2008 GMC Sierra 2500 Problems

What owners report

For this model year, most owner complaints are about air bags: a long-running passenger-side inflator recall with parts unavailable for extended periods, and cracked dashboards at the air bag cover that owners fear could affect deployment. The remaining reports are scattered mechanical and electrical items — stalling and fuel delivery, a broken driveshaft joint, a fractured transmission filler tube, and brake-light or starting faults — usually at higher mileage. Complaints trend downward over time, and many are filed years after delivery rather than in the first months of ownership.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Passenger air bag inflator recall with no remedy available

   • 29 complaints (46%)
   • median 97,000 mi at 9.1 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2012–2020

   Owners received notice of the passenger frontal air bag inflator recalls and then waited for parts, in many cases more than a year, with repeated calls to dealers and the manufacturer. Complaints describe being told there was no remedy, no estimated date, and no loaner vehicle, and one owner says a dealer declined a trade-in because of the open recall. Some report the air bag warning light coming on and keeping the truck from passing inspection. Most say they had not experienced a failure themselves and were complaining about the wait. Complaints cluster from 2015 through 2019, well after delivery, and most give no mileage; the few that do mention odometers between about 80,000 and 115,000 miles.

   Recall 15V324000Recall 20V011000

   What to check: Have the VIN run at a dealer for any open air bag campaigns and ask for paperwork showing the passenger inflator was replaced. If the recall is still open, confirm parts availability before agreeing on a price.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Takata recall. My truck has been on the recall list for over 1 year now, still with no remedy to fix it. The idea that my passenger air bag can deploy and injure or kill my wife or my child makes me very uneasy. Gmc will not offer a loaner vehicle until it is fixed and I need to drive it for work. I limit my vacations with my family in the truck due to the possibility of injury. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10881621, filed 2016-06

   “Takata recall- NHTSA recall #15v324, manufacturer recall #n150438: this recall was brought to my attention in may 2015 and I still haven't heard anything further on rectifying the recalled part. Since this could potentially cause serious bodily harm to me or my family, it needs to be resolved.”

   NHTSA complaint #10852365, filed 2016-03
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Cracked dashboard at the air bag cover and instrument

   • 12 complaints (19%)
   • median 60,000 mi at 8.3 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2014–2021

   Owners describe cracks appearing in the top of the dashboard, typically at the passenger air bag cover and above the instrument cluster, with no impact or incident beforehand — several say the cracks were simply there one morning. Complaints say dealers treated it as a warranty matter and declined once coverage expired, with replacement quotes ranging widely and owners told the new part is the same design. Owners say their concern is that cracked plastic could break apart if the air bag deploys, and some mention rattles while driving. Reported from roughly 20,000 to 80,000 miles, often several years into ownership and usually noticed without any triggering event.

   What to check: Look closely along the top of the dash where it meets the passenger air bag cover and the instrument cluster hood for hairline cracks or a replaced panel, and ask whether the dash has ever been swapped.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11386524, filed 2021-01, 80,000 miles

   “Purchased our 2008 Gmc 2500hd from classic Gmc new. Have taken the truck in teice to try to get them to replace the cracked dashboard. They admit it is a common complaint. They did say that GM has paid to replace some dashboards or paid partial if still in the warranty period. Of course by the time we realized it was a common issue the truck was out of warranty. We recently (dec. 2017) took the truck to classic to get a trade-in value & they only offered $13k because the dashboard was cracked. So, hoping there is a class action filed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11053990, filed 2017-12, 50,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Air bag deployment and restraint failures reported

   • 7 complaints (11%)
   • median 130,000 mi at 8.6 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2026

   A small set of complaints describes air bags behaving unexpectedly: curtain air bags inflating while the truck was being driven, and a passenger bag deploying in a parked truck that was switched off with no sign of impact. Others report the opposite — a collision in which neither front air bag deployed, and a case where the seat belt did not hold the driver. Owners describe getting no clear diagnosis, and in one case warranty coverage being declined. Scattered across the age of the truck, from around 80,000 miles to over 200,000, and in one case with no mileage given at all.

   What to check: Check that the air bag warning light does a normal bulb-check at start-up and then goes out, and ask whether the truck has ever had air bag or seat belt work done or a deployed bag replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The airbag light came on a little bit ago but I haven't had the time to get it checked do to my crazy schedule. Yesterday while my truck was sittng in the parking lot at work the airbag deployed. The truck was not running and the keys were not or near the truck. There is no damage or marks of any kind to the front of the truck showing any sign of impact to trigger the airbag to deploy. I called and spoke to GM and the response was pretty much that it is out of warranty. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10851772, filed 2016-03, 81,000 miles

   “Driving around a corner when the steering locked its self in position causing the truck to not turn, almost as if when you shut the vehicle off and turn the wheel it locks in position. This caused the vehicle to leave the road and hit a tree. The driver side airbag did not deploy. The passenger side airbag did deploy.”

   NHTSA complaint #11120781, filed 2018-08, 209,000 miles

Buying note. Check the VIN for open air bag campaigns first, since the passenger inflator recall is the dominant theme in these complaints. Then inspect the dashboard top carefully and look for an air bag warning light, as both are common talking points and can be expensive to put right.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 55 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.