Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 32 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 GMC Denali, most frequently naming the brakes, driver assistance and electrical categories. 2 NHTSA investigations name it; and 130 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.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| May 2003 | 1 | 1 |
| Jul 2003 | 1 | 2 |
| Dec 2003 | 1 | 3 |
| Jan 2004 | 1 | 4 |
| Jun 2004 | 1 | 5 |
| Jul 2004 | 1 | 6 |
| Sep 2004 | 1 | 7 |
| Dec 2004 | 1 | 8 |
| Jan 2005 | 1 | 9 |
| Mar 2005 | 1 | 10 |
| Jan 2006 | 3 | 13 |
| May 2006 | 1 | 14 |
| Oct 2006 | 1 | 15 |
| Jun 2007 | 1 | 16 |
| Dec 2007 | 1 | 17 |
| Feb 2008 | 1 | 18 |
| Aug 2008 | 1 | 19 |
| Oct 2008 | 1 | 20 |
| Nov 2008 | 1 | 21 |
| Mar 2010 | 1 | 22 |
| May 2010 | 1 | 23 |
| Mar 2011 | 1 | 24 |
| May 2011 | 1 | 25 |
| Apr 2012 | 1 | 26 |
| Jul 2013 | 1 | 27 |
| Feb 2014 | 1 | 28 |
| Jun 2014 | 1 | 29 |
| Oct 2014 | 1 | 30 |
| Mar 2016 | 1 | 31 |
| Jan 2019 | 1 | 32 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
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.
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
PARKING BRAKE FAILURE
ODI'S REVIEW OF COMPLAINT DATA RECEIVED SINCE THE CLOSE OF EA04-011 REVEALED NO INDICATION THAT THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE RE-OPENED.MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE ENCLOSED IN THE DP05-009 PUBLIC FILE.ODI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION IN THE FUTURE SHOULD CONDITIONS WARRANT.
PARKING BRAKE FAILURE
IN A LETTER DATED APRIL 20, 2005, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT HAD DECIDED THAT DEFECTS THAT RELATE TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXIST IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES (PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) AND MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES (TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) PICKUPS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS.ACCORDING TO GM, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE THE FRICTION LININGS TO WEAR TO AN EXTENT WHERE THE PARKING BRAKE CAN BECOME INEFFECTIVE IN IMMOBILIZING A PARKED VEHICLE.GM'S ACTION COVERS AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF 142,585 VEHICLES.DEALERS WILL INSTALL A LOW-FORCE SPRING CLIP RETAINER FOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM AND INSTALL A REDESIGNED PARKING BRAKE CABLE ASSEMBLY ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM. A TOTAL OF 58 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED BY ODI AND GM CONCERNING THE APPROXIMATELY 59,000 MY 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES PICKUP TRUCKS WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM.THESE INCLUDED 22 ALLEGED ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS, RESULTING IN A RATE OF 38.5 ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS PER 100,000 VEHICLES.ODI IS AWARE OF 24 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES MANUAL TRANSMISSION TRUCKS RECALLED BY GM, INCLUDING 5 ALLEGING ROLLAWAY INCIDENTS.THOUGH THE CONDITIONS DESCRIBED IN GM'S LETTER ARE ALSO PRESENT IN THE C/K TRUCKS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, THE ROLLAWAY RATE IN THOSE VEHICLES WAS SIMILAR TO THOSE OBSERVED IN PEER VEHICLES STUDIED BY ODI IN THIS INVESTIGATION.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
I HAVE HAD THE BREAK/STEERING FLUID BOOSTER REPLACED 3 TIMES IN A 6 MONTH PERIOD. HOW GMC CAN CALL THIS A "PROBLEM" BUT NOT A SAFETY ISSUE IS BEYOND ME. I HAVE LOOKED IT UP AND THOUSANDS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS ALONG WITH ALIKE VEHICLES FROM THE SAME YEARS. THE BREAKS AND STEERING LOCK UP WHILE DRIVING ESPECIALLY AROUND TURNS. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!!!!! I GUESS NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE DIED....UUGGHHH .... SO FRUSTRATING!!!!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 (NA) GMC DENALI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING WAS DIM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEADLIGHT BULBS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 12,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC DENALI EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN LTX MS20 TIRES, SIZE: LT245/75R16. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES CRACKED ON THE SIDEWALL. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT ALL THE TIRES HAD TREAD SEPARATION AND LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE AND TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
ON JUNE 4, 2014, DRIVING ON A CLEAR, DRY AND SUNNY DAY IN MY 2003 GMC SIERRA DENALI PICKUP TRUCK. ON VIRGINIA DRIVE HEADING EASTBOUND IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA, AT 32 MPH; WITH NORMAL BRAKING ACTION HEADING INTO A CURVE, THE BRAKE PEDAL SURPRISINGLY WENT TO THE FLOOR AND EXPERIENCED LOSS OF BRAKING. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO NEGOTIATE THE TURN, NARROWLY ESCAPING RUNNING OFF THE ROAD, ONLY BECAUSE IT WAS TWO LANE ROAD IN EACH DIRECTION AND THERE WAS NO NEARBY TRAFFIC AT THE TIME. BRAKE FUNCTIONALITY NEVER RETURNED EXCEPT FOR MINIMAL CAPABILITY NEAR THE END OF PEDAL TRAVEL. PRELIMINARY INSPECTION AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE INDICATES THE BRAKE LINES SHOWED RUSTING IN GENERAL ON THE VEHICLE (AND ALSO THE ADJACENT FUEL LINES), MOSTLY NEAR THE FRONT SECTION OF THE VEHICLE; AND THE FAILURE SEEMED TO BE IN THE HOSE-TO-LINE COUPLING FROM THE BRAKE VALVE NEAR THE MASTER CYLINDER TO WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE ABS CONTROL ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ON THE FRAME UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT AREA. THE LINES IN THAT SUSPECTED FAILURE AREA APPEARED MOST SERIOUSLY RUSTED AND BULGED. CURRENTLY SPEAKING WITH A GMC DEALER TO UNDERSTAND THE REPAIR OPTIONS AND POSSIBLE RECALLS. *TR
AFTER JUST A FEW YEARS OF OWNERSHIP, MY 2003 DENALI, WHICH I PURCHASED BRAND NEW, STARTED TO HAVE "POWER DOWN" ISSUES. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE WOULD JUST LOOSE POWER AND I WOULD HAVE TO PULL OVER AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. GMC HAS ALWAYS ACTED AS IF IT WAS NOT A BIG DEAL AND HAVE OFFERED MANY EXPENSIVE SOLUTIONS. EARLY ON I TRIED THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AND IT WOULD HELP FOR A WHILE BUT THE PROBLEM ALWAYS COMES BACK. FURTHER, ALL OF MY GAUGES HAVE QUIT WORKING. AGAIN, GM OFFERS VERY EXPENSIVE SOLUTIONS, BUT WILL NEVER OWN UP TO THE FACT THAT THESE VEHICLES ARE DEFECTIVE. AFTER GOING THROUGH THIS FOR SEVERAL YEARS, I GOOGLED THESE ISSUES AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE PAGES AND PAGES OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUES. I LOVE MY VEHICLE AND NOW HAVE 230,000 MILES ON IT. HOWEVER, I KNOW THAT THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND I AM ALWAYS CONSCIOUS THAT IT CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME. I AM ALWAYS PREPARED TO PULL OVER BUT THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN I WAS NEARLY REAR-ENDED BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. ALSO, I RARELY LET ANY OTHER FAMILY MEMBER DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND WHEN I DO I WARN THEM OF THE ISSUE SO THAT THEY ARE PREPARED. THIS ISSUE IS FIRST AND FOREMOST VERY DANGEROUS AND SECONDLY A TRUE HASSLE AND INCONVENIENCE. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE POWERS DOWN. THIS HAS CAUSED ME TO HAVE TROUBLE PASSING EMISSIONS AS WELL. I HAVE WANTED TO TRADE OR SELL THE VEHICLE BUT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MY LIABILITY KNOWING ABOUT THIS ISSUE. *TR
I AM FILING A COMPLAINT DUE TO A REDUCED ENGINE PROBLEM AND STABILITY CONTROL WHICH KEEPS ENABLING ME TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. ONCE THIS LIGHT AND POWER REDUCES I NEED TO PULL OVER FROM MY DESTINATION AND TURN ENGINE OFF COMPLETELY. I COUNT ABOUT TEN SECONDS IN ORDER TO RESTART THE VEHICLE... ONLY TO START IT AND HAVING IT REDUCE AGAIN. SEVERAL LIGHTS ON DASH BOARD REMAIN ON SUCH AS ENGINE. I HAVE TRIED FIXING THE PROBLEM BUT I GUESS NO ONE REALLY KNOWS HOW TO REPAIR AND THIS HAS BEEN COSTLY. I HAVE READ RESOURCES/CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME YEAR AND VEHICLE MAKE, AND HAVE FOUND THAT THEY HAVE OCCURRED THE SAME PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THE GMC CO. AND OR WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND APPARENTLY IT DOES HAVE TO DO WITH GMC THE MANUFACTURE AND WOULD LIKE TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. *TR
WITHIN ABOUT 10 MILES OF A MODERATE BRAKING SITUATION AND REACHING HOME, BRAKE PEDAL BECAME PROGRESSIVELY SOFTER AT EACH SUCCESSIVE STOP UNTIL COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE OCCURRED NEAR HOME. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS USED TO SLOW AND STOP VEHICLE IN DRIVEWAY (HOME). RIGHT FRONT STEEL BRAKE LINE WAS FOUND TO HAVE BURST DUE TO EXTENSIVE RUST/CORROSION. EXTENSIVE CORROSION OF MOST BRAKE LINES WAS FOUND AND REPAIRED AT CONSIDERABLE COST AS A PREVENTIVE MEASURE TO HELP AVOID ACCIDENT OR INJURY. THE LOCAL GMC DEALER WAS NOT AWARE OF A RELATED RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE AND WOULD ONLY REPAIR THE SUV AT THE PREVAILING RATE SINCE A WARRANTY WAS NOT IN EFFECT. THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPAIRED BY THE MANUFACTURER TO ADDRESS THIS POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC DEFECT. *JS
I HAVE A 2003 YUKON DENALI AND WHEN IT HIT THE 65,000 MILES MARK THE FUEL GAUGE STOPPED WORKING LEAVING ME TO TELL HOW MUCH GAS I HAD LEFT USING THE AUTOMATIC COMPUTER TELLING YOU HOW MANY MILES TO EMPTY. NEXT THE OIL GAUGES STOPPED WORKING. FINALLY REACHING 80,000 MILES MY SPEED ODOMETER QUITE WORKING LEAVING ME TO NOT KNOWING THE SPEED I AM TRAVELING THIS QUITE WORKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE MY RPMS ARE STARTING TO GO GOOFY WHICH MEANS THAT TO IS GOING TO STOP WORKING AS WELL. I WAS TOLD THAT HAVING MY DASH TAKEN OFF AND FIXED COULD RUN ANYWHERE BETWEEN 1,000.00 NOT INCLUDING LABOR FEES. WHICH IS CRAZY THAT GMC DOESN'T STAND BEHIND ITS WORK. PEOPLE CANT AFFORD TO BE PAYING FOR THIS TO GET FIXED LET ALONE SPEEDING TICKETS. I BELIEVE SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE AFTER READING ABOUT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THE ALL HAVING THE SAME YEAR YUKON DENALI.. YOU PAY ALL THIS MONEY FOR A VEHICLE AND SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS!!! *TR
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.
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.
POWER TRAIN
GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities. The damage is being caused either in the removal process by the technician, or inadequate packaging or shipping. This bulletin advises the dealers to be more careful not to damage the transmissions during removal and to package the core properly for return.
ENGINE; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with DTCs, and explains how Top Tier fuels should be used to reduce carbon build-up.
This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as a Product Allegation Resolution (PAR) claim.
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.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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.