2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 has a complaint index of 75, ranking 6th worst out of 21 model years, and carries an Avoid verdict. NHTSA lists 191 complaints, 4 recalls, and airbags as the top problem area with 106 complaints (55% of the total).
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 75/100
- #6 of 21 Silverado 2500 years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 191
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 4
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 5
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 4
- Injuries
- 6
- Top issue
- Airbags
Top 2008 Chevy Silverado 2500 problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags106 (55%)
- Electrical System23 (12%)
- Structure & Body20 (10%)
- Other17 (9%)
- Transmission & Powertrain14 (7%)
- Engine10 (5%)
- Fuel System7 (4%)
- Steering7 (4%)
- Brakes6 (3%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires5 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Frontal airbags failed to deploy during crashes, including head-on collisions and rollovers.
- Vehicles caught fire while parked, with smoke and flames traced to the engine compartment or fuse box area.
- Seat belt pre-tensioners deployed unexpectedly, producing smoke near the driver's seat.
- Steering wheel seized while driving at highway speed, causing loss of control and a rollover.
- Rearview visibility was reported as poor at night, contributing to a low-speed backing crash.
- Electrical faults caused fuses to melt in the fuse box and dashboard lights to fail randomly.
2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 20V011000Jan 10, 2020Airbags699 vehicles
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. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-866-522-9559. GM's number for this recall is N192290990.
- NHTSA 15V324000May 28, 2015Airbags330,198 vehicles
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. The affected vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
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. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's numbers for this recall are 15438 and 15817.
- NHTSA 14V407000Jul 2, 2014Electrical System9,371 vehicles
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. Owners may unknowingly draw too much current through the vehicle's trailer harness resulting in the melting of fusible link for the auxiliary battery.
Risk: If the fusible link melts it may come into contact with adjacent components, damage the electrical center cover, the nearby wiring harness conduit and other vehicle components, increasing the risk of a fire.
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. The recall began on August 29, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 14260.
2008 compared with other Silverado 2500 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 a bad year?
- Compared to other Silverado 2500 model years, 2008 ranks 6th worst out of 21 years tracked, with a complaint index of 75 and an Avoid verdict.
- What is the main problem with the 2008 Silverado 2500?
- Airbags are the top complaint area, accounting for 106 of 191 total complaints (55%), including reports of non-deployment in crashes.
- Does the 2008 Silverado 2500 have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2008 Silverado 2500, including two separate airbag inflator recalls and one for an electrical jumper harness fuse issue.
- At what mileage do problems typically show up on the 2008 Silverado 2500?
- NHTSA data shows a median mileage of 56,000 at failure overall, with airbag complaints centered around 90,000 miles and brake complaints around 22,489 miles.
- How does the 2008 Silverado 2500 compare to newer years?
- Years like 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014 earn a Best verdict with much lower complaint indexes (0 to 15), while 2008 sits at 75 with an Avoid verdict.