Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Chevrolet Silverado owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On October 22,2015 while driveing on interstate 75 the fuel pump stopped functioning and resulting in a near disasterous situation.results $751.81 repair cost plus tow. Then one week later,October 29 2015 at wilmington pike and inertstate 675 red light my brake lines burst and I narrowly avoided a wreck. Repair cost $870.17 .I was not noteafide of any recall. So be fair warning if I had known or been I would have fixed it
This is the second of three fatal collisions investigated this year by my office involving Chevrolet pickups that caught fire after being involved in frontal collisions. This was an off set head on, passenger side to passenger side. Passenger in pickup was pinned in vehicle due to crush and consumed by fire.
Significant corrosion of the fuel (gasoline) lines causing leak and possible safety hazard (fire). Several forums report brake and fuel line premature failure due to corrosion. GM not addressing this known problem.
Recently, my vehicle has had a hard time starting. I took my vehicle to the local Chevrolet dealership to have it inspected/diagnosed. I was informed that my fuel pump/filter combo as well as all the injectors needed to be replaced and would cost me just under $6000.00 for the repair. It has come to my attention today after researching that this is and has been a known issue to the point that GM issued a service bulletin to repair this problem and modified the bulletin to extend the time frame and/or total mileage, but that time extension has expired before my vehicle developed the same issue that the bulletin addresses. With such a wide spread problem such as the nature of this magnitude, why does this not fall under a mandatory recall from NHTSA? …
While driving vehicle leaked fuel. When this occurred the brake pedal became hard and failed to stop vehicle when the pedal was depressed, resulting in a rear end crash. Consumer sustained minor injuries. Vehicle was towed to the dealership, and dealership only repaired the body parts damaged by the crash. However, dealership indicated it couldn't find any leak. When the consumer picked up the vehicle from the dealership there was smoke coming out from under the hood. Dealership indicated that the smoke was caused by fluid from the radiator, and the body parts they had replaced. The failure recurred while driving on the highway at 55 MPH. This caused the vehicle to hydro plane from the diesel fuel, and consumer lost control of the vehicle. It was towing a trailer at the time of the incident. The trailer jack knifed and damaged the side of the vehicle. …
While driving to the doctor I heard a loud metal on metal clunk sound from transmission hump. Immediately following, vehicle started missing like it was out of gas and stalled. In approximately 2 seconds the fuel guage went from reading 1/4 tank to empty. Service dept informed us that the electronic float device located inside the fuel tank had failed. Upon further investigation they discovered that the reason it failed was due to the fact that gasoline destroys them. We can expect to experience this problem indefinately because GM has no replacement part that works . The dealer informed us that GM is aware of this problem and that all pick up trucks made by GM have this part and will experience this problem at some point in time. In other words, you have no accurate fuel guage and should keep your truck as full of gas as possible at all times.
On April 19, 2012, the Chevrolet dealership advised me that two or three of my 2003 Chevrolet Silverado diesel fuel injectors, part# 97729095, needed to be replaced and recommended all eight fuel injectors should be replaced at a cost of $5,260,18. I asked if this repair was covered by Chevrolet and the dealer representative said my truck did not qualify because the time limit had expired. He said if the vehicles fuel injectors had failed within the first 200,000 miles or within the first seven years they would have replaced the fuel injectors at no cost. On that date, April 19, 2012 my vehicle had 36,273 miles and was 9 years old, I asked why the dealership hadn't notified me of this problem and they said it was not their responsibility to notify me and refused to replace/repair the defective fuel injectors.
Anyone had their Chevy truck fuel pump replaced? Apparently this is a default on lots of 2000 and later GM SUV's & trucks, a quick survey of people I know and their contacts has revealed that this is a common occurrence (4 confirmed). My 2003 truck (45K miles) is sitting in a dealership waiting for me to authorize +$1,000 in repairs (@10% of the value of the truck). There is a recall for tahoe's & suburbans etc. Regarding this issue. I want to escalate this issue and make it a recall item. A fuel pump that fails to deliver enough fuel to an engine will lean it out and eventually kill the motor, making this a larger financial and hazardous issue. Please let the NHTSA know if this has happened to you. If it happened to an associate of yours, please have them email the ntsb directly. On craigslist.
After noticing a gas leak, I asked my father to drive my truck to the dealership for repair. When he put the truck into reverse he had no brakes and had to use the emergency brake before rolling into my mother's car behind him. Upon inspection by the dealership, all of my brake lines and gas lines were badly rusted and had to be replaced. Upon research I found this problem quite widespread and expensive, not to mention the critical safety issues involved. I do want to know that Chevrolet/GM is concerned about our safety and is addressing this problem.
Steep hillside incline / decline failure of sensor for fuel gauge/ do not know the amount of fuel in the vehicle computer failure, leaving to being stranded repair of failure cost of 600.00 dollars usda / complaint is as follows:off road travel would be impossible due to in the event you are in a steep incline or decline it would cost $600.00 to repair. Really not cost effective.
Fuel System complaints in other Silverado years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado, 4% of the model year's 695 complaints. The component named most often is fuel injection system (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Chevrolet Silverado fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado, though it has 6 recalls for other components. 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 fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 46,000 miles, and 23% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 2 injuries and 1 death to fuel & propulsion system 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.