2008 Chevrolet Avalanche Problems, Recalls & Reliability
372 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 40/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 89,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2008 sits among all Avalanche years
What owners report
“Takata airbag recall - i received the notice but the dealership has been unable to obtain the parts for the repair for over 1 year. What is the point of a recall if there is no resolution? The airbag has been identified as defective and needs to be replaced, the dealer is willing to do the repair,…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Avalanche
“The dash is cracked in three spots, over the instrument panel, vent area and at the corner of the air bag.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Avalanche
“My dash is cracking on the driver side of my vehicle as well as the passenger side this ride only has 85,178.00 on it the dash should not be cracking like that”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Avalanche
“Driving 60mph and lost all lights power motor everything the vehicle came back on and repeated this over and over till it was parked gm's said my truck wasn't covered so i asked for the recalled part number and was rushed off the phone”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Avalanche
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 225 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 71,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 48,003 and 101,300 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: DEALERS WILL PERMANENTLY DISABLE AND REMOVE THE HEATED WASHER FLUID MODULE. AN UPDATED PAGE FOR THE OWNER MANUAL WILL BE PROVIDED AND INSERTED IN THE OWNER MANUAL TO DOCUMENT THAT THE FEATURE HAS…
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…
Fix: 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…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
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,…
Led to recall campaign 08V441000.
Technical service bulletins
1,277 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2008 Avalanche TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche reliable?
The 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche drew 372 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 40/100, scored against the model's worst year (2002).
What are the most common 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche are airbags (148 complaints), other (69), and body & structure (46).
At what mileage do 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche problems around 71,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 48,003 and 101,300 miles.
Does the 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.