RoadVitals

2003 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
40
Latest Nov 8, 2012
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0
1 injuries, 2 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 40 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck, most frequently naming the electrical, brakes and steering categories. 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 11 manufacturer communications are on file.

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

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical1634.8%
  • Brakes1021.7%
  • Steering510.9%
  • Body & structure510.9%
  • Fuel system24.3%
  • Tires & wheels24.3%
  • Transmission12.2%
  • Driver assistance12.2%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

EA04012ClosedEngineering Analysis

HYDRAULIC PUMP FAILRES

Opened Apr 30, 2004
Closed Feb 28, 2005

GM IS CONDUCTING A RECALL ON ALL SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILD BETWEEN MAY 1999 AND OCTOBER 14, 1999.SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE INCORPORATED INTO PRODUCTION IN EARLY OCTOBER 1999, AND VEHICLES BUILT AFTER THAT DATE HAVE LOWER WARRANTY FAILURE RATES.THE COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA APPEAR TO SUPPORT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE CHANGES. GM MADE ADDITIONAL CHANGES IN NOVEMBER 1999, FEBRUARY 2000, MAY 2001, AND FEBRUARY 2004.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS PROBLEM AND WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION, IF WARRANTED, IN THE FUTURE.FOR FURTHER TECHNICAL DETAILS SEE THE ATTACHED ENGINEERING ANALYSIS REPORT.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSISTLed to recall 05V005000

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Fuel system
Filed Nov 8, 2012

I HAD A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEAR LAST WEEK AND BROUGHT THE 2003 SSR FOR SERVICE WEDNESDAY 10-24-12. SERVICE TEAM IDENTIFIED THE ISSUE AS A CRACK IN THE GAS TANK. THE CRACK WAS AT THE FILL AREA WHERE THE PLASTIC NECK CONNECTION GOES INTO THE PLASTIC TANK. YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW SURPRISING THIS WOULD BE AS A CONSUMER AND CHEVY LOYALIST! MY WIFE AND I ARE DRIVING AROUND IN A VEHICLE WITH GAS POTENTIALLY LEAKING ONTO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THANK GOODNESS FOR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT! I'VE OWNED NUMEROUS CHEVYS AND A COUPLE OF GERMAN VEHICLES OVER THE YEARS, NEVER WITH ANY FAILURE OF THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE DEALERSHIP IS HOLDING THE TANK FOR INSPECTION. IN DOING A BIT OF RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT THIS IS NOT NEW NEWS TO GM. IN FACT, THERE WAS A FIRE SAFETY RECALL OF TRAILBLAZERS IN 2004 WITH THIS EXACT DEFECT. DISAPPOINTLY, THIS RECALL DID NOT INCLUDE THE 2003 SSR WHICH IS MOUNTED ON A TRAILBLAZER FRAME USING A TANK THAT APPEARS A DUPLICATE TO THE TANK ISSUE IN THE TRAILBLAZER RECALL. (FYI, MY SSR WAS DELIVERED LATE 2003, SO I ASSUME 2004 TRAILBLAZER TANKS FOUND THEIR WAY INTO THE FIRST SSR PRODUCTION.) ADDITIONAL GM RECALLS OF PLASTIC TANK PARTS ARE ALSO RECENT HISTORY IN WARM-WEATHER STATES ON THE COLBALT, G5, AND THE EQUINOX. MY 2003 'SLINGSHOT' YELLOW SSR HAS 31,000 MILES, ALWAYS SERVICED AT VAN IN SCOTTSDALE. SHE HAS NEVER BEEN OFF ROAD, ONLY SEEING PAVEMENT. ADDITIONALLY, SHE HAS HAD NO ACCIDENTS OR REPAIRS; JUST SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE AT VAN CHEVY IN SCOTTSDALE AZ SINCE SHE WAS BORN. THERE SEEMS TO ME NO REASON THIS FAILURE WOULD OCCUR OTHER THAN A DEFECT IN DESIGN OR WORKMANSHIP. *TR

NHTSA ID
10483748
Incident
Oct 15, 2012
Mileage
31,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Sep 26, 2012

THE BRAKE LINES ARE RUSTED OUT CAUSING THEM TO FAIL IN TWO DIFFERENT SPOTS IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS. THIS IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT USING THIS TYPE OF METAL ON THIS PART. *TR

NHTSA ID
10477216
Incident
Sep 26, 2012
Mileage
86,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Jul 6, 2012

HOOKED UP MY TRAILER TO THE 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO AND DROVE TO THE GAS STATION AND DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, NO BRAKES. I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE NOT BEEN ON THE FREEWAY LIKE THE DAY BEFORE WHEN MY WIFE AND I DROVE 20 MILES DOING 70 MPR, WOW WE COULD BE DEAD RIGHT NOW. IM WITHOUT A TRANSPORTATION AND THE DEALER WANTS 2000.00 AND ANOTHER WANTS 3000.00 TO FIX IT. THE WAY THE BRAKE LINE ARE DESIGNED MAKES IT VERY HARD TO FIX, BUT FOR THE BRAKES TO GO OUT WITHOUT A SAFETY BACK UP SYSTEM IS NUTS. I HAVE A 1970 CAR THAT THE BRAKE LINES HAVE NO RUST!! THIS IS A LIFE OR DEAF ISSUE SOMEONE IS GOING TO DIE. EVEN AFTER I FIX THIS TRUCK I'LL BE SCARED TO DRIVE IT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10464499
Incident
Jul 5, 2012
Mileage
115,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Apr 7, 2011

BRAKE LINE BURSTED, NO BRAKES, LINES CORRODED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10395133
Incident
Apr 6, 2011
Mileage
54,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Aug 11, 2010

2003 CHEVY SS TRUCK, ALL WHEEL DRIVE, BRAKES ARE THE PROBLEM. SOMETIMES GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR BEFORE STOPPING HAVE HAD IT TO CHEVY DEALER AND OTHER PLACES. CANNOT FIX. HAVE SPENT $ TRYING. FEEL IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. CHEVY SAYS NOTHING WRONG. THE BRAKES ARE NOT RIGHT. DON'T WANT TO WAIT FOR AN ACCIDENT TO REPORT THIS. I BOUGHT THE TRUCK NEW IN 2003. IT HAS 88,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10348857
Incident
Jul 15, 2010
Mileage
88,000 mi
BrakesElectricalSteering
Filed Jul 26, 2010

I PURCHASED CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 EXTENDER CAB NEW IN JUNE 2003. I HAVE APPROX. 165,000 MILES ON VEHICLE, THE DISC BRAKES ( ALL 4 WHEELS ) HAVE BEEN CHANGED 1 TIME AT ABOUT 110,000 MILES. EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD LIFE FOR BRAKE PADS ( THEY WERE STILL NOT WORN COMPLETELY OUT ) I HAVE NOW BEEN EXPERIENCING A BRAKE PEDAL FLUTTER/ SIGNIFICANT PULSATING JUST BEFORE VEHICLE COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP. EXISTING DEALER PADS ON VEHICLE ARE ABOUT 1/2 LIFE ACCORDING TO SERVICE TECH. GM TECH. "GUESSED" AT CAUSE LISTING 4 DIFFERENT POSSIBILITY'S FROM CORRODED LINES TO BOOSTER PRESSURE TO CALIBER FAILURE. NO INCIDENT AS OF YET. ALSO SIMILAR PROBLEMS LISTED WITH SPEEDOMETER AND GAUGES FORTUNATELY MINE EVENTUALLY RETURNED TO NORMAL AFTER ABOUT A WEEK. ALSO STEERING ASSIST CYLINDER WAS REPLACED BY DEALER FOR DEFECT THEN ISSUE WAS TURNED INTO PERIODIC MAINT. ITEM WHEN PROBLEM RETURNED AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10345216
Incident
Jun 10, 2010
Mileage
160,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Dec 28, 2009

SPEED ODOMETER, FUEL GAUGE ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGES WILL NOT WORK FUEL GAUGE IS STUCK AT 1/2 A TANK OF FUEL, TEMPERATURE GAUGE WILL NOT READ PROPER TEMPERATURE. SPEED ODOMETER WILL READ 100MPH OR MORE WHILE STOPPED THIS PROBLEM STARTED TWO WEEKS AGO AND WHEN I RECEIVED A SERVICE LETTER FROM GM THE TRUCK WAS ALREADY PASS THE EXTENDED MILE WARRANTY THAT WAS DECIDED IN THE CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT. I AM THE 1ST OWNER OF THE TRUCK. I CALLED GM AND THEY SAID THAT BASICALLY TOO BAD I AM OVER THE 80K MILEAGE AGREED TO IN THE LAW SUIT WITH THE US GOVERNMENT I HAVE NO WAY OF TELLING HOW MUCH FUEL I HAVE ON TRIPS, HOW FAST I AM DRIVING AND IF MY ENGINE IS OVER HEATING AS I AM DRIVING, GM HAS BEEN NO HELP IN FIXING A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT THEY RECEIVED MONEY FROM DELPHI OVER THE BAD AFFECTED PARTS. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM!!!!!! *TR

NHTSA ID
10297251
Incident
Dec 14, 2009
Mileage
102,358 mi
Body & structure
Filed Nov 7, 2009

DEFECTIVE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLES ON A CHEVY TRUCK/CAB ON MY RV. THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLES HAVE A POOR AND WEAK DESIGN. THEY ARE HELD ONTO THE DOORS BY SMALL PLASTIC PINS THAT BROKE OFF EASILY. THEY SHOULD HAVE A METAL SCREW THAT WOULD HOLD THEM MORE SECURELY TO THE DOOR BACK. MY CHEVY IS NOT THAT OLD FOR THIS TO HAPPEN AND IT IS CLEARLY A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN. PART # 12479875 - LEFT DOOR HANDLE PART # 12479876 - RIGHT DOOR HANDLE BOTH HANDLES BROKE OFF THE DOORS HELD ONLY BY SMALL PLASTIC PINS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10291309
Incident
May 10, 2009
Mileage
66,128 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

PIT-3749D

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

GM: ON SOME TRUCK MODELS THERE IS SOME FRAME CORROSION. *RM UPDATED ON 5/2/2012. *KB

SB-10-08-50-003B

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT

GENERAL MOTORS: INFORMATION PROVIDED BY BULLETIN FOR ALL 2012 AND PRIOR GENERAL MOTOR TRUCKS AND PASSENGER VEHICLES REGARDING THE ADJUSTABLE COMFORT AND CUSTOM UPHOLSTERY OF THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER HEAD RESTRAINT. *PE

063003

TIRES

REPLACEMENT OF FACTORY-EQUIPPED TIRES WITH LT RATED TIRES. FULL-SIZE 1500 SERIES UTILITY TRUCKS. *TT

050703

INTERIOR LIGHTING

NEW TECH LINE SOFTWARE AVAILABLE TO REDUCE INDICATOR BULB ILLUMINATION BY 65% DUE TO REPORTS THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HIGHBEAM INDICATOR IS TOO BRIGHT. 2003 CHEVROLET, GMC AND CADILLAC FULL-SIZE PICK-UP AND UTILITY TRUCKS. *TT

032703

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN

ENGINE FAN RUBBING NOISE DURING TURNS, MORE COMMONLY FOUND ON LEFT TURNS ON 2003 ST PICK-UPS AND CLASS STYLE UTILITIES. *TT *JB

031803

STEERING

A CLUNK NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD THAT ALSO CAN BE FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL. *TT *JB

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2003Viewing400137.2
2002370134.5
2001210142.5
2000190137.2
1999351036.2
1998331040.6
1997481145.9
1996491348.9
1995531144.4
1994351140.7
1993130243.7
1992130141.9
1991130142.5
1990110138.8
1989140044.0
1988150041.2
1987402
1986412
1985512
1984302
1983102
1982102
1981202
1980123
1979232
1978232
1977412
1976202
1975002
1974212
1973002
1972200
1970010
1967010
1966010
1965010
1964010
1963010
1962210
1961010
1960010

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.