2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500Problems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 805 owner complaints about the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, most often about the service brakes. It has no vehicle safety recalls on record.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 24, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Rutger van der Maar, CC BY 2.0.
Where the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has problems
805 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 273 | 17 |
| Electrical system | 195 | 6 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 151 | 2 |
| Steering | 56 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 29 | 1 |
| Structure | 27 | 3 |
| Power train | 26 | 1 |
| Air bags | 21 | 6 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 20 | 1 |
| 18 other systems | 131 | 5 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 recalls and how many were fixed
No vehicle safety recalls are on record for this model year.
When do service brakes problems start?
101kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 268 service brakes complaints. 48% were reported before 100,000 miles.
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Electrical system
25 owners mentioned a cost$500median
Service brakes
24 owners mentioned a cost$1,164median
Service brakes, hydraulic
17 owners mentioned a cost$900median
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
2003 vs. every other Silverado 1500 year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Silverado 1500 median. How we score
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and the recalls they led to.
- PARKING BRAKE FAILURELed to recall 05V-161
- Brake line corrosion failureNo recall
- PARKING BRAKE FAILURENo recall
What Silverado 1500 owners report
Recent service brakes complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
2003 CHEVROLET Silverado1500 HD have power hydro brake liitle leaking when driving so loud same time steering to turning so loud and very hard apply brake step on brake so loud try to stop not easy scary and parked at home right now, i beleive fact recall now because your repoert said that "found…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHEN PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKE PEDAL STUCK TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DROVE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED.…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED TO THE FLOORBOARD, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LINDSAY CHEVROLET (5605 JEFFERSON DAVIS HWY, WOODBRIDGE, VA 22191,…
Own a 2003 Silverado 1500?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.