2008 GMC Sierra

No clear pattern

0% of complaints about the 2008 GMC Sierra arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2008 vehicle, but with only 82 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is air bags (30 complaints), typically at 7.4 yr or about 69,000 miles.

Complaints: 82
Median age at failure: 6.5 yr
Median mileage: 69,000 n=66
Crash / fire / tow: 4.9% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

10V240000 2010-06-04

Electrical system

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2009 BUICK, LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 BUICK ENCLAVE; CADILLAC CTS; MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL; SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MODEL YEAR 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WASHER FLUID SYSTEM (HWFS). A RECALL WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2008 TO ADD A FUSE TO THE CONTROL CIRCUIT HARNESS TO ADDRESS THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD (PCB) ELECTRICAL SHORT. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN N

IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE HEATED WASHER MODULE TO IGNITE AND A FIRE MAY OCCUR.

08V441000 2008-08-28

Electrical system

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.

THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR, OR CAUSE SMOKE INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE.

In owners’ own words

Air bags 15,000 mi 2.0 yr in service crash / fire / tow

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 GMC SIERRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS THE CONTACT BECAME UNCONSCIOUS AND CRASHED INTO A UTILITY POLE. THE POLICE AND AMBULANCE ARRIVED AND THE DRIVER WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE AIR BAG SYSTEM FAILED TO DEPLOY WITH THE MASSIVE LEVEL OF IMPACT. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE CONTACT HAS CONCERNS OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 15,000. UPDATED 11/03/09 UPDATED 11/03/09 *BF UPDATED 11/03/09. *JB

Air bags 69,000 mi 4.8 yr in service crash / fire / tow

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 GMC SIERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY CONTRIBUTING TO THE INJURY OF THE CONTACT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 69,000.

Air bags 55,000 mi 5.3 yr in service

MY 2008 GMC DASH IS CRACKED IN TWO PLACES ABOVE THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. AFTER SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET THIS CRACK(S) ARE A CHRONIC DEFECT IN THE 07/08 GENERAL MOTORS TRUCKS AND SUV'S. NO REASON FOR THESE CRACKS, NO IMPACT, ETC... THERE IS A COMMON CONCERN THE OWNERS SHARE THAT THIS DEFECT COULD IMPACT THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. *TR

Other Sierra model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2008 GMC Sierra

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Sierra model years

How to read this