Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving into a parking space, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and surged forward. The vehicle crashed into a pile of brick boulders. The driver suffered injuries to the back shoulders, and neck. The three year old passenger in the rear passenger seat suffered an injured back. Medical attention was not received and a police report was filed. An investigator was sent to the home to examine the vehicle, but could not locate a failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 160,000. ..updated 11/21/16 updated 03/07/17 updated 9/27/2017
The speedometer stopped working,as well as the RPM indicator at approx. 26,000 miles driven on the pickup.. I have learned there was an extended warranty on this defect rather than a recall. I never received the letter advising me of this from GM, although I owned the pickup since 2006. I stopped driving the pickup because it was not safe to be unable to ascertain how fast I was I driving. I learned about this defect when I called a dealership to discuss the repair last month, as my vehicle was not usable. I then called GM and they said the extended warranty had expired. This is not fair, and has rendered my vehicle unsafe to drive without a high cost to me for their defective part. I request that they cover their defect.
Vehicle will suddenly decrease power and the message "engine power reduced" shows on message display. First time was 9/8/2012. Last time was feb 24, 2015. Has done this at 25 MPH on a city street, 35 MPH city street twice, and 55 MPH on highway. Supposedly repaired three times. Am afraid to use vehicle as usually tow 5th wheel and do not want it to do this while towing.
The tps throttle position sensor check engine code keeps going off while driving. When the tps code goes off the engine loses total power and you are unable to accelerate, which is a safety issue. We have replaced the throttle body but the issue is still remaining even after replacing different wires.
As I was driving home from downtown suddenly my truck lost power and I had to limp home ,friend checked truck and found trouble code p2135 reduced engine power and also said for me to check if there was a recall for this throttle body problem .
I own a 2003 Silverado ls half ton pick up truck. This past weekend, I was returning from ft. Worth, tx and had my cruise control set on 67mph. I was stopped and told that I was clocked at 85mph. After much argument, the officer allowed me to leave, and the speedometer would not work at all. Apparently, while the cruise control was set at 67, the speed had crept up to 85mph. I did not drive my truck Sunday or Monday, but when I left to take it to the shop Tuesday morning, the speedometer was working fine. My mechanic checked for any codes and it turned up an ip code whatever that May be. Considering it would cost about $600.00 dollars to have something replaced that is now working, I elected to keep an eye on it. My question is, how can I trust this now? This can be quite expensive if I am issued a citation, but more than anything else, it is a safety problem. …
Sometimes the speedometer works and sometimes it doesn't. At approximately 38,000 miles this first occurred and I called a nearby dealer to see if they could reset the computer thinking that was the problem. At the time they couldn't fit me in and asked that I schedule an appointment. I discussed the problem with a co-worker and his 2004 had the same problem and was in the shop. Apparently it has occurred many times because the dealership told him it was 4-7 weeks to get new parts or they could send out his existing parts to be reworked. The delaer has said that a bullitin has been issued but no recall has been ordered. I would think that vehicles a year or two old should have a working speedometer. The way I have found to fix it is to stop and remove the battery cables and let the computer reset. …
Well about mid 2012 the brake lines just rust out in the middle of the truck and the rear. My girl friend was driving it to work and lost all the pedal pressure. Thank god she was going up in the parking garage. Right now I'm trying to replace line fuel lines. It just started pouring gas out after I just got to work. I nursed it home and made it. The return line is just all rusted out. Then I noticed all three lines where all rusted out. It's to bad nothing has been done yet I can't afford this! It is well known and understood by many that this is a big problem. Also to top that the frame looks more rusted than the 1989 Dodge I just got ride of. I wash under the truck through out winter and don't understand why it's so bad already.
I left my home and drove approximately 10 miles before pulling into a parking lot. I was away from the vehicle for about 45 minutes.upon starting the vehicle I depressed the brake pedal and engaged the transmission. At this point the pedal seemed to travel further than usual. I left the parking lot and drove about 200' before having to stop; this time the pedal went to the floorboard but slowed the vehicle somewhat.(at this point the dash showed a check brake system).by driving under 30 MPH I was able to get the vehicle to the Chevrolet dealership. The lines were rusted as were the calipers. Parts and labor=$1700 the truck is 12 years old with only 26,910 miles on it.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. While driving 25 MPH the speedometer automatically increased to 120 MPH. However, the contact was still driving at 25 MPH. The contact stated that this failure occurred on two other occasions while driving 55 MPH. He disconnected the negative battery cable and parked the vehicle for twenty minutes. He then rehooked the cable and the speedometer reset itself. The contact had to perform this routine each time the speedometer got stuck at 120 MPH. From the NHTSA website he discovered that thiswas an ongoing failure with this type of vehicle. The current mileage is 28,144, and failure mileage was 27,800.
Acceleration complaints in other Silverado 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 4% of the model year's 805 complaints. The component named most often is cables (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 2 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.