Model year record

2008 GMC Sierra 2500 recalls & problems

The 2008 GMC Sierra 2500 has 3 safety recalls and 63 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is air bags (39 complaints).

Recalls3safety recalls

Complaints63filed by owners

Crashes · fires4 · 0reported in complaints

Injuries · deaths2 · 0reported in complaints

Safety recalls

Air bagsJan 10, 2020

Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module

Recall 20V011000699 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.

Air bagsMay 28, 2015

Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module

Recall 15V324000330,198 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.

Electrical systemJul 2, 2014

Electrical system

Recall 14V4070009,371 vehicles

Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

What owners report

Problem area	Complaints	Crashes	Injuries	Typical mileage*
Air bags	39	2	2	75,000 mi
Unknown or other	9	0	0	75,000 mi
Engine	4	0	0	72,657 mi
Power trainDriveline	3	0	0	71,800 mi
StructureBody	3	0	0	70,000 mi
Electrical systemInstrument panel › Speedometer/odometer	3	0	0	—
EquipmentMechanical › Slide-in camper	2	0	0	—
Fuel system, diesel	2	0	0	—
Fuel system, gasoline	2	0	0	—
Seat belts	2	2	1	—
Steering	2	2	1	—
VisibilityRearview mirrors/devices › Exterior	1	0	0	—

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

Air bags
The curtain airbags on both the passenger and driver side deployed while driving down the road. The truck is available for inspection although the deployed bags have been cut off in order to drive it home. Pictures were taken before doing so and are available for inspection. My son is pretty shaken up and has injuries to his shoulder, face and his ears are ringing.
May 10, 2026
Electrical system › Instrument panel › Speedometer/odometer
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2008 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated that while researching the history of the vehicle it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 166,521 and while researching online, it was discovered that the mileage was 207,759.
Apr 23, 2025 · 207,759 miles
Air bagsCrash1 injury
High speed collision with a cement truck destroyed most of the front portion of the vehicle. Neither passenger nor driver airbag deployed and seat belts did not lock up, injuring the driver. No warning lights indicating an airbag problem appeared prior to crash. The vehicle is now impounded at towing company yard pending insurance investigation.
Sep 19, 2024
Air bags
A YEAR OR SO AFTER RECIEVINV MY AIRBAG RECALL SERVICE, MY DASH STARTED CRACKING. IT STARTED AT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. IT IS NOW CRACKED IN OTHER PLACES AND RATTLES CONSTANTLY WHILE IN MOTION. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. I'VE YET TO SEE A GMC/CHEVY FROM 2007.5-14 THAT THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM. IT SEEMS THAT THE DASH PIECES COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY/DEATH IF NOT FIXED. GM WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM ON THEIR END WITH OUT THE CONSUMER PAYING $450-750. THEY SAID THAT WAS THE REPLACEMENT COST WITH THE EXACT SAME DASH. THAT DASH WOULD MOST LIKELY CRACK AS WELL. WHY HAS GM NOT BEEN HELD ACCOUNTABLE? WILL PEOPLE HAVE TO BECOME INJURED/DEAD BEFORE THE PROBLEM IS FIXED? PICTURES CAN BE SENT ON…
Oct 1, 2020 · 80,000 miles
SteeringCrash
STEERING COLUMN SEPERATED AT THE TILT COLUMN PIVOT JOINT. TOTAL STEERING LOST. THE COLLAPSIBLE COLUMN SECTION ALLOWED THE PIVOT JOINT RETENTION TO DISSENGAGE ALSO SLIDE TOWARD ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THERE ARE TWO SET SCREWS, THAT WORK LOOSE (GOOGLE SEARCH OF ISSUE RESULTED IN LOTS OF DOCUMENTED CASES), AND SET SCREWS FELL OUT AND TOTAL STEERING COLUMN SHAFT SEPERATED AT PIVOT JOINT. NO INJURY, BUT ONLY DUE TO REMOTE COUNTY ROAD AT 7AM WITH NO TRAFFIC. VEHICLE WENT INTO DITCH VS ONCOMING TRAFFIC ONLY DUE TO CROWN OF RURAL COUNTY ROAD. VEHICLE SPEED WAS MINIMAL AS I JUST EXITED A TURN IN INTERSECTION. VEHICLE TOWED. WILL UPLOAD PICS LATER OR PLEASE REQUEST THEM ALSO. I AM SAVING ALL PARTS AS…
Nov 21, 2020 · 201,000 miles
Engine
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 GMC SIERRA 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO WILKINSON AUTOMOTIVE (3335 NC-87 SOUTH, SANFORD, NC 27332) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL FILTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO START AND DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED 2 DAYS LATER. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A DELAY WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT ABOUT A MANUFACTURER FUEL…
Jul 4, 2020 · 97,000 miles
Electrical system
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 GMC SIERRA 2500. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, IT SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS CONTACTED AND DROVE TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE MECHANIC'S SHOP. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HARRY ROBINSON BUICK GMC (6000 S 36TH ST, FORT SMITH, AR 72908, (479) 646-8600) FOR A SECOND DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE DEALER FOUND THAT THE MAIN CONTROL MODULE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: 14515B AS A POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THE…
Feb 12, 2019 · 100,000 miles
Air bags
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 GMC SIERRA 2500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V383000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED PREMIER GMC (2000 EASTERN RD, RITTMAN, OH 44270, (888) 564-1107) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. *BF *TR
May 27, 2016

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureOpen
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. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled…
EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021
NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESClosedLed to recall 08V441000
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. ACCORDING TO GM, A SHORT CIRCUIT ON THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID HEATER MODULE MAY OVERHEAT THE CONTROL-CIRCUIT GROUND WIRE. THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR OR CAUSE SMOKE AND IN RARE CASES IT MAY CAUSE A FIRE.AS A REMEDY, GM DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WIRE HARNESS WITH AN IN-LINE FUSE. IN ADDITION TO THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, SEVERAL OTHER GM MODELS WITH THE HEATED WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID OPTION ARE INCLUDED IN RECALL 08V-441:…
EA08010 · opened Jun 12, 2008 · closed Sep 8, 2008
NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESClosed
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 OF REPORTS PROVIDED BY GM, ALLEGING NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.IN TOTAL, ODI IS AWARE OF 41 NON-CRASHENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES THAT ARE UNRELATED TO ARSON.EIGHT OF THE 41 FIRE ALLEGATIONS ALSO ALLEGE PROPERTY DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THE FIRES.THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA08-010) TO FURTHER ASSESS THE SCOPE, FREQUENCY, ORIGIN AND CAUSE OF THE ALLEGED NON-CRASH RELATED ENGINE…
PE08010 · opened Feb 4, 2008 · closed Jun 12, 2008