dash! You can see under the cover showing all of the components under the dash! The crack that is on the drivers side is above the steering column running from the defroster to the top by the speedometer displays, etc! I feel as if these cracks, specifically the one on the passenger side, is a huge safety hazard! Without crashing, there is no way of telling if the passenger side airbag will deflate properly due to this! I feel that to find this out, it should be at no ones expense! I have filed a complaint & a claim with GM a few months ago only to be told by the dealership that GM contacted on my behalf that the responsibility is mine if I wanted this problem to be fixed! The dealership informed me that it would cost $850 to $1000 to have the dash replaced! …
Dashboard has cracked adjacent to corner of passenger side airbag panel and along top of driver side instrument cluster panel. Cracked dash continues to expand. The cracked dashboard is a safety concern in that shards of the plastic May break off during an accident and/or during deployment of the airbags, impaling the passengers. The sad part of this is that I had to replace all the exterior door handles also because they all broke off from the cheap plastic clip that holds the handle in place - no recall on that either. This is inexcusable when you look at the cost of the ltz vehicles. Both of these defects are safety issues - mishandling of aibags when deployed and someone able to enter your vehicle through a broken handle!!!!!!!
The dash board o the vehicle is cracking all around the Takata recall airbags. The cracks are spidering across the dash, there are so May complaints with this dash board cracking and it is a safety issue if the airbags go off the dash board is likely to shatter and potentially be a projectile causing injury or death. This should be invesitigated and be a recall. You will find thousands of vehicle have this problem, GM is aware and its all over facebook and online. Just google Tahoe cracked dashboard and look for yourself. Thank you for investigating this matter
The door handles on my Tahoe have broken off at the post in the door. This is a common occurence for this model according to the data on the internet. The plastic handle easily breaks off from the metal post over time. This is not from excessive use or force this is just a design flaw with inferior materials. Both the passenger and driver side handles have broken off. The situation just contuinued to get worse over the last year. This vehicle is garaged 90% of the time only being driven as a pleasure vehicle. The doors broke when the vehicle was parked.
I previously filed a complaint regarding two cracks in my 2008 Chevy Tahoe dashboard, which have now increased to three. This has now left the entire piece above the passenger airbag detached from the rest of the dashboard. Also, I now have inside components that have broken, fallen through the dashboard compartment and fallen on my feet as I am driving. The pieces are very sharp and are a distraction while driving and I am concerned for other pieces that May fall and impede my ability to operate the gas or brakes properly.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that the dashboard was fractured from the driver's side and extended to the passenger's side of the vehicle. Additionally, the powered side mirrors were inoperable. The contact stated that the mirrors were only adjustable manually. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 89,000.
2008 Chevy Tahoe cost in 2008 , $35,000. Current mileage 68K, dash cracked at passenger airbag at 38K mileage while taking a family trip and same thing happen at 44K the dash board on drive has now crack as well I made a huge investment when I made choise to buy Chevy now is looking like I made a mistake. I will be buying Ford products from here on out. Shame on you Chevrolet!! You should stand behind your products. And to think I was in process of maybe getting a newers model
Body complaints in other Tahoe years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe?
NHTSA has 79 complaints about the body & structure of the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe, 15% of the model year's 528 complaints. The component named most often is body (49 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 78,000 miles, and 2% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 11 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.