GMC CANYON · model year

2008 GMC CANYON

65 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2008GMCCANYON carries 65 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 1 fire, 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 CANYON is electrical system with 15 filings, followed by engine (13) and service brakes (8). 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 2 active recall campaigns, 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 CANYON. 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.

65
Complaints
2
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

65 filings

Crashes Reported

2 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 SYSTEM15
ENGINE13
SERVICE BRAKES8
UNKNOWN OR OTHER5
STRUCTURE:BODY4
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL4
EXTERIOR LIGHTING4
POWER TRAIN2
SEATS1
SUSPENSION1
STEERING1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1
SEAT BELTS1
AIR BAGS1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM1

Recalls (2)

09V31000029/07/2009

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

GM IS RECALLING 185,903 MODEL YEAR 2004-2009 COLORADO, GMC MODEL YEAR 2009-2004 CANYON, MODEL YEAR 2006 I-280, I-350, MODEL YEAR 2007-2008 I-290, AND I-370, PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF ALABAMA, ARIZONA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, HAWAII, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIP

10V57500018/11/2010

CHILD SEAT

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2011, CHEVROLET COLORADO, GMC CANYON, MODEL YEAR 2006, ISUZU I-280/I-350, AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2008, I-290/I-370, REGULAR CAB VEHICLES AND EXTENDED CAB VEHICLES WITHOUT A REAR SEAT AND EQUIPPED WITH A FRONT 60/40 SPLIT BENCH SEAT. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY

Recent Complaints

20230811POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

Carrier Bearing ( Hanger Bearing) broken off mounts. Bearing is mounted via spot welds. The spot weld were not done properly. Was driving at about 30 MPH slowing down when the bearing broke loose from the mounts. The caused the drive shaft to swing about hitting the floor boards. Breaking the universal joint and drive shaft came apart. There was less that 300 miles on the bearing. The truck typical hauls one bicycle. The truck was not used in any commercial function. I'm retired and like to ride my bicycle. I was very lucky in the that I was slowing down for a light. The road I was one is 55MPH. If the drive shat had hit the ground at that speed I'm certain there would have been a very serious accident involving many vehilces.

20210111SERVICE BRAKES

BEEN HAVING AN ISSUE WITH THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH AT THE BRAKE PEDAL STICKING AND OUR BRAKE LIGHTS STAYING ON. WE NOTICE IT MOSTLY AFTER WE HAVE PARKED THE TRUCK AND TURN IT OFF. THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL STAY ILLUMINATED, NOT ALWAYS RIGHT AWAY. THE BRAKE LIGHTS STAYING ILLUMINATED HAVE CAUSED OUR VEHICLE TO HAVE A DEAD BATTERY MANY TIMES. THIS ISSUE WITH THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH CAUSING THE LIGHTS TO STAY ON HAS ACTUALLY CAUSED US TO HAVE TO BUY 2 BRAND NEW BATTERIES IN JUST OVER A 12 MONTH PERIOD. THIS ISSUE HAS KILLED OUR BATTERY AND LEFT US STRANDED FOR HOURS WHILE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO COME HELP US JUMP THE BATTERY. THERE IS A RECALL OUT FOR THIS BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH ISSUE, BUT THIS SPECIFIC YEAR IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. EVEN THO THIS TRUCK IS HAVING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE THE THE RECALL IS FOR. WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE FOR OVER A YEAR NOW.

Mileage: 168,000

20210111ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

BEEN HAVING AN ISSUE WITH THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH AT THE BRAKE PEDAL STICKING AND OUR BRAKE LIGHTS STAYING ON. WE NOTICE IT MOSTLY AFTER WE HAVE PARKED THE TRUCK AND TURN IT OFF. THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL STAY ILLUMINATED, NOT ALWAYS RIGHT AWAY. THE BRAKE LIGHTS STAYING ILLUMINATED HAVE CAUSED OUR VEHICLE TO HAVE A DEAD BATTERY MANY TIMES. THIS ISSUE WITH THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH CAUSING THE LIGHTS TO STAY ON HAS ACTUALLY CAUSED US TO HAVE TO BUY 2 BRAND NEW BATTERIES IN JUST OVER A 12 MONTH PERIOD. THIS ISSUE HAS KILLED OUR BATTERY AND LEFT US STRANDED FOR HOURS WHILE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO COME HELP US JUMP THE BATTERY. THERE IS A RECALL OUT FOR THIS BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH ISSUE, BUT THIS SPECIFIC YEAR IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. EVEN THO THIS TRUCK IS HAVING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE THE THE RECALL IS FOR. WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE FOR OVER A YEAR NOW.

Mileage: 168,000

20210111EXTERIOR LIGHTING

BEEN HAVING AN ISSUE WITH THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH AT THE BRAKE PEDAL STICKING AND OUR BRAKE LIGHTS STAYING ON. WE NOTICE IT MOSTLY AFTER WE HAVE PARKED THE TRUCK AND TURN IT OFF. THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL STAY ILLUMINATED, NOT ALWAYS RIGHT AWAY. THE BRAKE LIGHTS STAYING ILLUMINATED HAVE CAUSED OUR VEHICLE TO HAVE A DEAD BATTERY MANY TIMES. THIS ISSUE WITH THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH CAUSING THE LIGHTS TO STAY ON HAS ACTUALLY CAUSED US TO HAVE TO BUY 2 BRAND NEW BATTERIES IN JUST OVER A 12 MONTH PERIOD. THIS ISSUE HAS KILLED OUR BATTERY AND LEFT US STRANDED FOR HOURS WHILE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO COME HELP US JUMP THE BATTERY. THERE IS A RECALL OUT FOR THIS BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH ISSUE, BUT THIS SPECIFIC YEAR IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. EVEN THO THIS TRUCK IS HAVING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE THE THE RECALL IS FOR. WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE FOR OVER A YEAR NOW.

Mileage: 168,000

20191124STRUCTURE:BODY

I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER'S GARAGE FOR ROUTINE BRAKE WORK. HE SHOWED ME A CRACK IN THE FRAME ALMOST ALL THE WAY THROUGH EXCLUDING AN INCH. HE FOUND IT WHEN HE TRIED LIFTING THE VEHICLE TO DO THE BRAKES. IT IS BEHIND THE CAB, IN FRONT OF THE BED OF THE TRUCK. ONLY ONE SIDE WAS HOLDING MY TRUCK TOGETHER.

Mileage: 156,000

20191120STRUCTURE:BODY

REPAIR SHOP LIFTED VEHICLE TO REPAIR FRONT BRAKES AND THE FRAME BROKE JUST BEHIND THE CAB.

Mileage: 156,000

20190725ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 GMC CANYON. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART. ALSO, THE DECREASING POWER MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED. THE CONTACT CALLED BISHOP GMC CADILLAC (400 MACKINAW AVE, CHEBOYGAN, MI 49721, (231) 627-5669) TO NOTIFY THEM OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.

Mileage: 56,000

20180312STRUCTURE:BODY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 GMC CANYON. WHILE UNDERGOING BRAKE SERVICE AT TRADITION CHEVROLET BUICK (847 RTE 5, GENEVA, NY 14456, (315) 789-6811), THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR OF THE FRAME WAS ROTTED OUT. THE TECHNICIAN RECOMMENDED THAT THE FRAME BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 143,000.

Mileage: 143,000

20180312STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 GMC CANYON. WHILE UNDERGOING BRAKE SERVICE AT TRADITION CHEVROLET BUICK (847 RTE 5, GENEVA, NY 14456, (315) 789-6811), THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR OF THE FRAME WAS ROTTED OUT. THE TECHNICIAN RECOMMENDED THAT THE FRAME BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 143,000.

Mileage: 143,000

20171120FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 GMC CANYON. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED A BURNING ODOR. THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ON SPEED 2 AS SMOKE AND PLASTIC PARTICLES EMITTED INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. WHILE SWITCHING TO SPEED 1, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THERE WAS ALSO NO RESPONSE FOR SPEED 3. THE AIR CONDITIONER FUNCTIONED AT SPEED 4, BUT WAS LATER TURNED OFF DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND PARKED DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS AND RESISTER WERE COMPLETELY MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS AND THE RESISTER, AND THE AIR CONDITIONER SPEEDS 1 - 4 PROPERLY FUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THE PARTS WOULD PREMATURELY FAIL AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL; HOWEVER; THE CONTACT SHOULD TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND REPA

20171109ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

1. "THEFT DETERRENT" ILLUMINATES AND TRUCK WILL NOT START. HAVE TO WAIT 10 MINUTES WITH KEY IN THE "ACC" POSITION AND THEN IT STARTS. HAPPENS OFTEN AT LEAST 2 TIMES A WEEK. ALSO, WHILE I AM DRIVING THE "THEFT DETERRENT" ILLUMINATES AT LEAST 4 TIMES A WEEK WHILE HIGHWAY DRIVING BUT LUCKILY THE TRUCK DOES NOT STALL OR STOP.

Mileage: 72,000

20171109ENGINE

1. "THEFT DETERRENT" ILLUMINATES AND TRUCK WILL NOT START. HAVE TO WAIT 10 MINUTES WITH KEY IN THE "ACC" POSITION AND THEN IT STARTS. HAPPENS OFTEN AT LEAST 2 TIMES A WEEK. ALSO, WHILE I AM DRIVING THE "THEFT DETERRENT" ILLUMINATES AT LEAST 4 TIMES A WEEK WHILE HIGHWAY DRIVING BUT LUCKILY THE TRUCK DOES NOT STALL OR STOP.

Mileage: 72,000

20171109EXTERIOR LIGHTING

1. "THEFT DETERRENT" ILLUMINATES AND TRUCK WILL NOT START. HAVE TO WAIT 10 MINUTES WITH KEY IN THE "ACC" POSITION AND THEN IT STARTS. HAPPENS OFTEN AT LEAST 2 TIMES A WEEK. ALSO, WHILE I AM DRIVING THE "THEFT DETERRENT" ILLUMINATES AT LEAST 4 TIMES A WEEK WHILE HIGHWAY DRIVING BUT LUCKILY THE TRUCK DOES NOT STALL OR STOP.

Mileage: 72,000

20171109SERVICE BRAKES

"ENGINE LIGHT" ILLUMINATES WHILE DRIVING. DURING THE FIRST 20 MINUTES OF DRIVING THIS LIGHT APPEARS AND STAYS ON. THEN 15 MINUTES LATER AS I CONTINUE TO DRIVE WITH NO STOPPING OR TURNING OFF THE ENGINE, THE LIGHT GOES OFF.

Mileage: 73,000

20171109ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

"ENGINE LIGHT" ILLUMINATES WHILE DRIVING. DURING THE FIRST 20 MINUTES OF DRIVING THIS LIGHT APPEARS AND STAYS ON. THEN 15 MINUTES LATER AS I CONTINUE TO DRIVE WITH NO STOPPING OR TURNING OFF THE ENGINE, THE LIGHT GOES OFF.

Mileage: 73,000

20171109ENGINE

"ENGINE LIGHT" ILLUMINATES WHILE DRIVING. DURING THE FIRST 20 MINUTES OF DRIVING THIS LIGHT APPEARS AND STAYS ON. THEN 15 MINUTES LATER AS I CONTINUE TO DRIVE WITH NO STOPPING OR TURNING OFF THE ENGINE, THE LIGHT GOES OFF.

Mileage: 73,000

20171109SERVICE BRAKES

"REAR BRAKE LIGHTS" LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING WHEN I APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. I WAS GOING TO WORK AND A DRIVER NEXT TO ME INFORMED ME THAT BOTH MY BRAKE LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING AS I WAS AT A RED LIGHT. I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET. THE RESULT WAS I REPLACED BOTH REAR BRAKE BULBS AFTER SPENDING 2 HOURS OF IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM THINKING IT WAS MORE COMPLICATED. I ALWAYS CHECK ALL MY LIGHTS EACH MONTH MAKING SURE I AM IN COMPLIANCE!

Mileage: 68,000

20171109ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

"REAR BRAKE LIGHTS" LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING WHEN I APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. I WAS GOING TO WORK AND A DRIVER NEXT TO ME INFORMED ME THAT BOTH MY BRAKE LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING AS I WAS AT A RED LIGHT. I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET. THE RESULT WAS I REPLACED BOTH REAR BRAKE BULBS AFTER SPENDING 2 HOURS OF IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM THINKING IT WAS MORE COMPLICATED. I ALWAYS CHECK ALL MY LIGHTS EACH MONTH MAKING SURE I AM IN COMPLIANCE!

Mileage: 68,000

20171109ENGINE

"REAR BRAKE LIGHTS" LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING WHEN I APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. I WAS GOING TO WORK AND A DRIVER NEXT TO ME INFORMED ME THAT BOTH MY BRAKE LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING AS I WAS AT A RED LIGHT. I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET. THE RESULT WAS I REPLACED BOTH REAR BRAKE BULBS AFTER SPENDING 2 HOURS OF IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM THINKING IT WAS MORE COMPLICATED. I ALWAYS CHECK ALL MY LIGHTS EACH MONTH MAKING SURE I AM IN COMPLIANCE!

Mileage: 68,000

20171109SERVICE BRAKES

"TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR"(TPM). THE TPM IS ALWAYS ILLUMINATING ON MY DASH. I CHECK MY TIRES PLUS THE SPARE EVERY MONTH AND NOTHING SEEMS TO BE WRONG WITH THE INFLATION. I STILL HAVE THE FACTORY RIMS, WITH THE SAME TIRE SIZE ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER BUT NEWER WITH NO UPGRADES. NO DAMAGE TO RIMS OR TIRES EVER.

Mileage: 48,000

Compare 2008GMCCANYON to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2008 GMC CANYON have?
The 2008 GMC CANYON has 65 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2008 GMC CANYON?
Yes, the 2008 GMC CANYON has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 GMC CANYON?
The most-complained component for the 2008 GMC CANYON is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 15 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and SERVICE BRAKES.
Is the 2008 GMC CANYON 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.