Most common 2003 GMC Sierra 1500 HD problems
Share of the 16 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
GMC Sierra 1500 HD complaints by model year
Best Sierra 1500 HD years: 2001, 2002. Compare all years →
What 2003 GMC Sierra 1500 HD owners say
Brakes
I am an ase master technician, I own an auto/truck repair facility. We are a state of oregon authorized deq repair facility, state of oregon das fleet repair facility, us army base vehicle repair shop and more. Driving my truck to tacoma washington. I was towing a vehicle on in the right slow lane, and "reduced engine power" light came on. Engine vibrated and runs on 1/2 cylinders. Cannot brake or steer, total lack of power. Semi-truck nearly rear ends me as I cannot go over 10 MPH. No throttle response, period. I was in road construction zone and everyone was slamming on their brakes to avoid pile-up as I had no shoulder to pull over to. A mile or so later I pulled over, and shut off truck. Restarted few minutes later and CEL was on, but reduced engine power lights out. I continued my drive, but now cautiously. …
Brake line failure due to excessive corrosion of the line. After replacing the line myself, I performed a test run and yet another line failed due to the corrosion problem. The issue has been addressed by general motors in Canada, but has not been addressed in the us. I feel that ten years and only 84,000 miles is not an acceptable timeframe/mileage to be experiencing brake line corrosion failure in the state of virginia. In fact the entire undercarriage of the vehicle is corroded far worse than my 2000 Honda civic which has 175,000 miles on it. General motors should be forced to address the corrosion issues with the Sierra pickup line in the us.
Electrical system
A fire in the dash board in the middle of the night while the vehicle was parked in our back yard drive way. Dash board area melted where the head unit and cigarette lighter is located. Burned the head liner where a compartment was. The windshield cracked from the inside/outward. Burned spots on the seats from the dash board burning. Everything in the front of the cab is black. All windows were up and truck was locked. Fire happened in the middle of the night when we were all asleep. We drove the truck on 2/20/14, with no problems. Parked it in the drive way about 5:30 pm on 2/20/13. Next morning saw that the windshield was cracked, but facing outward. Opened the door and was in shock. This truck is vary special to us. It belonged to our son that past away 1/10/2013. Can't seem to find if there was any recalls for 2003 Sierra 1500 HD crew cab.
I received a letter from general motors a few years ago about a speedometer defect. The letter extended the manufactures warranty to 7 years 80,000 miles on the gauge cluster due to defects. The letter said in bold underlined words not to bring the truck in if it is not experiencing any problems. It is now past the extended warranty and the speedometer is not working. It is stuck at 80mph and will not move. I took it to the GMC dealership and GM will not fix the unit since it is to old. I believe it is very dangerous not to know how fast you are going, this is a known problem by GM and GM has not had to have a recall on the unit? GM should have a recall for all the affected cars and trucks with this known problem.
Engine & cooling
I am an ase master technician, I own an auto/truck repair facility. We are a state of oregon authorized deq repair facility, state of oregon das fleet repair facility, us army base vehicle repair shop and more. Driving my truck to tacoma washington. I was towing a vehicle on in the right slow lane, and "reduced engine power" light came on. Engine vibrated and runs on 1/2 cylinders. Cannot brake or steer, total lack of power. Semi-truck nearly rear ends me as I cannot go over 10 MPH. No throttle response, period. I was in road construction zone and everyone was slamming on their brakes to avoid pile-up as I had no shoulder to pull over to. A mile or so later I pulled over, and shut off truck. Restarted few minutes later and CEL was on, but reduced engine power lights out. I continued my drive, but now cautiously. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 GMC Sierra 1500 HD. The contact stated that the bolts on the manifold were fractured and caused leakage through the exhaust emission before going to the catalytic converter. The dealer was notified who advised replacing the bolts and manifold. The manufacturer was notified who stated there were no recalls and offered no further assistance. The failure mileage was 99,500. The consumer stated he first heard a ticking sound coming from the engine. He eventually found the exhaust manifold heads broken off the bolt shanks. He then found evidence due to leaking of the exhaust, gas carbon deposits on the engine by the manifold's broken bolts. Updated 10/14/11
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 GMC Sierra 1500 HD a good car?
Based on 16 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 Sierra 1500 HD rates average: 2.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Sierra 1500 HD at the same age. 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 Sierra 1500 HD?
The brakes — 6 complaints, 38% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (4) and engine & cooling (3).
How many recalls does the 2003 GMC Sierra 1500 HD have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2003 GMC Sierra 1500 HD. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the GMC Sierra 1500 HD?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2001 and 2002. See the full GMC Sierra 1500 HD years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 GMC Sierra 1500 HD problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 100,000 miles; 25% 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.