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2003 Chevrolet SilveradoProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 695 owner complaints about the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 6 safety recalls.

2003 Chevrolet Silverado
22
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid3.5× the Silverado median · #5 of 24 years by complaints
Safety recalls6Free fix at dealersOwner complaints69576 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage39kService brakes, hydraulic, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 31, 2016. Updated daily. Photo: Cutlass, CC0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado has problems

695 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Service brakes, hydraulic1305
Service brakes1246
Electrical system1168
Power train817
Steering806
Vehicle speed control293
Suspension282
Tires271
Engine and engine cooling262
20 other systems16428

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

6 recalls

2003 Chevrolet Silverado recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Parking brake

Recall 05V-161 · Apr 22, 2005 · 90,242 vehicles

Risk. IF THE PARKING BRAKE DOES NOT HOLD, UNINTENDED VEHICLE MOVEMENT COULD OCCUR, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Seat belts: rear/other

Recall 05V-163 · Apr 22, 2005 · 1,359,824 vehicles

Risk. A LAP PORTION OF THE SEAT BELT ROUTING THAT IS NOT LOW AND SNUG ON THE HIPS CAN ALLOW THE LAP BELT TO RIDE UP ON AN OCCUPANT'S ABDOMEN INSTEAD OF FITTING LOW…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Front: anchorage

Recall 04V-225 · May 11, 2004 · 736 vehicles

Risk. THE STANDARD REQUIRES CHILD SEAT LOWER ANCHORAGES IN TWO SEATING POSITIONS FOR VEHICLES WITH THREE REAR SEATING POSITIONS.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Tailgate: hinge and attachments

Recall 04V-129 · Mar 17, 2004 · 3,662,211 vehicles

Risk. ANYONE SITTING OR STANDING ON THE HORIZONTAL SURFACE OF THE TAILGATE WHEN BOTH CABLES FRACTURED COULD BE INJURED BY FALLING FROM THE TAILGATE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 2 more recalls
–no report yet

Visibility: windshield

Recall 03V-018 · Jan 23, 2003 · 110 vehicles

Risk. IN VEHICLES WITH THIS CONDITION, THE WINDSHIELD MAY NOT BE RETAINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY STANDARD DURING A VEHICLE CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.

Mileage at failure

When do service brakes, hydraulic problems start?

39kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 110 service brakes, hydraulic complaints. 95% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
38under 30k miles105under 100k miles5100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

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.

Service brakes

13 owners mentioned a cost

$1,000median

Middle half: $870 – $1,500

Electrical system

9 owners mentioned a cost

$500median

Middle half: $500 – $500

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.

Best & worst years

2003 vs. every other Silverado 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 median. How we score

'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2003 Chevrolet Silverado safety ratings

2003 Chevrolet Silverado 4-DR in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
8 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado, and the recalls they led to.

  1. PARKING BRAKE FAILUREDP05009 · closed May 31, 2006
    No recall
  2. TAILGATE CABLE BREAKAGEEA04005 · closed Sep 28, 2004
    Led to recall 04V-129
  3. PARKING BRAKE FAILUREEA04011 · closed May 10, 2005
    Led to recall 05V-161
  4. HYDRAULIC PUMP FAILRESEA04012 · closed Feb 28, 2005
    Led to recall 05V-005
  5. Brake line corrosion failureEA11001 · closed Apr 8, 2015
    No recall
  6. STEEL WHEEL RIM FRACTUREPE03026 · closed Nov 3, 2003
    No recall
  7. PARKING BRAKE FAILUREPE03057 · closed Apr 9, 2004
    No recall
  8. Brake line corrosion failurePE10010 · closed Jan 5, 2011
    No recall
In owners' words

What Silverado owners report

Recent service brakes, hydraulic complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

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
Complaint 10726043 · Jun 15, 2015
2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO RUSTED BRAKE LINES *CN WHEN THE DEALER TESTED THE BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND FIVE BRAKE LINES BURST UNDER THE DRIVER SEAT AREA. *JB
Complaint 10660594 · Dec 18, 2014
I HAVE A 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO AND THE BRAKE SYSTEM START GOING OUT LAST WEEK. TOOK IT TO MY GMC DEALER, WHERE I PURCHASE THE VEHICLE FROM. THEY STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINE ARE COMPLETELY RUSTED AND THE ISSUE IS SO EXTENSIVE THAT THEY CANNOT DO WORK TO IT. I NEED TO FIND AN INDEPENDENT AUTO REPAIR…
Complaint 10567625 · Mar 6, 2014

Own a 2003 Silverado?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.