WHEELS:HUB
2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 175 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500, most frequently naming the brakes, electrical and body & structure categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 94 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.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2010 | 2 | 76 |
| Jun 2010 | 1 | 77 |
| Jul 2010 | 4 | 81 |
| Aug 2010 | 1 | 82 |
| Sep 2010 | 3 | 85 |
| Oct 2010 | 1 | 86 |
| Nov 2010 | 1 | 87 |
| Dec 2010 | 3 | 90 |
| Jan 2011 | 2 | 92 |
| Feb 2011 | 1 | 93 |
| Mar 2011 | 4 | 97 |
| May 2011 | 5 | 102 |
| Jun 2011 | 1 | 103 |
| Jul 2011 | 2 | 105 |
| Aug 2011 | 5 | 110 |
| Oct 2011 | 1 | 111 |
| Dec 2011 | 1 | 112 |
| Mar 2012 | 1 | 113 |
| Jun 2012 | 1 | 114 |
| Aug 2012 | 1 | 115 |
| Sep 2012 | 1 | 116 |
| Oct 2012 | 2 | 118 |
| Dec 2012 | 1 | 119 |
| Jan 2013 | 1 | 120 |
| Feb 2013 | 1 | 121 |
| Mar 2013 | 1 | 122 |
| May 2013 | 1 | 123 |
| Aug 2013 | 1 | 124 |
| Sep 2013 | 1 | 125 |
| Oct 2013 | 4 | 129 |
| Dec 2013 | 3 | 132 |
| Jan 2014 | 3 | 135 |
| Feb 2014 | 1 | 136 |
| Mar 2014 | 1 | 137 |
| Apr 2014 | 4 | 141 |
| May 2014 | 1 | 142 |
| Jun 2014 | 1 | 143 |
| Oct 2014 | 3 | 146 |
| Nov 2014 | 1 | 147 |
| Dec 2014 | 5 | 152 |
| Jan 2015 | 1 | 153 |
| Feb 2015 | 2 | 155 |
| Mar 2015 | 1 | 156 |
| May 2015 | 1 | 157 |
| Jul 2015 | 1 | 158 |
| Sep 2015 | 1 | 159 |
| May 2016 | 1 | 160 |
| Jul 2016 | 2 | 162 |
| Aug 2016 | 1 | 163 |
| Sep 2016 | 1 | 164 |
| Nov 2016 | 1 | 165 |
| Mar 2017 | 1 | 166 |
| May 2017 | 1 | 167 |
| Dec 2017 | 1 | 168 |
| Jan 2018 | 1 | 169 |
| Apr 2018 | 2 | 171 |
| Jun 2018 | 1 | 172 |
| Jul 2018 | 1 | 173 |
| Oct 2018 | 1 | 174 |
| Apr 2019 | 1 | 175 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Brakes6530.5%
- Electrical6028.2%
- Body & structure146.6%
- Fuel system146.6%
- Visibility104.7%
- Steering94.2%
- Engine83.8%
- Driver assistance83.8%
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
1 campaign cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govRecent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
SUBPAR MATERIAL USED IN BRAKE/FUEL LINES THEY RUST PREMATURE
- NHTSA ID
- 11195482
- Incident
- Apr 10, 2019
- Mileage
- 190,000 mi
MY ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK WHEN I START MY TRUCK. IT WILL OCCASIONALLY COME TO LIFE AFTER DRIVING A BIT OR SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T WORK AT ALL. NO PATTERN AS TO WHEN, WHERE OR DRIVING CONDITIONS. STARTED A FEW MONTHS AGO WHERE IT WOULD ALWAYS WORK SHORTLY AFTER I STARTED THE ENGINE AND HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE,
- NHTSA ID
- 11142362
- Incident
- Jul 1, 2018
- Mileage
- 188,000 mi
BRAKE LINES RUSTING. TWICE IN A MONTH THE BRAKES FAILED AFTER A HARD STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. LUCKY FOR ME & OTHERS THERE WERE NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME OR TRYING TO CROSS THE INTERSECTION. AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKE HARD TO STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL CONTINUED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR DID NOT STOP. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE BRAKE LINES RUSTED AND THEREFORE THE BRAKE FLUID LEAKED OUT OF THE SYSTEM
- NHTSA ID
- 11111983
- Incident
- Jul 13, 2018
- Mileage
- 190,000 mi
WITHOUT WARNING BRAKE LINE BLEW A HOLE AND NO BRAKES. NO WARNING AND TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKES. SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON. NO HELP WITH THAT. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO PASS ON RIGHT SHOULDER THREW THE GRASS. ALMOST A THREE VEHICLE ACCIDENT. NEED TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM ADDRESSED AND TAKEN CARE OF. PEOPLE COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN INJURED OR KILLED.
- NHTSA ID
- 11099259
- Incident
- Jun 1, 2018
- Mileage
- 242,000 mi
TAMARA INFLATORS I'M LOOSING BRAKE FLUID AS I DRIVE I'M LEASING THE AUTOMOBILE FROM QUALITY AUTO ALSO THEY SAID IT'S OKAY TO STILL DRIVE THE CAR WITH A GAS IN THE TRUCK BUT IT'S SAYING NEEDS GAS I KEEP SMELLING GAS AFTER HE SAID IT PASSED ROAD INSPECTION TEST ! I'M VERY CONCERNED IT MORE WRONG IF I JAM OR PUMP THE BRAKES I CAN NOT STOP I'M IMMEDIATELY. IM UNSURE WHAT MY ACTUAL MILEAGE IS . THE SENSORS ARE NOT WORKING WHEN I WENT TO UNCLE ED'S OR EVEN OTHER AUTO SHOPS I DO HAVE PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
- NHTSA ID
- 11083689
- Incident
- Apr 6, 2018
I JUST STARTED LEASING THE VEHICLE FROM QUALITY AUTO THAT SAYS THAT THE CAR IS ROAD READY BUT HAVE LOTS OF HAZARDOUS THINGS TO IT A VERY BAD GAS LEAK THAT THERE TAKING THERE TIME TO FIX AND MY HOOD OF MY CAR WON'T STAY DOWN ...IT'S 7 DAYS INTO MY CAR LEASE AND THERE PROMISES HAVE BEEN BROKEN AND WON'T TRADE ME ANOTHER CAR .
- NHTSA ID
- 11083684
- Incident
- Mar 30, 2018
- Mileage
- 170,630 mi
BRAKES FAILED WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SHORTLY AFTER LEAVING MY HOUSE WHILE DRIVING DOWN MY DRIVEWAY. THE BRAKES WERE WORKING FINE WHEN I STARTED THE TRUCK AND COMPLETED A 3 POINT TURN TO TURN THE VEHICLE AROUND IN MY DRIVEWAY. AS I STARTED GOING DOWN MY DRIVEWAY AND WENT TO APPLY MY BRAKES TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN THAT'S WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. LUCKILY I WAS DRIVING SLOW, UNDER 15 MPH, WHEN I EXPERIENCED THE ISSUE: THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE BARELY SLOWED DOWN. I STARTED TO PUMP THE BRAKES WHICH DID SLOW THE VEHICLE SOME AND I ALSO EMPLOYED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WHICH ENABLED ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. HAD I BEEN IN TRAFFIC, AND NOT JUST IN MY DRIVEWAY, I MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE AS I HAD VERY LITTLE CONTROL OVER STOPPING THE VEHICLE WHEN THE ISSUE HAPPENED. THE ISSUE WAS DUE TO A RUSTED REAR BRAKE LINE UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE SINGLE BRAKE LINE FEEDING BOTH OF THE REAR BRAKES HAD BURST IN THE VICINITY UNDER THE DRIVERS SEAT. THE BRAKE LINE BURST WHILE I WAS GOING DOWN MY DRIVEWAY AS EVIDENCED BY THE AMOUNT OF BRAKE FLUID SPAYED ONTO MY DRIVEWAY WHEN I FIRST ATTEMPTED TO APPLY MY BRAKES WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AND AT EACH POINT WHERE I PUMPED THE BRAKES. I WAS SHOCKED THAT A SINGLE BRAKE LINE BURSTING WOULD LEAVE MY ENTIRE VEHICLE WITHOUT BRAKES. WHY IS THERE A FRONT AND REAR RESERVOIR IF THEY DON'T MATTER? THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT LEAST A SAFETY ALERT ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL DANGER SO I WOULD HAVE KNOWN TO WATCH FOR THIS OBVIOUS SAFETY FLAW ON MY CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. AFTER INSPECTING THE REST OF MY BRAKE LINES I HAVE FOUND THAT 100% OF ALL MY BRAKE LINES ARE SEVERELY RUSTED AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP NEAR MY HOUSE HAS ALREADY QUOTED ME A REPAIR ESTIMATE OF $2,100 OVER THE PHONE, BUT WILL NEED TO SEE THE VEHICLE FIRST TO BE MORE PRECISE IN THEIR ESTIMATE.
- NHTSA ID
- 11063827
- Incident
- Jan 19, 2018
- Mileage
- 168,651 mi
DURING COLD MONTHS ONLY VEHICLE HAS POWER SURGES WHENEVER DRIVING. INTERIOR LIGHTS AND HEADLIGHTS FLICKER CONSISTENTLY TO WHERE IT APPEARS I AM FLASHING MY LIGHTS. THE HIGHER THE RPMS, FLICKERING IS MORE FREQUENT. APPARENTLY A KNOWN ISSUE WITH NO SOLUTION OR RECALL. ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY TESTING OUT GOOD.
- NHTSA ID
- 11053994
- Incident
- Nov 19, 2015
- Mileage
- 170,000 mi
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on OnStar Module 2G Sunset Information.
ENGINE
This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.
ENGINE
This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized, tested and designed for the vehicle in question and its applications. Technician should not use the information that is provided by the antilock braking system tire size selection.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It provides the ability via a single selection within Techline Connect to first identify which modules need updating and then proceed to updating affected modules (with some exceptions). The updating of modules is completed in parallel instead of the technician needing to update one module at a time. This allows a more streamlined approach for dealers and customers.
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
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 52.6 |
| 2025 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 43.9 |
| 2024 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 37.6 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2011 | 80 | 2 | 0 | 43.2 |
| 2010 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 35.3 |
| 2009 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 30.0 |
| 2008 | 101 | 0 | 2 | 40.3 |
| 2007 | 190 | 0 | 2 | 46.6 |
| 2006 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 45.9 |
| 2005 | 94 | 1 | 0 | 37.1 |
| 2004 | 182 | 1 | 0 | 36.7 |
| 2003Viewing | 175 | 1 | 0 | 37.8 |
| 2002 | 120 | 1 | 0 | 38.7 |
| 2001 | 92 | 1 | 0 | 45.8 |
| 2000 | 67 | 1 | 0 | 46.8 |
| 1999 | 74 | 0 | 0 | 38.2 |
| 1998 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 27.1 |
| 1997 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 32.3 |
| 1996 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1994 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — |
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.