Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
14–17 mpgcombined; city 13–15, highway 17–20; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$19,110–$23,200U.S. average; Ohio $17,070–$20,730 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2008 Silverado. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 1,076 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Silverado. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Air bags
656
37
0
48
Electrical system
139
3
9
4
Unknown or other
93
0
0
2
Structure
74
4
3
3
Engine
55
0
2
4
Latches/locks/linkages
55
0
1
0
Power train
37
0
2
1
Fuel/propulsion system
21
1
0
0
Suspension
20
3
0
2
Service brakes, hydraulic
18
2
0
1
Service brakes
17
0
1
0
Vehicle speed control
17
3
1
2
20 more parts
Seat belts
16
1
0
1
Electronic stability control (ESC)
13
1
0
1
Engine and engine cooling
11
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
10
0
0
0
Steering
10
2
0
2
Tires
9
3
1
3
Visibility
9
0
0
0
Wheels
9
1
0
0
Equipment
7
2
1
7
Fuel system, gasoline
7
1
1
1
Service brakes, electric
2
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
2
0
0
0
Back over prevention
1
0
0
0
Equipment adaptive/mobility
1
0
0
0
Firerelated
1
0
1
0
Forward collision avoidance
1
0
0
0
Parking brake
1
0
0
0
Seats
1
0
1
0
Service brakes, air
1
0
0
0
Traction control system
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2008 Silverado over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. 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 driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 1, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328760.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. 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 driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 23, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 20, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328780.
QUALITY VANS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 THROUGH 2008 VANS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN AUGUST 2005 AND NOVEMBER 2007, EQUIPPED WITH RICON PLATFORM STYLE WHEELCHAIR LIFTS. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 404, "PLATFORM LIFT INSTALLATIONS IN MOTOR VEHICLES." THE THRESHOLD WARNING SYSTEM MAY NOT DETECT THE PRESENCE OF A WHEELCHAIR OR MOBILITY AID USER IN A CERTAIN SPOT WITHIN THE DEFINED THRESHOLD AREA.
Risk: THE USER OF THE LIFT COULD BE INJURED SHOULD THE LIFT MOVE UNINTENTIONALLY.
Remedy: QUALITY VANS IS WORKING WITH RICON TO CORRECT THE WHEELCHAIR LIFTS FREE OF CHARGE (PLEASE SEE 07E095). OWNERS MAY CONTACT RICON AT 1-818-267-3000 OR QUALITY VANS AT 1-480-464-7007.
GM IS RECALLING 857,735 MY 2006-2008 BUICK LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MY 2007-2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL, SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WIPER WASHER FLUID SYSTEM. A SHORT CIRCUIT ON THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE WASHER FLUID HEATER MAY OVERHEAT THE CONTROL-CIRCUIT GROUND WIRE.
Risk: THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR, OR CAUSE SMOKE INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WIRE HARNESS WITH AN IN-LINE FUSE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080; CADILLAC AT 1-800-982-2339 OR HTTP://WWW.CADILLAC.COM; CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438; SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR HTTP://WWW.SATURN.COM, GMC AT 1-866-996-9436; OR HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493; OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .
Carmakers sent NHTSA 1,605 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2008 Silverado, the latest on Sep 9, 2025. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (557), electrical system (331), engine and engine cooling (205), power train (140), engine (97).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Engineering analysis EA21002 Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture · covers 37 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2008 Silverado.
See used 2008 Chevrolet Silverados for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: standard pickup trucks. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Silverado C15 Rear-Wheel Drive
4.3 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 20 / 17
Silverado C15 Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 20 / 17
Silverado C15 Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
15 / 20 / 17
Silverado C15 Rear-Wheel Drive
4.8 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
14 / 19 / 16
Silverado C15 Rear-Wheel Drive
6.0 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
13 / 18 / 15
Silverado K15 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
4.8 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
14 / 18 / 16
Silverado K15 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
14 / 19 / 16
Silverado K15 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
14 / 19 / 16
Silverado K15 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
4.3 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
14 / 18 / 15
Silverado K15 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
6.0 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
13 / 17 / 14
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data