Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 695 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–25 of 695 · page 1 of 28
WHILE ROUTINELY DRIVING MY 03 CHEV SILVERADO TRUCK, THE BRAKES FAILED. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY STOP AND MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE, I LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND SAW BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM ONE OF THE BRAKE LINES WHICH HAD FAILED DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION. AS A RETIRED POLICE OFFICER, I HAVE EXCELLENT DRIVING SKILLS WHICH HELPED ME TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED!
SIGNIFICANT CORROSION OF THE FUEL (GASOLINE) LINES CAUSING LEAK AND POSSIBLE SAFETY HAZARD (FIRE). SEVERAL FORUMS REPORT BRAKE AND FUEL LINE PREMATURE FAILURE DUE TO CORROSION. GM NOT ADDRESSING THIS KNOWN PROBLEM.
BRAKE LINES, GAS LINE, TRANSMISSION FLUID LINES ALL RUSTED/CORRODED BEGINNING AT UNDER 50,000 MILES. * HAD NEAR ACCIDENTS AS THE BRAKE LINES BLEW WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AND WAS DECELERATING IN AN ATTEMPT TO COME TO A STOP..PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, I CONTINUED ON (FOOT OFF THE GAS) UNTIL THE TRUCK SLOWED DOWN ENOUGH ON IT'S OWN, SHIFTED INTO LOW GEAR & WAS ABLE TO COME TO A STOP AND GET TOWED. * SHORTLY AFTER BRAKE LINE INCIDENT, THE SAME THING WITH THE GAS LINE, RUSTED/CORRODED AND LEAKED GASOLINE WHEN IGNITION WAS ON AND PUMP WAS RUNNING... TOWED * A FEW ,MONTHS LATER, I WAS PARKING THE TRUCK AND FLUID STARTED SPEWING FROM UNDER THE TRUCK - AFTER CLOSE EXAMINATION I DETERMINED IT WAS TRANSMISSION FLUID, THE LINES HAD RUSTED/CORRODED - AGAIN,TOWED. * REAR BUMPER ROTTED OUT COMPLETELY BEFORE HITTING 35,000 MILES- I HAD IT REPLACED, NOW THE WHEELS AND SIDE QUARTER PANELS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN ARE ALSO ROTTING OUT. * CURRENTLY THE DASH LIGHTS/PANEL WILL INTERMITTENTLY BEGIN TO FLASH - THE WHOLE DASH GOES BLANK, LIGHTS OFF, THEN THEY COME BACK ON, WHILE DRIVING! **MY MECHANIC RECENTLY TOLD ME AFTER STATE INSPECTION, THAT THE FRAME IS THE NEXT THING TO GO, IT IS RUSTING OUT MORE THAN EXPECTED FOR A VEHICLE OF IT'S AGE/LOW MILEAGE. PERSONALLY, I FEEL THAT INFERIOR PRODUCTS WERE USED WHEN THE TRUCK WAS MANUFACTURED ONLY BECAUSE I HAVE ANOTHER CHEVROLET PRODUCT WITH TWICE THE MILEAGE AND 6 YEARS OLDER WITH BARELY ANY RUST/ROT/CORROSION.
FRONT BRAKE LINES RUSTED THROUGH AND SPILLED BRAKE FLUID WHILE MOVING AT SLOW SPEED. HAD FRONT BRAKE LINES REPLACED. SIX MONTHS OR SO LATER, REAR BRAKE LINES RUSTED THROUGH AND SPILLED BRAKE FLUID WHILE MOVING AT SLOW SPEED. HAD REAR BRAKE LINES REPLACED. ABS IS NOW CONTAMINATED AND IS CAUSING STOP TIME DELAY, ESPECIALLY AT HIGH SPEED. ALMOST CRASHED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHERE MY HEART DROPPED TO MY STOMACH. DECIDED NOT TO DRIVE TRUCK ANYMORE UNTIL I CAN REPLACE THE ENTIRE BRAKE SYSTEM WITH RUST FREE COMPONENTS.
WHILE DRIVING, THE HEATER BLOWER STOPPED WORKING AND I SMELLED BURNING PLASTIC OR INSULATION. I PULLED OVER AND FIGURED OUT IT WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE DASH. LOGICALLY I PULLED THE BOTTOM COVER OFF FROM BELOW THE BLOWER ASSY.(FORMER MECHANIC). SMELL WAS COMING FROM PLUG HARNESS AND RELAY. MELTED WIRE INSULATION AND MELTED PLASTIC FROM PLUG HARNESS(OBVIOUS SHORT). I WAS NEAR AN AUTO PARTS STORE AND CHECKED TO SEE IF THEY HAD THIS WIRING PLUG ASSY. AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY DID AND THIS WAS AN ISSUE THAT GM HAD AND THERE HAD BEEN A SAFETY RECALL ON THIS. IT'S WINTER AND I NEEDED A DEFROSTER! ROADSIDE FIX, BUT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. CONTACTED GM AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM BECAUSE THE VIN NUMBER WASN'T PART OF THEIR RECALL. GM CASE # 8-174060432. NOT DROPPING THIS, THIS COULD HAVE GOTTEN WORSE.
BRAKE LINE RUPTURE.
THE FRONT TO REAR BRAKES CORRODED TO THE POINT WHERE THEY BLEW OUT WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY.
ON OCTOBER 22,2015 WHILE DRIVEING ON INTERSTATE 75 THE FUEL PUMP STOPPED FUNCTIONING AND RESULTING IN A NEAR DISASTEROUS SITUATION.RESULTS $751.81 REPAIR COST PLUS TOW. THEN ONE WEEK LATER,OCTOBER 29 2015 AT WILMINGTON PIKE AND INERTSTATE 675 RED LIGHT MY BRAKE LINES BURST AND I NARROWLY AVOIDED A WRECK. REPAIR COST $870.17 .I WAS NOT NOTEAFIDE OF ANY RECALL. SO BE FAIR WARNING IF I HAD KNOWN OR BEEN I WOULD HAVE FIXED IT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE ABS, CHECK ENGINE, AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE FAILURES RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED, BUT A FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
THIS IS THE SECOND OF THREE FATAL COLLISIONS INVESTIGATED THIS YEAR BY MY OFFICE INVOLVING CHEVROLET PICKUPS THAT CAUGHT FIRE AFTER BEING INVOLVED IN FRONTAL COLLISIONS. THIS WAS AN OFF SET HEAD ON, PASSENGER SIDE TO PASSENGER SIDE. PASSENGER IN PICKUP WAS PINNED IN VEHICLE DUE TO CRUSH AND CONSUMED BY FIRE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS USED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING ABOVE THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINE OVER THE FUEL TANK RUPTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.
CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. CONTACTED STATED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED IN A PANIC SITUATION AND THE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR BOARD. *BF
CONTACT OWN A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO, WHILEDRIVING ATAPPROXIMATED 55 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDALWAS DEPRESSED IN A PANIC SIITUATION AND THE PEDALWENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR BOARD. 8BF
MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON A LOCAL HIGHWAY WHEN HE NEEDED TO BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN FOR A VEHICLE WHO TURNED ON UP AHEAD WHEN THE BRAKE LINE BLEW. PEDAL IMMEDIATELY WENT SOFT. HE BARELY AVOIDED COLLISION AND HAD TO PULL OFF INTO A NEARBY CHURCH PARKING LOT. NOW WE ARE OUT THE EXPENSE OF HAVING THE BRAKE LINES REPLACED. THE RUST ISSUE, WHICH HAS BEEN COMPLAINED ABOUT IN ALL OF THE OTHERS, IS THE SAME HERE THAT LED TO THIS. THOUGH IT HAS HIGH MILEAGE, THE TRUCK HAS BEEN VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF AS IT IS A REGENCY EDITION SILVERADO.
THE GAUGE CLUSTER IS ALWAYS DRAWING POWER. BATTERY GOES DEAD IF I DO NOT DRIVE THE VEHICAL FOR ONE DAY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND STUCK TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP BY ENGAGING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LINES CORRODED, CAUSING THE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK. AS A RESULT, THE BRAKE LINE AND THE MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DIMMED AND PREVENTED THE CONTACT FROM READING ANY OF THE GAUGES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL CONNECTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154,289.
BRAKE LINE BURST AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. AT ONLY 15 MPH I HAD SOME STOPPING POWER BY PUMPING BRAKE PEDAL AND GOT THE TRUCK STOPPED. THANKFULLY, I HAVE A VERY LONG DRIVEWAY AND WAS STILL ON MY PROPERTY. I WAS PULLING A HEAVY TRAILER AND DO NOT WANT TO IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WITH TRAFFIC AND AT A GREATER SPEED. I INSPECTED THE BRAKE LINES AND NOTICED THEY WERE ALL BADLY CORRODED. I AM HAVING ALL BRAKE LINES REPLACED TOMORROW. I SEE NO RECALL NOTICE AND HAVE SINCE READ ABOUT OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I AM 66 YEARS OLD AND HAVE HAD ONE BRAKE LINE FAILURE MANY YEARS AGO ON A 1963 PLYMOUTH WITH VERY HIGH MILEAGE. THIS TRUCK HAS JUST OVER 50 THOUSAND MILES. I WAS SHOCKED AT THE CONDITION OF THESE BRAKE LINES. WITHOUT COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE LINES I DO NOT CONSIDER THIS VEHICLE SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR
I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP AND ROTOR BUG OFTEN DUE TO CORROSION AFTER LESS THAN 1000 MILES. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. THE DEALERSHIP INSTALLED COVER OVER THE AC LINE AND THAT HAD LITTLE EFFECT. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURE FLAW. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 227,792.
WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY DROPPED TO FLOOR AND BRAKES FAILED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT AND ALL FOUR BRAKES FAILED. FORTUNATELY, THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. TESTING THE BRAKES, I FOUND THERE WAS A LITTLE BRAKING CAPABILITY, BUT VERY LITTLE. I HAVE SINCE FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED THROUGH AND THE BRAKE FLUID SPRAYS OUT THE LINE BELOW THE DRIVER'S DOOR HINGE. A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH SHOWED THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM, BUT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE RISK. THANK GOODNESS IT DIDN'T HAPPEN ON THE FREEWAY! THIS VEHICLE HAS SPENT MOST OF ITS LIFE IN OHIO. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, ALL THE GAUGES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SEIZED. THE CONTACT HAD TO MANEUVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AFTER FIVE MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.
MY WIFE AND I GOT INTO THE VEHICLE TO GO SOMEWHERE AND AS WE STARTED TO MOVE I TRIED TO STOP AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. I APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO STOP. I RETURNED TO MY DRIVEWAY USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I CHECKED AND FOUND THAT I HAD NO BRAKE FLUID. I GOT UNDER MY TRUCK AND FOUND THAT MY BRAKE LINES ARE CORRODED AND ONE HAD A SEVERE LEAK. I RESEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE SIMILAR INCIDENTS WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN CRASHES. I HAVE TALKED WITH A CHEVROLET REP AND I WAS TOLD THAT THEY DO NOT CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE. ALTHOUGH THEY KNOW OF THIS PROBLEM THEY DO NOT PLAN A RECALL. SOMEONE EVIDENTLY HAS TO DIE BEFORE IT BECOMES A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
ON JANUARY 20, 2015, THE BRAKES ON MY CHEVROLET SILVERADO FAILED. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO MAKE A NORMAL TURN, ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET AROUND THE CORNER FROM MY HOUSE, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR. I WAS EXTREMELY FORTUNATE THAT NO CARS WERE COMING THE OTHER WAY & I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE TRUCK OUT OF HARMS WAY UNTIL I CAME TO A SAFE STOP. I NOTICED A TRAIL OF LIQUID ON THE GROUND & ALSO DRIPPING FROM UNDER MY TRUCK. THE LIQUID COMING FROM THE TRUCK WAS BRAKE FLUID. A LATER CHECK PROVED THE BAKE FLUID WELL WAS EMPTY. OBVIOUSLY THE BRAKE FLUID THAT WAS IN THE RESERVOIR WAS NOW ON THE GROUND CAUSING THE VEHICLE INOPERABLE. WELL IT WAS OPERABLE, IT WAS ALL GOOD TO GO. STOPPING THE VEHICLE WAS ANOTHER MATTER. THANK GOODNESS I WAS DRIVING IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. IMAGINE IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON A BUSY INTERSTATE (LIKE INTERSTATE 95) WHERE SOME REAL DAMAGE COULD HAVE OCCURRED OR PERHAPS WORSE DEATH. *TR
BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO BRAKING. DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE BRAKE LINES HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND WERE REPLACED USING A KIT FROM CHEVROLET AT A COST OF $2330.00. *TR
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.
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