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2003 Chevrolet Avalanche Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 204 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche, most often about the brakes (39% of complaints, typically around 106,500 miles). It is 4th of 14 Avalanche model years by number of complaints and has 4 recalls.
Most common 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche problems
Brakes
80 complaints · 39%Half of these problems showed up before 106,500 miles. Parts named most often: foundation components, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, brake fluid low warning, pedals and linkages.
October 14, 2011: my family and I were backing out from our home when we lost pressure in the brake pedal. Upon visual inspection under the driverside door, brake fluid was flowing freely onto the road. A closer look revealed that the brake lines were severely corroded and that they had ruptured when pressure was…
Abs system vehicle activates ABS system below 5 MPH 805 thousand recalls from 99-02 for the same thing! Gm customer service didn't even know of the 805 thousand? What a joke!!!! Never again will I buy a gm,they don't know about a safety as bad as this?
Electrical
42 complaints · 21%Half of these problems showed up before 70,000 miles. Parts named most often: instrument cluster/panel, 12v/24v/48v battery, ignition, wiring.
The contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the instrument panel failed. In addition, the driver side headlight failed. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the instrument panel needed to be replaced. The…
My speedometer, oil gauge,gas gauge has stopped working in the dash approximately 9 moths ago and we have contacted our local gm retailer and they said that there is not a recall on a manufacturer defect. I was told that it was a cluster that was the problem by my personal mechanic and that it is very expensive to…
Air bags
14 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 78,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal, side/window.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer because the air bag warning indicator was illuminated. After the vehicle was diagnosed, he was informed that the passenger side air bag was not working because the module was defective. There was also too much compression in the air…
The service airbag light would come on intermittently. There would be a low thump thump sound emanating from the audio speakers. The lock door chimes stopped sounding.
Transmission
14 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 18,500 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, transfer case (4-wheel drive), driveline.
The truck continued to shake when depressing the gas pedal. Turns out the transmission was messed up. The dealer found lots of metal in the pan. Rebuit the broken parts @ 15,000 miles not a new one just rebuilt.
2003 Chevrolet Avalanche, driving down road service 4 wheel drive light comes on and vehicle is locked in all wheel drive, or 4 wheel drive.light has come on 6 times, dealer has inspected several times, and cannot duplicate the problem.no correction has been made so far.
Speed control
11 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 52,500 miles.
Speedometer needle sticks and only lowers the needle 5 MPH for each time the engine is turned off and then on again. Dealer has seen several in the past 2 months. Needle moves with a jumping motion and does not move smoothly as it did before. Dealer quoted a cost of $500-$600 to replace electronic speedometer. This is…
I have a 2003 Avalanche and out of the blue one day the tachometer started shooting up to 6000 rpms, and then the speedometer started ticking instead of moving smoothly, and now it stays at 0 once I am driving for 5 - 10 minutes. (1) not sure what lead to it.. It just started happening out of the blue (2) I can not…
Visibility and wipers
10 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 79,000 miles. Parts named most often: rearview mirrors/devices, windshield wiper/washer, power window devices and controls, rear window wiper/washer.
Dt: the contact had two problems with vehicle. The first problem affected the speedometer giving false readings. Regardless of the speed, the speedometer reads 120 MPH. When the vehicle is in park or completely stopped the speedometer reads 60 MPH. The second problem involved the windshield wipers. They wipe in…
Tl contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche. The front passenger side window locked in the up position a year after the vehicle was purchased. The failure was repaired. On april 19, 2006, the front driver side window locked in the down position. The contact was given a case number from Chevrolet, however the vehicle…
Body and structure
9 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 8,500 miles. Parts named most often: body, frame and members.
Dt: the contact stated the tailgate when lowered has a two edged hook projection on each side that is sharp. On 7-15-05 his granddaughter jumped off the tailgate and scratched her leg along her thigh; a 8-10"long scratch.
Air bags do not work. Air bag light comes on. Vehicle is being taken to the manufacturer for investigation and repair. The vehicle had problems with the air conditioning and the power steering made a squealing noise. The running boards fell off of the vehicle. The consumer heard a clunk in the transmission. The 4x4…
Engine
8 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 59,000 miles. Parts named most often: exhaust system, engine.
I have a 2003 chevy Avalanche z71 with 59000 miles. I noticed my vehicle being very sluggish the day before. When I left for work, I could barely get up to 50 MPH, in order for me to stay at 50 MPH I would have to reach 3000 RPM. After I turned down a side road, I could only get up to 20 MPH at 3000 RPM. I pulled over…
On december 12, 2003 vehicle stalled in the middle of an intersection, resulting in a crash that could have been fatal. Consumer stated, this vehicle had been seven to eight times at dealer with engine and transmission problems. Dealer could not duplicate or correct the problem.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2003 Chevrolet Avalanche recalls
Seat belts: rear/other
Risk: A lap portion of the seat belt routing that is not low and snug on the hips can allow the lap belt to ride up on an occupant's abdomen instead of fitting low around their hipbones, and therefore, can expose them to more risk of abdominal and internal organ injury.
Fix: 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. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, or hummer at 1-800-732-5493.
Full defect summary
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. Appropriate use of a child seat or booster seat, as recommended for small children, does improve the fit condition for this user group. In addition to instructions on proper infant and young child restraint (with child seats or boosters), special verbiage for restraining older child is included in the owner's manual. Also, the suggested seat belt fit/routing for adults, irrespective of seating position, is described in the owner's manual text.
Body and structure: hinge and attachments
Risk: Anyone sitting or standing on the horizontal surface of the tailgate when both cables fractured could be injured by falling from the tailgate. On vehicles that have had the bumper removed, the tailgate may drop even lower. Additionally, if there is cargo on the tailgate the cargo may fall off if the support cables fracture.
Fix: 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. Owners should contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or gmc at 1-866-996-9463, or visit www.mygmlink.com, and enter your vehicle identification number.
Full defect summary
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.
Brakes: service brakes, hydraulic
Risk: Consequently, the valve o-ring seal may fracture. Steering efforts may be slightly increased while braking or parking. Under certain driving conditions, a fractured seal may require a slight increase in the applied brake pedal effort to achieve the same vehicle deceleration rate as prior to the seat fracture.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Fuel system: tank assembly
Risk: Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will install a fuel tank shield. Owner notification began february 20, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or gmc at 1-800-462-8782.
Full defect summary
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, vehicles, during a 30 degree left angle frontal impact of sufficient severity, a tear could develop in the mid-frame cross member at its attachment to the left frame rail. If the mid-frame cross member tears during frontal impact and produces a sharp edge, contact of the sharp edge with the fuel tank could result in a puncture of the fuel tank and possible fuel leakage.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Brake line corrosion failure
Summary
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 vehicles manufactured and sold by general motors corporation (gm).on july 2, 2010, odi received gm's response to an information request, which included gm's assessment of the frequency and safety consequences of the alleged defect. Gm stated that:(1) the brake system of the subject veh
Parking brake failure
Summary
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.
Hydraulic pump failres
Summary
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. Gm made additional changes in november 1999, february 2000, may 2001, and february 2004.odi will continue to monitor this problem and will take further action, if warranted, in the future.for further technical details see the attached engineering analysis report.
Tailgate cable breakage
Summary
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 04v-129, but are not being addressed by campaign o4v-129.odi is initiating a separate investigation to address these vehicles.the complaint-injury-fatality statistics summarized above pertain to model year 2000-2004 vehicles. The complaint-injury statistics for model year 1999 and e
Questions about the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche
- What are the most common problems with the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: brakes (80 complaints, typically around 106,500 miles); electrical (42 complaints, typically around 70,000 miles); air bags (14 complaints, typically around 78,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche have?
- 4 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from April 22, 2005 (seat belts). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2003 a bad year for the Chevrolet Avalanche?
- It is 4th of 14 Avalanche model years by number of complaints, with 204 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.