2003 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck problems & reliability
40 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 16 | 40% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 20% |
| Steering | 5 | 13% |
| Structure | 5 | 13% |
| Power Train | 2 | 5% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 3% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 3% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 14 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 31 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 54,000 miles (middle 50% between 31,500 and 93,500 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I had a check engine light appear last week and brought the 2003 ssr for service wednesday 10-24-12. Service team identified the issue as a crack in the gas tank. The crack was at the fill area where the plastic neck connection goes into the plastic tank. You can imagine how surprising this would be as a consumer and…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Nov 8, 2012
“The brake lines are rusted out causing them to fail in two different spots in the last 2 months. This is a manufacture defect using this type of metal on this part. *tr”
Service Brakes · filed Sep 26, 2012
“Hooked up my trailer to the 2003 chevy silverado and drove to the gas station and depressed the brake pedal went to the floor, no brakes. I was lucky to have not been on the freeway like the day before when my wife and I drove 20 miles doing 70 mpr, wow we could be dead right now. Im without a transportation and the…”
Service Brakes · filed Jul 6, 2012
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- HYDRAULIC PUMP FAILRES
Engineering Analysis EA04012 · opened Apr 30, 2004 · closed Feb 28, 2005 · led to recall 05V005000
Technical service bulletins
11 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck. The 10 most recent:
Gm: on some truck models there is some frame corrosion. *rm updated on 5/2/2012. *kb
PIT-3749D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2012
General motors: information provided by bulletin for all 2012 and prior general motor trucks and passenger vehicles regarding the adjustable comfort and custom upholstery of the driver and the passenger head restraint…
SB-10-08-50-003B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2011
Ipc, interior lights and/or headlamps flicker. *ak fb2
3170E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 16, 2006
Replacement of factory-equipped tires with lt rated tires. Full-size 1500 series utility trucks. *tt
063003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 30, 2003
New tech line software available to reduce indicator bulb illumination by 65% due to reports that the instrument cluster highbeam indicator is too bright. 2003 chevrolet, gmc and cadillac full-size pick-up and utility…
050703 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 7, 2003
Engine fan rubbing noise during turns, more commonly found on left turns on 2003 st pick-ups and class style utilities. *tt *jb
032703 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 27, 2003
A clunk noise coming from under the hood that also can be felt in the steering wheel. *tt *jb
031803 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 18, 2003
New outside rearview power camper mirrors, on 2003 full-size pick-ups may not fully extend and a clicking noise may be heard. *tt *jb
030303 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 3, 2003
New calibration released under tis 2000, version 2.0 to address the remote keyless entry inop concern on 2003 model year full-size pick-ups, full-size utilities and hummer h2 vehicles built between december 23 and…
021003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 10, 2003
New transmission oil cooling system flushing tool. 1998 and 2003 chevrolet and gmc medium duty trucks equipped with 4l80e automatic transmissions. *tt
121202 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 12, 2002
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2003 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2003 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 54,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.