2008 Hummer H3 problems
NHTSA has received 154 complaints about the 2008 Hummer H3, and 22% of them involve electrical system. After that come wipers, windshield & visibility (18%) and engine (14%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 154 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 22% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 4 and 8
- Injuries and deaths
- 5 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 78,000 miles 120 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 12 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 9 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 17 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 23 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 23 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 16 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 7 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 7 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 6 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 120 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 78,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 80,000 miles (29 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 4 complaints mention a crash; 8 complaints mention a fire; 5 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2008 ranks 3rd most-complained-about out of 4 model years of the Hummer H3 with enough data (51 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
I was driving in very thick fog which was a white out. I was going through a turn and was lost in the fog quickly and I ended up off the side of the road struck a speed limit sign and a utility pole on my drivers side door because I seen it at the last moment and tried to avoid hitting it. But at the point of impact my driver side airbag never deployed at all causing me to suffer numerous broken ribs and loss of work for over 2 months time.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 hummer h3. While stopped, both front side air bags deployed; the driver was injured as a result. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop but the failure could not be diagnosed. The air bags were repaired. The failure mileage was 28,329 and the current mileage was approximately 30,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 hummer h3. The contact stated that when driving the vehicle at any speed and utilizing the air conditioner, smoke would emit from under the hood and caused the contact to have trouble breathing. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The vehicle was not taken for inspection or repairs. The VIN was not available. The failure and the current mileage was 44,000.
2008 hummer h3 alpha with factory tow package trailer routed between sharp body panel and bumper causing vehicle motion to rub the wires. The exposed wires short to the body and cause high current melting interior wiring. This problem has been imntermittent for about 1 year and have had GM dealer troubleshoot the failure of trailer brakes and lights with no solution. I discovered problem by removing rear bumper. Problem can be avoided by shielding wiring and smoothing the sharp metal edges it crosses.
The contact owns a 2008 Hummer H3. The contact stated that the vehicle intermittently failed to start up without warning. The contact stated that after waiting ten minutes the vehicle started. The contact stated that recently the failure had become more frequent. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.