U.S. public vehicle records

2008 Van-Con CHEVY: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

24 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

89,911 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2008 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 14 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 15 of 24 complaints (62.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	4	16.7%
Fuel system concerns	1	4.2%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Air Bags

Engine And Engine Cooling

Seat Belts

Vehicle Speed Control

Fuel/Propulsion System

Unknown Or Other

Electrical System

Electronic Stability Control (Esc)

Air Bags: 15; Engine And Engine Cooling: 3; Seat Belts: 3; Vehicle Speed Control: 3; Fuel/Propulsion System: 2; Unknown Or Other: 2; Electrical System: 1; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 3; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 3; 75,000 to 99,999: 2; 100,000 to 149,999: 5; 150,000 and above: 1

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (5). 10 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2011: 1; 2012: 1; 2013: 1; 2014: 2; 2015: 2; 2016: 3; 2017: 9; 2018: 3; 2019: 2

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 4 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Examples from the source records

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10386227 · 2011-03-02 (March 2, 2011)

WHILE DRIVING OVER THE ROCKIES, PULLING A 5TH WHEEL, MY ENGINE BEGAN TO SMOKE BUT NOT HEAT UP. I PULLED OVER, LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND CALLED FOR HELP. THE FINDING WAS THAT THE FAN ASSEMBLY HAD COME LOOSE, BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE OR NEVER PROPERLY TIGHTENED BEARING, SENDING THE FAN FORWARD, DESTROYING THE SCHROUD WHICH THEN PUT A HUGE HOLE IN THE RADIATOR, EMPTYING IT. I OF COURSE NEEDED TO BE TOWED. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THIS IS NOT "UNCOMMON" AN YET THEY HAVE FAILED TO SHOW ME ANY PROOF OR EXPLAIN HOW THIS SHOULD EVER HAPPEN. IF …

Owner-reported narrative. 61,271 miles reported. Look up ODI 10386227 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10442776 · 2012-01-07 (January 7, 2012)

HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH BRAKES SINCE 4/01/09. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 15,045 miles reported. Look up ODI 10442776 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10514459 · 2013-05-31 (May 31, 2013)

I HAVE MANY THINGS GOING ON. IT SURGES FORWARD WHEN I START IT, SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON/OFF. USES OIL AND ANTI-FREEZE. BACK BRAKES MAKES NOISE WHEN I BACKUP, LEAKS WATER THROUGH THE DRIVER DOOR. UNCONTROLABLE ON SNOW. FRONT TIRES ARE WEARING ON THE INSIDE. MY TRACTION CONTROL SEEMS TO BE ACTING UP. I BOUGHT IT WITH 48,000 MILES ON IT, AND IT HAS 53,000 MILES ON IT NOW. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10514459 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10579387 · 2014-04-12 (April 12, 2014)

ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS DON'T WORK ON THE DRIVERS AND REAR DRIVER DOOR. INTERMITTENTLY WORK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. CAR IS UNSAFE FOR MY GRANDCHILDREN. WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET THE DOOR UNLOCKED IN AN EMERGENCY. *JS

Owner-reported narrative. 120,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10579387 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10659507 · 2014-11-19 (November 19, 2014)

HAD CHEVY MANAGER CALL ME TO DISCUSS WHY THEY REPLACED THROTTLE DUE TO HESITATION IN GAS WHEN APPLIED TO GAS PEDAL. I JUST HAD REPLACED A CATALYTIC CONVERTER DUE TO NOT PASSING SMOG. CALLED LOCAL CHEVY DEALER ABOUT THE THROTTLE CAUSING UNNECESSARY WEAR OF MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER. HE ASKED WHY CHEVY DIDN'T REPAIR CATALYTIC CONVERTER AT CHEVY. I CALLED CHEVY AND THEY SAID AT THAT TIME THEY WOULD HAVE TO ORDER IT AND WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET IT IN TILL OVER THE WEEKEND. I WENT FORWARD WITH LOCAL SHOP THAT ACTUALLY HAD ONE. HE PROCEEDED TO TELL ME TH…

Owner-reported narrative. 98,821 miles reported. Look up ODI 10659507 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10703763 · 2015-04-05 (April 5, 2015)

I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOP. THEY SUGGEST REPLACING EGR VALVE AND CLEANING THE THROTTLE BODY. $210 TOTAL AND THEY ARE STILL TELLING ME THAT IT MIGHT FIX THE PROBLEM. I HAVE SEEN HUNDREDS OF POST BUT NO RESOLUTION TO THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT AND ABS LIGHT COMING ON. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 81,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10703763 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10808091 · 2015-12-02 (December 2, 2015)

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE EXPRESSWAY AT 70MPH THE REDUCE ENGINE SPEED MESSAGE CAME ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE SPEED REDUCED TO LESS THAN 50MPH. AT NO OTHER TIME HAVE I RECEIVED THIS WARNING UNTIL I WAS IN A SPEEDING POSITION. REDUCING SPEED WHILE ON AN EXPRESSWAY IS DANGEROUS WHEN IT IS NOT IN THE CONTROL OF THE OPERATOR OF THE CAR. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL TO ALL GM VEHICLES.

Owner-reported narrative. 120,081 miles reported. Look up ODI 10808091 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10824828 · 2016-02-08 (February 8, 2016)

GAS SMELL INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF CAR. READ RECALL 12V459000. THIS INCLUDED 2007 MODELS IN AZ, CA, NV, FL, AND TX. 2008 MODEL ONLY COVERS AZ. IS THIS A LOOP HOLE BY GM CONSIDERING A POSSIBILITY THAT 2008 MODELS MIGHT BE MORE COMMON. I DON'T SEE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN 07-08 GIVEN SAME PARTS WERE PROBABLY USED AND WHY ONLY AZ IN A ONE YEAR MANUFACTURING DIFFERENCE. I KNOW RECALL CONFRONTATION IS NOT GM'S FORTE.

Owner-reported narrative. 119,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10824828 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

10V113000 · Equipment Adaptive/Mobility

Reported: 2010-03-23 (March 23, 2010)

VAN-CON HAS NOTIFIED NHTSA OF A DEFECT IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 HANDICAP SCHOOL BUSES BUILT ON FORD AND CHEVY CHASSIS, FITTED WITH RICON PUBLIC USE LIFTS. THE RESTRAINT BELT ON THESE LIFTS WAS DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE LIFT FROM MOVING, UNLESS THE TONGUE OF THE BELT IS FULLY ENGAGED AND LATCHED IN THE BUCKLE. RICON HAS DISCOVERED, HOWEVER, THAT IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE OPERATOR TO INSERT THE BELT TONGUE INTO THE BUCKLE WITHOUT FULLY ENGAGING THE LATCHING MECHANISM. IN THIS CASE, THE RESTRAINT BELT WOULD APPEAR TO BE LATCHED, AND THE OPERATOR COULD RUN THE LIFT. IF THE RESTRAINT BELT TONGUE IS NOT FULLY ENGAGED INTO THE RESTRAINT BELT BUCKLE, AND LATCHED, THE LIFT MAY OPERATE WITH AN OCCUPANT ON THE PLATFORM.

Consequence: THE USER OF THE LIFT COULD BE INJURED SHOULD THE LIFT MOVE WITHOUT THE RESTRAINT BELT PROPERLY BUCKLED.

Remedy: VAN-CON IS WORKING WITH RICON AND RICON WILL BE HANDLING THE REMEDY FOR THIS CAMPAIGN. PLEASE SEE RICON'S DEFECT REPORT 09E-060. RICON WILL PROVIDE CUSTOMERS WITH A WARNING DECAL AND A DVD-BASED TRAINING AID. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 5, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT RICON CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-322-2884 OR BY EMAIL AT WWW.DMATA@WABTEC.COM.

NHTSA campaign record ↗