SAFETY | 6 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
Five stars, front impact protection; three stars, rollover resistance
NHTSA
12 or 15 occupant configurations also include electronic stability system
Cars.com
big glass side panels make it easy to see what's around you
Kelley Blue Book
The 2008 Chevrolet Express provides reasonable, if not outstanding safety for its occupants.
Car and Driver reports "dual front airbags, curtain side-impact airbags for the first three rows, three-point seatbelts for all positions, stability control, anti-lock brakes, and traction control are standard across the Chevrolet Express [2008] lineup." Cars.com also had positive things to say, as noted by TheCarConnection.com's team of experts. Large passenger vans such as the 2008 Chevrolet Express have long been notorious for top-heaviness and instability, but this 2008 Chevy Express "12 or 15 occupant configurations also include an electronic stability system with rollover mitigation, a feature General Motors added in recent years in response to criticism about rollover risk."
Nonetheless, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the Chevrolet Express only a middling score for rollover resistance: three stars. Front impact protection, however, is an area of strength; the 2008 Chevy Express received five stars in that category. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has not tested the 2008 Express.
As far as 2008 Chevy Express safety equipment is concerned, "all models have four-wheel antilock disc brakes standard," according to Edmunds, which also reports that different 2008 Chevy Express trim levels offer different types of safety equipment: "3500 models use a manual airbag deactivation switch for the front passenger. A stability control system is standard on the 3500 but not available on the 1500."
Visibility is definitely not an issue with the 2008 Chevrolet Express, according to Kelley Blue Book; the Chevrolet Express 2008's "big glass side panels make it easy to see what's around you."
Conclusion
The 2008 Chevrolet Express is still top-heavy, but less prone to rollovers than before.
