CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500 · model year

2008 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500

12 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2008CHEVROLETEXPRESS 3500 carries 12 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2008 EXPRESS 3500 is service brakes with 2 filings, followed by electrical system (2) and vehicle speed control (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2008 EXPRESS 3500, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

12
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

12 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SERVICE BRAKES2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS1
TIRES:VALVE1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
AIR BAGS1
TIRES:TREAD/BELT1
POWER TRAIN1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1

Recalls (1)

14V70600005/11/2014

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

Cummings Mobility Conversion & Supply (Cummings) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 Ford E-150, E-250, E-350, Chevrolet Express, 2006-2008 Dodge Sprinter, and 2009-2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, and 2013 Ford Transit Connect vehicles manufactured January 1, 2006, to October 8, 2014, equipped wi

Recent Complaints

20240614SERVICE BRAKES

The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Express 3500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, the front end of the vehicle was violently shaking and vibrating. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The brake rotors and brake pads were replaced, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,000.

Mileage: 86,000

20170419FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FUEL TANK CORRODES AND LEAKS FUEL ON THE HIGHWAY

Mileage: 150,000

20161219ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,000.

Mileage: 128,000

20160728POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500. AFTER THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED, THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT GEARS. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE ALSO LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 300,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.

Mileage: 300,000

20160613TIRES:TREAD/BELT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500 EQUIPPED WITH FIRESTONE TRANSFORCE HT TIRES, SIZE: LT245/75R16. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE STARTED TO VIBRATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIRE SHOWED EXTREME TREAD SEPARATION. THE TIRE WAS NOT REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRE WAS A REPLACEMENT TIRE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000.

Mileage: 81,000

20141010ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

DOOR HINGES CAME WELDED ON DOORS WITH NO WAY TO LUBRICATE THEM AND KEEP THEM FROM RUSTING. PURCHASED THE VAN A FEW YEARS AGO. WITHIN A FEW MONTHS THE LEFT HAND PASSENGER DOOR RUSTED SHUT. REPAIR MAN QUOTED $129 FOR EACH HINGE PLUS THE LABOR. SOON THE OTHER DOOR WOULD NOT LATCH CORRECTLY. NOW THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS HAVE PROBLEMS BECAUSE DOORS WILL NOT LATCH PROPERLY. THIS MONTH, THE BACK RIGHT HAND CARGO DOOR HINGE HAS RUSTED COMPLETELY OFF THE DOOR, MAKING THIS A POTENTIAL HAZARD, NOT TO MENTION, THE DOOR CANNOT BE SHUT ONCE IT IS OPENED. ONCE AGAIN THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKING SYSTEM HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED. CALLED CHEVY SOON AFTER FIRST HAD THE PROBLEM TO SEE IF THEY WOULD RECALL, BECAUSE NEW HINGES ARE NOW MADE TO BE BOLTED ON VAN AND CAN BE LUBRICATED. WE HAVE OTHER FRIENDS WITH CHEVY VANS WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS. *TR

Mileage: 99,000

20140507SERVICE BRAKES

DURING A NORMAL STOP THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES WILL KICK IN FROM RIGHT TO LEFT AT RANDOM ON DRY PAVEMENT. THIS CAUSES THE STEERING TO PULL TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT WITH OUT WARNING. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ON THE INTERNET. THE CHEVROLET DEALERS ARE AVOIDING THE ISSUE, AND THE SUPPOSEDLY FIX THE PROBLEM ( AT THE OWNERS COST) , AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. THIS HAS CAUSED ACCIDENTS FOR SOME DRIVERS ALREADY. *TR

Mileage: 52,000

20131107CrashAIR BAGS

ON JULY 17, 2013 I CRASHED MY 2008 ROADTREK 190 POPULAR (CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500 CHASSIS) IN A ROADSIDE DITCH. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS HURT BUT THE DRIVER-SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. NEITHER DID THE PASSENGER-SIDE AIRBAG BUT IT MAY HAVE BEEN TURNED OFF. IN ANY EVENT, THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE CRASH SUGGESTS THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRBAG. I HAVE NO INTENT TO SEEK ANY DAMAGES FROM ROADTREK OR GM AS I DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY SIGNIFICANT INJURY AND WAS ADEQUATELY RESTRAINED BY MY SEATBELT. I AM LETTING YOU KNOW JUST IN CASE THIS MIGHT BE A PROBLEM ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES. CONTACT ME VIA EMAIL IF YOU WANT PHOTOS OR THE LOCATION OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

Mileage: 45,000

20120604POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND ONCE RESTARTED, THE TRANSMISSION FUNCTIONED NORMALLY HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED A FEW DAYS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OKAY TO DRIVE AND ADVISED HIM NOT TO CUT THE ENGINE OFF. IN ADDITION, THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THE NEXT TIME THE FAILURE OCCURRED THAT HE SHOULD IMMEDIATELY TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000. UPDATED 07/05/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 07/10/12

Mileage: 29,000

20110407TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS ON THE VALVE STEMS WERE CORRODED AND LEAKING ABNORMALLY. THE VALVE STEMS WERE MANUFACTURER BY SIEMENS-CONTINENTAL. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY WOULD INSPECT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000 UPDATED 05/05/11*LJ THE DEALER FOUND THE RIGHT REAR VALVE STEM CORRODED AND CRACKED. UPDATED 08/29/11

Mileage: 38,000

20110407TIRES:VALVE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS ON THE VALVE STEMS WERE CORRODED AND LEAKING ABNORMALLY. THE VALVE STEMS WERE MANUFACTURER BY SIEMENS-CONTINENTAL. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY WOULD INSPECT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000 UPDATED 05/05/11*LJ THE DEALER FOUND THE RIGHT REAR VALVE STEM CORRODED AND CRACKED. UPDATED 08/29/11

Mileage: 38,000

20100907VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE FORWARD OR ACCELERATE WHEN SHE DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOUR TIMES WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE ABS SYSTEM WAS CALIBRATED AND A NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM WAS UPLOADED. THERE WERE NO ERROR CODES PRODUCED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND FILED A COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,914. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 41,000.

Mileage: 41,000

Compare 2008CHEVROLETEXPRESS 3500 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2008 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500 have?
The 2008 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500 has 12 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2008 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500?
Yes, the 2008 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500 has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500?
The most-complained component for the 2008 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500 is SERVICE BRAKES with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 2008 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.