RoadVitals

2003 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest Aug 17, 2017
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
6%
of 182 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming driver-assistance

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Aug 17, 2017

INSTRUMENT PANEL HAS STOPPED WORKING. NONE OF THE GAUGES WORK. START VEHICLE NO GAUGES MOVE. DRIVE AND NO GAUGES MOVE, INCLUDING SPEEDOMETER

NHTSA ID
11015926
Incident
Aug 16, 2017
Mileage
150,000 mi
Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Jul 30, 2014

ENGINE LIGHT AND REDUCE ENGINE POWER AND START LOOSING SPEED. AFTER TURNED OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES WORK FINE. THIS YEAR IN AN HOUR RIDE HAVE TO STOP AT LEAST 20 TIMES. COMPUTER CODES STATED NEED TO CHANGE THROTTLE BODY. LAST WEEK I CHANGE IT AND AGAIN THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10617683
Incident
Jul 20, 2013
Mileage
101,300 mi
AirbagsDriver assistanceElectrical
Filed Mar 28, 2014

KEY IGNITION SWITCH IS LOOSE AND CAR WILL SHUT OFF WHILE OPERATING, KEY CAN BE PULLED OUT OF IGNITION WHILE RUNNING. IF VEHICLE SHUTS OFF WHILE OPERATING THEN YOU LOOSE CONTROL OF BRAKES, STEERING, AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. GM IS DENYING THERE IS A PROBLEM. MY VEHICLE IS PROOF THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTS AND THE CHEVY AVALANCHE 2003 HAS A PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10575443
Incident
May 11, 2006
Mileage
78,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Mar 12, 2014

I BELIEVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE GM KEY/IGNITION SWITCH IS MORE COMMON THEN WHAT IS BEING REPORTED. THE AVALANCHE 2003 HAS HAD THE SAME LOOSE IGNITION SWITCH FOR YEARS. OUR KEY SYSTEM HAS TO BE JIGGLED AND FORCED TO THE START POSITION 80 PERCENT OF THE TIME. THE IGNITION SWITCH WILL ALSO MOVE THE OFF POSITION WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING AND THE KEY WILL FALL OUT.

NHTSA ID
10568754
Incident
Mar 31, 2010
Mileage
93,000 mi
Body & structureBrakesDriver assistance
Filed Mar 20, 2013
Crash reported

THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A 2-WAY STOP. UPON TURNING RIGHT, MY FOOT WENT FROM THE BRAKE TO THE GAS PEDAL AND GOT HOOKED ON A PIECE OF METAL EXTENDING FROM THE ARM OF THE ACCELERATOR. THIS CAUSED MY FOOT TO BE TRAPPED BELOW THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT ATTACHED TO THE GAS PEDAL. THE VEHICLE SPUN BACK AND FORTH WHILE TRYING TO GET MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR. I HIT A TRUCK COMING FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM WHICH I WAS TURNING PINNING IT TO THE GUARD RAIL. ALTHOUGH BOTH TRUCKS HAD STOPPED, THE TIRES ON MY TRUCK WERE STILL SPINNING BECAUSE MY FOOT WAS STILL HOOKED ON THE ACCELERATOR AND WEDGE BELOW THE BRAKE PEDAL. ONLY AFTER I TURNED THE KEY OFF COULD I PUT THE TRUCK IN PARK. IN ORDER TO GET OUT OF MY TRUCK I HAD TO UNLACE MY SHOE AND PULL MY FOOT OUT, THEN PRY IT OFF THE SIDE OF THE ACCELERATOR, LEAVING A HOLE IN THE SIDE OF MY SHOE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10503759
Incident
Sep 26, 2012
Mileage
114,916 mi
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Apr 26, 2010

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER SEEMED TO BE DEFECTIVE. THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED PERIODICALLY WHICH CAUSED THE CRUISE CONTROL TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED BUT THE DEALER, WHEN CALLED, STATED THAT THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY REPAIR EXPENSES. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 155,000.

NHTSA ID
10327631
Incident
Jul 1, 2009
Mileage
130,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 13, 2008

LAST YEAR IN MY 2003 AVALANCHE I WAS CRUISING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND I NOTICED MY SPEEDOMETER START TO MOVE BACKWARDS UNTIL IT READ ABOUT 25 MPH, HOWEVER, I WASN'T SLOWING DOWN. IT WAS VERY CONCERNING TO ME, SO I FIRST PULLED OVER TO LOOK UNDER THE HOOD, BUT I FOUND NOTHING. CURRENTLY THE SPEEDO DOES NOT OPERATE AT ALL, BUT I WENT THROUGH A FEW MONTHS WHERE IT WOULD START TO WORK PARTIALLY AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR OF DRIVING. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY THIS PART WAS SUPPLIED BY GM IN LARGE NUMBERS OF FAULTY PARTS, AND REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE I BELIEVE I SHOULD BE COMPENSATED TO FIX THE SPEEDO. I HAD NO MAINTENANCE CONTROL OVER THE LIFE OF THE ELECTRONICS, AND IT'S NOT LIKE IF I HAD CHANGED THE OIL MORE REGULARLY I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. CHEVY'S ARE TOO GOOD OF TRUCKS TO HAVE THIS KIND OF PROBLEM ON SO MANY OF THEIR TRUCKS. I'M SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING MOVING BACK TO A FORD TRUCK BECAUSE I OWNED A '95 BRONCO THAT HAD 248K MILES AND NEVER HAD AN ELECTRONIC PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10248693
Incident
Feb 20, 2008
Mileage
106,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed May 11, 2007

I HAVE A 2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE THAT WAS PURCHASED NEW IN JANUARY 2003. IT CURRENTLY HAS 110,000 MILES ON IT, BUT SINCE ABOUT 40,000 MILES THE SPEEDOMETER HAS BEEN ACTING UP. IT IS REAL JERKY WHEN MOVING AND STICKS ON SPEEDS. CURRENTLY, IT IS PARKED AND ON 100. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL WORK CORRECTLY - SOMETIMES IT DOES. *AK

NHTSA ID
10190529
Incident
May 11, 2007
Driver assistance
Filed Mar 9, 2007

TL* - THE CONTACT CALLED REGARDING THE 2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS FAULTY. HE WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH AND WITHOUT ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE THE SPEEDOMETER WENT TO 120 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF THE SPEEDOMETER REMAINED AT 40 MPH. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CHEVROLET DEALER , AND THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AS NEEDING A NEW SPEEDOMETER CLUSTER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45000.*AK

NHTSA ID
10184632
Incident
Oct 1, 2006
Mileage
40,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Dec 12, 2006

STARTED TO NOTICE A TWITCH IN THE SPEEDOMETER READING ABOUT A MONTH AGO. PROGRESSIVELY BECAME WORSE TO THE POINT THAT IT READS FASTER AND FASTER AND DOES NOT GO BACK DOWN TO ZERO. NOW IT IS PRESENTLY STUCK PAST 140 MPH. *JB

NHTSA ID
10175896
Incident
Nov 24, 2006
Mileage
71,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 4, 2006

I HAVE BEEN HAVING ERRONEOUS SPEEDOMETER PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS NOW. THE SPEEDOMETER HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN. IT WILL BE WORKING FINE, AND THEN GO ERRONEOUS. IT WILL GET STUCK AT 60 MPH OR HIGHER. SOMETIMES IT IS EVEN 120! THIS SEEMS TO OCCUR MORE WHEN IT IS RAINING. I HAVE FOUND THAT IF I REMOVE THE NEGATIVE TERMINAL FROM THE BATTERY AND RESET THE COMPUTER, IT BEGINS WORKING AGAIN. I NEVER KNOW HOW FAST I AM GOING WHICH CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. *JB

NHTSA ID
10161366
Incident
Jun 30, 2006

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .