2008 GMC Sierra 1500 problems & reliability
379 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 GMC Sierra 1500, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
12 complaints report injuries (13 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 243 | 64% |
| Unknown OR Other | 41 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 31 | 8% |
| Structure | 25 | 7% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 23 | 6% |
| Engine | 18 | 5% |
| Seat Belts | 12 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 2% |
| Tires | 7 | 2% |
| Power Train | 6 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 75,000 miles (middle 50% between 38,000 and 118,721 miles), based on 189 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I was driving down the highway at 70 mph, when there was a loud bang followed by a gun powder smell. My seatbelts went tight...hazard lights automatically came on...radio went dead...and the Airbag light came on. The pretensioners in both driver and passenger seats had deployed. I pulled over and shut the truck off…”
Seat Belts · filed Mar 23, 2026
“The contact owns a 2008 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage, diesel fuel started leaking onto the garage floor. The contact recently purchased the vehicle, inspected the source of the leak, and discovered that the fuel lines were completely rusted. Additionally, the…”
Fuel System, Diesel · filed Mar 16, 2026
“The contact owns a 2008 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V050000 (Air Bags). The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact about the disclaimer about the dashboard possibly being damaged. The dealer informed the contact that there were no loaner vehicles, but…”
Air Bags · filed Oct 7, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
- NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA08010 · opened Jun 12, 2008 · closed Sep 8, 2008 · led to recall 08V441000
- NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE08010 · opened Feb 4, 2008 · closed Jun 12, 2008
Technical service bulletins
646 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2008 GMC Sierra 1500. The 10 most recent:
New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
13598 · Other · issued Sep 9, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on. Technician may…
PIC5650M · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 7, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have a bump feel or clunk noise at a stop or on launch. Dealer should communicate to the customer this condition…
PIT5161L · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 31, 2025
This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
PIP5601C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2025
This service bulletin provides technicians with information on available BCM calibrations to restore bulb outage detection on vehicles produced by a second stage manufacturer (Upfitter), and/or turn signals flash fast…
07-08-42-006U · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 2, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2025
This service bulletin provides a procedure to flush and bleed power steering system to correct a power steering noise or fluid leak concern that is caused during extremely low temperatures.
13-02-32-001H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 11, 2025
This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on OnStar Module 2G Sunset Information.
23-NA-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 28, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2008 GMC Sierra 1500 has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2008 GMC Sierra 1500?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 75,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.