Most common 2003 GMC Savana problems
Share of the 22 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
GMC Savana complaints by model year
Best Savana years: 2020, 2011, 2014. Years to avoid: 1999, 1997, 2000, 1996, 1998. Compare all years →
2003 GMC Savana recalls (11)
Electrical system › Wiring
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2003-2023 Chevrolet Express Cutaway and GMC Savana Cutaway incomplete vehicles equipped with wiring for an optional rear heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system.
Remedy: Dealers will properly seal the rear HVAC blower motor circuits at the left side B-pillar, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 2, 2023.
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly › Filler pipe and cap
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with a left side cargo door, and originally sold or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey,…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a new fuel filler neck, free of charge. The safety recall began on October 1, 2012.
Seat belts
On certain full-size passenger, cargo, or cutaway vans, the front and rear seat belt buckles will not latch or will not unlatch.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the buckles and, if found to be inoperative, the entire buckle assembly would be replaced. For buckles found to be operative, dealer will replace only the upper buckle cover.
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…
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.
Equipment › Other › Owners/service/other manual
Certain minivans, passenger and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage system." the owner's manual does not explain the meaning of the location symbols for the child restraint lower universal anchorage system.
Remedy: Owners will be provided with a supplement for their owner's manual. This supplement describes and shows the location symbols for the child restraint anchors that are located in the vehicle and on the child restraint or…
Show 5 more recalls
Exterior lighting
Certain vans have a condition in which water May enter and corrode the rear license plate lamp socket. If the lamp socket were to corrode, the rear license plate lamp May operate intermittently or not at all, and the left rear tail lamp May become inoperative.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new sealed rear license plate lamp socket assembly. Owner notification began July 21, 2003. Owners should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC at 1-800-462-8782.
Seat belts › Front › Buckle assembly
On certain vans with a gross vehicle weight of less than 8,500 pounds, during a vehicle crash sufficient enough to deploy the safety belt pretensioner, the front safety belt buckles May not release after the vehicle crash, or alternately May eject the safety belt latch during the vehicle crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front driver and passenger side safety belt buckle. Owner notification began June 3, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not…
Steering › Linkages
On certain vans with an 8,500 lb. Or 8,600 lb. Gross vehicle weight rating, the nut attaching the pitman arm to the steering linkage May not be tightened adequately resulting in a possible separation.
Remedy: Dealers will tighten the pitman arm nut to the proper specification. If the nut is missing, the dealer will install a new nut and tighten it correctly. Owner notification began December 10, 2002.
Steering › Linkages › Tie rod assembly
On certain vans, the right-hand tie rod end nut May not be tightened adequately. The nut can loosen resulting in separation of the tie rod from the steering knuckle.
Remedy: Dealers will tighten the tie rod end nut and, if necessary, replace the tie rod end. Owner notification began November 27, 2002.
Wheels › Lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
Certain vans were built without a wheel bearing assembly retaining nut, which could lead to a possible bearing separation.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the wheel bearing assembly. If the inspection reveals a missing retaining nut, the wheel bearing assembly will be replaced. Owner notification began November 13, 2002.
What 2003 GMC Savana owners say
Engine & cooling
Tl*virginia tech owns a 2003 GMC Savana. The vehicle caught fire under the hood in the middle of the night. The fire department extinguished the fire. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The current and failure mileages were 75,128. Updated 04/03/08.
Tl contact owns a 2003 GMC Savana. While driving 65 MPH, the engine suddenly stopped. The vehicle was able to be restarted after five minutes. The dealer was unable to diagnose the previous failures. The most recent failure was diagnosed as the crankshaft position sensor. The dealer stated that the failure is similar to NHTSA campaign id number 07V521000 (engine and engine cooling). The VIN was unknown. The current mileage was 66,000 and failure mileage was 20,000.
Brakes
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 GMC Savana. While operating the vehicle, the steering wheel and brake pedal malfunctioned and did not properly operate. While depressing the brake pedal, the steering wheel would jerk and the brake pedal was hard to depress, which affected the vehicle stopping. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the brake hydro pump was faulty. The pump was replaced, but the failures continued. The contact indicated that the hydro pump had been replaced three times within the past eight months. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Tl contact owns a 2003 GMC Savana. The contact stated that when applying the brakes at speeds of at least 50 MPH, the anti-lock brake would engage, forcing the petal back into the idle position and causing reduced braking response. The contact confirmed that the anti-lock braking light would illuminate on the instrument panel moments before the failure would occur. The failure mileage was 37,000 and the current mileage was 50,000. The VIN was not available. Updated 05/19/10.
Fuel & propulsion system
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 GMC Savana. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the check engine light illuminated. Also, the contact smelled fuel inside the vehicle and fuel leaked out of the fuel tank while the vehicle was parked on a hill. The contact received a recall notice for campaign number 06e043000 (fuel system, gasoline) and took the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer did not honor the recall and would not inspect the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to another dealer. The dealer stated there was no corrosion on the fuel filler pipe but the fuel tank had corrosion and needed to be replaced, making the vehicle unsafe to drive. The failure mileage was 159,000. The VIN was not available.
Consumer was unable to fill the fuel tank with fuel because the fuel tank sensor malfunctioned. This resulted in the gasoline pump nozzle clicking off before the tank was full. Dealership in an attempt to correct the problem changed the filler neck, its valve and other fuel tank components, but the problem still exists.
2003 GMC Savana engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 17 / 15 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 17 / 15 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 16 / 14 |
EPA ratings. Class: Van.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 GMC Savana a good car?
Based on 22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 Savana rates use caution: 2.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Savana at the same age. It is one of the Savana 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 GMC Savana?
The engine & cooling — 4 complaints, 18% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the brakes (4) and fuel & propulsion system (4).
How many recalls does the 2003 GMC Savana have?
There are 11 recalls for the 2003 GMC Savana, the most recent from April 6, 2023 (wiring). 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 GMC Savana?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2020, 2011 and 2014. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999, 1997, 2000, 1996 and 1998. See the full GMC Savana years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 GMC Savana problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 27,000 miles; 63% 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.