RoadVitals

2003 GMC GMC

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.
3
Latest Sep 6, 2007
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

Overview

Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 GMC GMC, most frequently naming the fuel system, interior & seats and exterior lighting categories. 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 16 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

  • Fuel system133.3%
  • Interior & seats133.3%
  • Exterior lighting133.3%

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.

EA04011ClosedEngineering Analysis

PARKING BRAKE FAILURE

Opened Apr 9, 2004
Closed May 10, 2005

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.

PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONALLed to recall 05V161000

Recent owner complaints

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

Fuel system
Filed Sep 6, 2007

FUEL TANK DEVELOPED A LEAK WHERE FUEL LINE ENTERS THE TANK. *TR

NHTSA ID
10202095
Incident
Sep 6, 2007
Mileage
51,040 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Aug 9, 2005

DRIVER SEAT CAN'T BE PRESET FOR DRIVER 1 OR 2. OFTEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED, THE SEAT GOES ALL THE WAY UP UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL. AT OTHER TIMES THE SEAT REMAINS SO FAR BACK THAT NOBODY CAN REACH THE GAS/BRAKE PEDAL. EACH TIME ANYONE DRIVES THE VEHICLE THE SEAT MUST BE RESET OR READJUSTED. GMC HAS BEEN TAKEN TO A REPAIR FACILITY MANY TIMES BEFORE THE WARRANTY WAS UP, BUT THE REPAIR CENTER SAID THEY HAD NO IDEA OR REMEDY FOR THIS PROBLEM. *JB

NHTSA ID
10132047
Incident
Jul 31, 2004
Mileage
26,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Jul 20, 2003

I READ AN ARTICLE TODAY IN THE DETROIT FREE PRESS WHICH HAS PROMPTED ME TO WRITE YOU REGARDING HIDDEN LAMPS. MY COMPLAINT IS GENERAL, IN THAT THE AMOUNT OF "DAZZLE" FROM THE SCATTERED LIGHT IS GREATLY OBJECTIONABLE, AND MUST BE CONTROLLED. "HEAD-ON" VIEWING OS ACCEPTABLE, BUT SLIGHT OFF-ANGLE IS EXTREMELY DISTRACTING AND PAINFUL FROM THESE LAMPS. I WORK FOR A MAJOR AUTO COMPANY, AND HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE IN LIGHTING TECHNOLOGY. I WOULD PREFER IF NHTSA MIGRATE TO EUROPEAN REQUIREMENTS (CUT-OFF LINES) AND ENFORCE SOME TYPE OF ANTI-DAZZLE REQUIREMENTS FOR THESE LAMPS. ALTHOUGH ALLOWING A "WASH" IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD, THE SIDE SCATTER I BELIEVE IS MORE DANGEROUS, POSSIBLE CAUSING OR RELATING TO ONCOMING DRIVER IRRITATION, ROAD RAGE, OR POSSIBLE ACCIDENTS. *AK

NHTSA ID
10028645
Incident
Jul 19, 2003

Manufacturer communications

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

SB-06-02-32-013B

STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP

SAAB/HUMMER/GM: DIAGNOSTIC TIPS/RECOMMENDATIONS WHEN POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACEMENT IS NECESSARY. ANALYSIS OF RETURNED POWER STEERING (PS) PUMPS THAT HAD BEEN REPLACED FOR NOISE, NO POWER ASSIST, NO OR LOW PRESSURE AND LEAKING CONDITIONS HAS INDICATED A HIGH NUMBER OF NO TROUBLE FOUND RESULTS. ALL 1997-2010 VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS; 2010 AND PRIOR HUMMERS H2/H3 AND SAAB 9-7X VEHICLES. *PE

020603008

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

LOW VOLTAGE DISPLAY ON IP GAUGE, LIGHTS DIM AT STOP LIGHTS, BATTERY DISCHARGED, NO START, SLOW CRANKING, DIM LIGHTS AT IDLE, LOW GENERATOR OUTPUT. NLM *AR INCLUDES 1990-2008 PASSENGER CARS AND LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS INCLUDING SATURN. UPDATED 07-24-07. *KB UPDATED 11/29/07. *NJ

990851007

WHEELS

THIS BULLETIN UPDATES GMCS POSITION ON REFINISHING ALUMINUM WHEELS FOR 2003 AND PRIOR PASSENGER CAR AND TRUCKS. *TT 2007 AND PRIOR PASSENGER CARS AND TRUCKS INCLUDING SATURN. UPDATED. *KB

030604012

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

INSPECTION OF ALL RELATED WIRING HARNESS CONNECTIONS WHEN DIAGNOSING MISCELLANEOUS DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES, INTERMITTENT DRIVEABILITY CONCERNS, HARD START, NO START, INCORRECT GAUGES, INOPERATIVE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS, SERVICE ENGINE SOON LAMPS ILLUMINATED, 4WD LAMP ILLUMINATED, INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES INOPERATIVE, CRUISE INOPERATIVE. 2006 AND PRIOR CARS AND LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS. *TT

020730052A

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

ESSENTIAL TOOL J 45096 TRANSFLOW FOR 2005 AND PRIOR PASSENGER <A TITLE="CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CAR" STYLE="TEXT-DECORATION: NONE; BORDER-BOTTOM: MEDIUM SOLID GREEN;" HREF="HTTP://SEARCH.TARGETWORDS.COM/U.SEARCH?X=5977|1||||CARS|AA1VDW">CAR</A>S AND LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION/TRANSAXLE. *TT

030730002A

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES

TRANSMISSION COOLING SYSTEM SERVICE TOOL J 45096 - TRANSFLOW INFORMATION. *TT

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

GMC GMC by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2003Viewing301
2002400
2001700
2000120038.1
1999150032.4
1998160044.2
1997140032.8
1996801
1995230138.7
1994801
1993903
1992403
1991503
1990404
1989304
1988402
1987002
1986311
1985111
1984202
1983002
1982201
1981001
1980222
1979231
1978031
1977111
1976001
1975101
1974032
1973221
1972010
1971010
1970020
1969030
1968030
1967050
1966040
1965030
1964030
1963030
1962010
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.