2008 Chevrolet Express 3500 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (2) · Electrical System (2) · Vehicle Speed Control (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Chevrolet Express 3500 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (1)
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility 2014-11-05 · campaign 14V706000 · 34 vehicles
Defect: 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 with certain model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts manufactured by Ricon Corporation after January 1, 2006. The platform side plate of the affected wheelchair lifts may cr
Risk: If the platform side plates crack, the lift platform can separate from the lift and come to rest against the vehicle's lift door. When the doors are opened, the platform may fall out, increasing the risk of injury to the lift operator.
Fix: Cummings will notify owners to take buses to a Ricon dealer or service center who will install supplemental platform support bumpers. Any platform that has already started cracking will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began January 13, 2015. Owners may contact Cumming's customer service at 1-800-639-5438 or Ricon customer service at 1-800-322-2884. Cumming's number for this recall is 14E-041.
Service bulletins (187)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2025-09-09 · 13598 · Other
new vehicle monitoring programs section in ivh
Unknown Or Other 2025-08-07 · PIC5650M · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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 find diagnostic trouble codes b3055, b3060, b3935, c0750, c0755, c0760, c0765, and/o
Unknown Or Other 2025-07-18 · PIP5601C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from tac.
Unknown Or Other 2025-05-30 · PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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.
Unknown Or Other 2025-05-30 · PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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.
Unknown Or Other 2025-05-30 · PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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.
Showing the 6 most recent of 187 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2024-06-14 · Service Brakes · 86,000 mi“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 fa…”
2017-04-19 · Fuel/Propulsion System · 150,000 mi“fuel tank corrodes and leaks fuel on the highway…”
2016-12-19 · Electrical System · 128,000 mi“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. …”
2016-07-28 · Power Train · 300,000 mi“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 tak…”
2016-06-13 · Tires:tread/Belt · 81,000 mi“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…”
2014-10-10 · Electrical System · 99,000 mi“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 w…”
2014-05-07 · Service Brakes · 52,000 mi“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 proble…”
2013-11-07 · Air Bags · 45,000 mi · 💥 crash“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 t…”
2012-06-04 · Power Train:automatic Transmission · 29,000 mi“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 w…”
2011-04-07 · Tires:valve · 38,000 mi“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 t…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.