Most common 2003 Chevrolet Silverado problems
Share of the 695 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Silverado complaints by model year
Best Silverado years: 2016, 2010, 2013. Years to avoid: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 1999. Compare all years →
2003 Chevrolet Silverado recalls (6)
Seat belts › Rear/other
On certain crew cab pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the 2nd row center occupant seat belt routing May make it difficult to position the lap portion of the safety belt low around the hips of occupants, especially smaller occupants, seated in this position.
Remedy: Dealers will cut open the guide loop, remove a portion of the loop, and then the remaining two sides should be folded over and secured with a retainer free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2005.
Parking brake
On certain pickup trucks equipped with manual transmissions and built with either pbr parking brake systems or trw parking brake systems, the parking brake friction linings May wear to an extent where the parking brake can become ineffective in immobilizing a parked vehicle.
Remedy: Dealers will install a low-force spring clip retainer for vehicles equipped with a pbr parking brake system. On vehicles equipped with the trw parking brake system, dealers will install a redesigned parking brake cable…
Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
Certain extended and regular cab pickup trucks and cargo vans converted to compressed natural gas (cng) fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: To bring the standard cab and cargo van vehicles into compliance, dealers will inject epoxy into the air bag off switch to prevent air bag activation, relocate the switch behind the instrument panel and then install a…
Structure › Body › Tailgate › Hinge and attachments
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the galvanized steel tailgate support cables that retain the tailgate in the full open (horizontal) position May corrode, weaken, and eventually fracture. If both cables fractured, the tailgate would suddenly drop and strike the top surface of the rear bumper.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the cables. Interim owner notification began on April 7, 20004. The recall began on September 24, 2004, when replacement parts were available, and will continue through October 29, 2004.
Service brakes, hydraulic
Certain sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and passenger vans fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 135, ?passenger car brake systems.? Some of these vehicles were produced with an out-of-specification brake hydro-boost housing relief valve bore.
Remedy: Dealers are to replace the hydro-boost relief valve. The recall began on June 18, 2004. Owners should contact Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339; Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; GMC at 1-866-996-9463; or Hummer at 1-866-486-6376.
Visibility › Windshield
Certain pickup trucks fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 212, "windshield mounting." some of these vehicles lack a continuous urethane bonding bead between the body surface and the windshield.
Remedy: Dealers will remove, reseal, and reinstall the windshield. Owner notification began on January 28, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 8 possible defects involving the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado:
Brake line corrosion failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received Defect Petition DP10-003 on March 2, 2010, requesting the investigation of model year (MY) 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD 4WD pickup trucks for corrosion failures of the vehicle brake lines.DP10-003 was granted and on March 30, 2010, Preliminary Evaluation PE10-010 was opened on more than six million model year 1999 through 2003 light trucks and sport utility…
Parking brake failure
Odi opened pe03-057 to assess parking brake ineffectiveness in the subject vehicles.these vehicles are equipped with four wheel disc brakes that incorporate a single-shoe drum-in-hat parking brake independent of the service brakes.complaint and warranty data indicate that the parking brake linings tend to wear out early in the life of the vehicle (at an average of 24 months in service), reducing the parking brake…
Steel wheel rim fracture
There have been less than 2 complaints per 100,000 subject vehicles related to the alleged defect.the oldest vehicles (my 1999) have only 2 complaints in over 140 thousand vehicles after over 4 years in service.the rate of warranty claims potentially related to the alleged defect is less than 0.1%.there are no known incidents involving rapid loss of tire pressure or loss of vehicle control.
Brake line corrosion failure
On January 11, 2011, ODI opened EA11-001 to investigate allegations of premature brake line corrosion failure in model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 General Motors (GM) full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles sold or registered in the following region of the United States that NHTSA has viewed as salt states for investigations of corrosion related issues:Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia,…
Hydraulic pump failres
GM is conducting a recall on all subject vehicles build between May 1999 and October 14, 1999.significant changes were incorporated into production in early October 1999, and vehicles built after that date have lower warranty failure rates.the complaint and warranty data appear to support the effectiveness of these changes.
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…
Tailgate cable breakage
General motors filed a defect notice 04v-129 on March 17, 2004, which outlines a program to replace the tailgate cables installed in affected model year 2000-2004 vehicles.refer to odi's closing report for ea04-005 for additional information.odi is aware of reports of tailgate cable breakage occurring in model year 1999 and earlier vehicles.these vehicles were equipped with similar tailgate cables as addressed by…
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.
What 2003 Chevrolet Silverado owners say
Brakes all 257 →
While driving on route 95 my brake line broke. It is completely rusted out. I found thousands of other people online with the same problem. GM needs to recall this. I had to swerve across traffic and drive on the grass shoulder to come to a stop. Very very scary.
Driving my 2003 Chevy Silverado in the left lane of the city freeway approximately 50 MPH in heavy traffic. Pushed brake to stop for vehicles changing lanes ahead. Brake pedal initially had pressure but after about 2 seconds went to the floor with nearly no pressure and no braking effect at all. There was no prior indication of a problem and no warning light signaling an issue. Swerved into the left berm to avoid hitting cars ahead. Traveled 20 plus car lengths while dropping automatic transmission into lowest gear and pumping brake pedal to no affect. Forced truck against barrier wall to avoid hitting other vehicles. Brake warning light came on as truck stopped. A large puddle of brake fluid was dumped below rt rear wheel and leaked when the brake pedal was pressed. There had been no previous issues with the brakes and brake pads were replaced 20,000 miles ago. …
Electrical system all 116 →
While driving, the heater blower stopped working and I smelled burning plastic or insulation. I pulled over and figured out it was coming from under the dash. Logically I pulled the bottom cover off from below the blower assy.(former mechanic). Smell was coming from plug harness and relay. Melted wire insulation and melted plastic from plug harness(obvious short). I was near an auto parts store and checked to see if they had this wiring plug assy. And they informed me that they did and this was an issue that GM had and there had been a safety recall on this. It's winter and I needed a defroster! Roadside fix, but this could have been much worse. Contacted GM and they informed me that this was not their problem because the VIN number wasn't part of their recall. GM case # 8-174060432. Not dropping this, this could have gotten worse.
General motors have a faulty neutral safety shift switch on their Silverado 1500 1/2 ton pickups that May lead to failure and cause the truck to burn. I have brought this to the attention of general motors but they ignored me. My truck burned and we put it out. I see others that have burned and I bet the neutral safety switch is what started it. If you were to investigate how many 03 (maybe newer maybe older) have burned you will find the cause in this switch.
Transmission & drivetrain all 81 →
I purchased a new Chevrolet Silverado truck on 8/15/2003. I drove it 15,000 miles and the transmission went out and was replaced. On another trip returning from denver to durango I was driving on a mountain road when the back wheels suddenly, without warning locked up. This caused the truck to go into an uncontrolled skid and I crashed into the side of the mountain. The truck bounced back into the road and almost forced other cars off the highway. The opposite side of the highway was very steep with no guardrail. Had I skidded that direction, I would have tumbled some 200 feet or more. To add to this the airbags did not deploy upon direct frontal impact with the mountain. All of this information was noted in the colorado highway patrol accident report # 908fzeh21p. General motors has accepted responsibility but 10+ weeks later has not replaced the totaled truck!
Upon parking, had slight difficulty placing vehicle into park gear position on very slight incline in driveway of home. Stepped out of vehicle, returned a few minutes later to find vehicle had rolled into pole. Attempted to start vehicle, but would not start, tried to put vehicle in neutral, and column shift was very loose. Applied parking brake and contacted dealer for tow next morning. Dealership determined the shift cable had broken, replaced with new shift cable. Only explanation offered was plastic sheath had cracked allowing cable to kink, they stated initially it sometimes happens, but they did not explain why. I am very concerned that if vehicle were parked on street on a slight grade it would have rolled downhill possible causing damage or injuring someone.
2003 Chevrolet Silverado engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 18 / 15 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 17 / 15 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 16 / 14 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 16 / 14 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 15 / 13 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 10 / 11 / 10 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado a good car?
Based on 695 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 Silverado rates avoid: 3.1× as many complaints as a typical year of the Silverado at the same age. It is one of the Silverado years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado?
The brakes — 257 complaints, 37% of all complaints for this model year, most often about foundation components › disc › rotor. Next are the electrical system (116) and transmission & drivetrain (81).
How many recalls does the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado, the most recent from April 22, 2005 (rear/other). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Silverado?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2016, 2010 and 2013. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 1999. See the full Chevrolet Silverado years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 Chevrolet Silverado problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 44,000 miles; 55% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.