RoadVitals

2003 Chevrolet Express 1500 Fuel system Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Fuel system 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.
9
Latest Dec 21, 2015
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.
50%
of 18 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.
0
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 fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Chevrolet Express 1500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 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 fuel system

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

Fuel system
Filed Dec 21, 2015

CORRODED AND LEAKING FUEL FILLER NECK. FOOLISH DESIGN INVOLVING DISSIMILAR METALS HELD IN CONTACT AND SURROUNDED WITH A CONDUIT WHICH HOLDS WATER AND ROAD SALT. DESIGN IS DESTINED FOR FAILURE. GM HAS A PARTIAL RECALL FOR THE SNOW BELT. SUCH A FOOLISH DESIGN SHOULD BE FIXED EVERYWHERE AS IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL FAILURE.

NHTSA ID
10811420
Incident
Dec 21, 2015
Mileage
124,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Aug 26, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500 VAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN FUELING THE VEHICLE, FUEL SPRAYED FROM THE FILLER NECK. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT FUEL FILLER PIPE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000.

NHTSA ID
10628404
Incident
Jul 1, 2014
Mileage
107,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Jan 17, 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN AND THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE RETURN AND DELIVERY FUEL LINES WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 148,000.

NHTSA ID
10493335
Incident
Nov 15, 2012
Mileage
148,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed May 22, 2012

ON A FEW OCCASIONS PRIOR TO LOCATING A LEAK, I NOTICED A GASOLINE SMELL. FINALLY WHEN FILLING EARLIER THIS MONTH, I SAW A LOT OF LEAKING COMING OUT OF THE FUEL FILLER TUBE, BETWEEN THE METAL TUBE AND THE PLASTIC COVER SURROUNDING THE TUBE. WHEN I GOT HOME, I CUT OFF THE PLASTIC TUBE ABOUT HALFWAY AND FOUND A STATIC WIRE RUNNING THE LENGTH OF THE TUBE. EVERYWHERE, WHERE THIS WIRE TOUCHED TO METAL PIPE, IT WAS CORRODED COMPLETELY THROUGH. THE STATIC WIRE IS OF A DIFFERENT MATERIAL AND WAS NOT CORRODED. PRESENTLY I HAVE WRAPPED THE TUBE WITH A GASOLINE RESISTANT TAPE. BUT, I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE TUBE SOON. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP HAS QUOTED APPROX. $241.00 WITHOUT INSTALLATION. ARE THERE OTHER INSTANCES LIKE THIS AND IS THERE A RECALL I'M NOT AWARE OF. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

NHTSA ID
10459328
Incident
May 1, 2012
Mileage
162,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Apr 1, 2012

FOR SOMETIME, THERE WAS A SMELL OF GASOLINE WHEN FILLING THIS VAN, WHICH I JUST ATTRIBUTED TO A VAPOR RELEASE WHEN THE TANK WAS FULL. RECENTLY, I NOTICE GAS LEAKING UNDER THE VAN WHEN FILLING AT THE GAS STATION. THE GAS LEAKS IN AND AROUND THE BRAKE LINES. THIS VAN IS A 2003 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500 WITH LEFT HAND DOOR OPTION. THIS IS MY FAMILY VEHICLE AND IN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM FURTHER, I UNDERSTAND IT TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM AND A DESIGN FLAW, WHERE THE FUEL FILL HOSE RUSTS. THIS NEEDS A RECALL WITH IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10453725
Incident
Mar 31, 2012
Fuel system
Filed Jan 30, 2012

I WAS REFUELING MY VAN AND GAS STARTED POURING OUT FROM THE BOTTOM. AFTER LOOKING I DISCOVERED THE FUEL FILLER NECK WAS RUSTED THRU. THE VAN ONLY HAS 64K MILES. I REPLACED IT MYSELF AT THIS TIME. THERE WAS NO COLLISION DAMAGE....SIMPLY HEAVY CORROSION. *TT

NHTSA ID
10445925
Incident
Jan 19, 2012
Fuel system
Filed Jan 9, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER REFUELING, HE NOTICED AN OVERPOWERING FUEL ODOR. THE CONTACT FURTHER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING AND RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER AND THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE GASOLINE FILLER TUBE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 64,000. UPDATED 02/13/12

NHTSA ID
10443143
Incident
Sep 1, 2011
Mileage
64,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Jul 17, 2011

GAS FILLER TUBE RUSTED THROUGH AND GASOLINE LEAKED EVERY TIME I REFUELED. THIS WAS NOT A SMALL HOLE. THE METAL ON THE WHOLE TUBE BROKE DOWN CAUSING FUEL TO LEAK AND CREATING A FIRE HAZARD. UPDATED 08/11/11 *BF UPDATED 3/08/2012 *LN *TR

NHTSA ID
10413214
Incident
Jul 10, 2010
Mileage
63,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Sep 3, 2010

FUEL LEAKING FROM FUEL TANK FILLER TUBE WHEN FILLING GAS TANK. *TR

NHTSA ID
10353717
Incident
Sep 3, 2010
Mileage
92,464 mi

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.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .