GMC C4500 · model year

2008 GMC C4500

3 NHTSA complaints, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2008GMCC4500 carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 3 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 C4500 is electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator with 1 filings, followed by electrical system (1) and engine and engine cooling (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 2 investigation files overlapping the 2008 C4500. 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.

3
Complaints
0
Crashes
3
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1

Recalls (1)

08E00400007/01/2008

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

CERTAIN INTERMOTIVE WHEELCHAIR LIFT INTERLOCK, P/NO. ILIS605-H3 ILIS ACTIVATION KIT (INTERLOCK OPTION FOR GATEWAY 401) SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET FOR 2005 - 2008 CHEVY 560 (C4500 AND C5500 KODIAK) 6.6L DIESEL VEHICLES WHICH A PROTECTION DIODE WAS USED. THE DIODE CAN BE EXPOSED TO VOLTAGE SPIKES GR

Recent Complaints

20110919FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

AT APPROXIMATELY 2:15 PM ON 9/16/2011 THIS AMBULANCE WAS TRAVELING AT 55-60 MPH IN ROUTE BACK TO THE STATION AFTER DROPPING A PATIENT AT THE HOSPITAL, THE DRIVER REPORTS THAT THERE WAS A LOAD POP!; FOLLOWED BY A HISSING SOUND UNDER THE HOOD. AS HE PROCEEDED TO MOVE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM THE DRIVER OBSERVED WHITE SMOKE BILLOWING OUT THE BACK OF THE UNIT. BEFORE HE COULD GET STOPPED; THE WHITE SMOKE BEGAN ENTERING THE CAB THROUGH THE AC VENTS. HE PULLED OVER AND AS HE AND HIS EMT PARTNER EXITED THE VEHICLE THE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK ERUPTED IN FLAMES!!! THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER HAD THERE BEEN A LIFE EMERGENCY IN THE PATIENT COMPARTMENT. ON 9/19, WE HAD THE UNIT INSPECTED BY THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE FORENSIC DIVISION. DURING THE FORENSIC INSPECTION IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE RIGHT SIDE ALTERNATOR HAD SEIZED AND BROKEN IN HALF! WHEN THIS EVENT OCCURRED IT SEVERED THE THE AC COMPRESSOR LINES AND POSSIBLY OTHER LINES WITH FLAMMABLE FLUIDS AS THERE ARE PR

20110919FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

AT APPROXIMATELY 2:15 PM ON 9/16/2011 THIS AMBULANCE WAS TRAVELING AT 55-60 MPH IN ROUTE BACK TO THE STATION AFTER DROPPING A PATIENT AT THE HOSPITAL, THE DRIVER REPORTS THAT THERE WAS A LOAD POP!; FOLLOWED BY A HISSING SOUND UNDER THE HOOD. AS HE PROCEEDED TO MOVE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM THE DRIVER OBSERVED WHITE SMOKE BILLOWING OUT THE BACK OF THE UNIT. BEFORE HE COULD GET STOPPED; THE WHITE SMOKE BEGAN ENTERING THE CAB THROUGH THE AC VENTS. HE PULLED OVER AND AS HE AND HIS EMT PARTNER EXITED THE VEHICLE THE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK ERUPTED IN FLAMES!!! THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER HAD THERE BEEN A LIFE EMERGENCY IN THE PATIENT COMPARTMENT. ON 9/19, WE HAD THE UNIT INSPECTED BY THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE FORENSIC DIVISION. DURING THE FORENSIC INSPECTION IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE RIGHT SIDE ALTERNATOR HAD SEIZED AND BROKEN IN HALF! WHEN THIS EVENT OCCURRED IT SEVERED THE THE AC COMPRESSOR LINES AND POSSIBLY OTHER LINES WITH FLAMMABLE FLUIDS AS THERE ARE PR

20110919FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

AT APPROXIMATELY 2:15 PM ON 9/16/2011 THIS AMBULANCE WAS TRAVELING AT 55-60 MPH IN ROUTE BACK TO THE STATION AFTER DROPPING A PATIENT AT THE HOSPITAL, THE DRIVER REPORTS THAT THERE WAS A LOAD POP!; FOLLOWED BY A HISSING SOUND UNDER THE HOOD. AS HE PROCEEDED TO MOVE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM THE DRIVER OBSERVED WHITE SMOKE BILLOWING OUT THE BACK OF THE UNIT. BEFORE HE COULD GET STOPPED; THE WHITE SMOKE BEGAN ENTERING THE CAB THROUGH THE AC VENTS. HE PULLED OVER AND AS HE AND HIS EMT PARTNER EXITED THE VEHICLE THE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK ERUPTED IN FLAMES!!! THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER HAD THERE BEEN A LIFE EMERGENCY IN THE PATIENT COMPARTMENT. ON 9/19, WE HAD THE UNIT INSPECTED BY THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE FORENSIC DIVISION. DURING THE FORENSIC INSPECTION IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE RIGHT SIDE ALTERNATOR HAD SEIZED AND BROKEN IN HALF! WHEN THIS EVENT OCCURRED IT SEVERED THE THE AC COMPRESSOR LINES AND POSSIBLY OTHER LINES WITH FLAMMABLE FLUIDS AS THERE ARE PR

Compare 2008GMCC4500 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2008 GMC C4500 have?
The 2008 GMC C4500 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 3 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2008 GMC C4500?
Yes, the 2008 GMC C4500 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 GMC C4500?
The most-complained component for the 2008 GMC C4500 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.
Is the 2008 GMC C4500 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.