Home › Chevrolet › Silverado 3500 › 2003

2003 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Problems and Recalls

Owners filed 42 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 3500, most often about the brakes (57% of complaints, typically around 84,500 miles). It is 9th of 27 Silverado 3500 model years by number of complaints.

Complaints42
Recalls0
Crashes reported0
Fires reported1
Injuries reported0

Most common 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems

  1. Brakes

    24 complaints · 57%

    Half of these problems showed up before 84,500 miles. Parts named most often: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, driveline.

    Had corroded fuel lines replaced. Mechanic stated that brake lines looked in bad shape and suggested they be replaced also. Had limited usage of my truck while I looked into having them replaced. On one occasion I was approaching a stop sign with my wife in truck, as I went to stop, line ruptured, pedal went to floor…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2012, at 84,000 miles
    Brake lines had excessive amount of corrosion/rusted causing a leak(s). Lines going from the ABS module to the front brakes were found to be leaking. Lines going from the ABS system to the reservoir were also rusted and required replacement. Lines from the ABS system to the rear brakes began leaking a week later.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2012, at 84,728 miles

  2. Fuel system

    7 complaints · 17%

    Half of these problems showed up before 61,000 miles.

    Tl contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated that while traveling various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who reset the computer and replaced the fuel tank along with the fuel transfer pump. The failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2014, at 61,000 miles
    Driving down the road and truck just starts stalling out. Got it to the ford dealership who says there is rust in the tank and the fuel filter is full of it. This is a safety issue as I was barely able to get off of the road. These trucks need to be recalled for the fuel tanks. I've had vehicles that have never had…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2014, at 56,000 miles

  3. Electrical

    6 complaints · 14%

    Half of these problems showed up before 111,000 miles. Parts named most often: instrument cluster/panel.

    Day time running lights stopped working.when replacing bulbs found sockets burned to bulb base and wires to sockets burnt. Had to replace section of wires and break bulb base to remove. Condition can possibly cause a fire in electrical system.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2010, at 111,128 miles
    Tl contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated that all the gauges on the instrument panel have stopped operating, except the speedometer. The instrument panel lights do not illuminate as well. The dealer stated that the cluster needed to be replaced. The current and failure mileages were 98,000.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2007, at 98,000 miles

  4. Engine

    5 complaints · 12%

    Half of these problems showed up before 69,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine.

    Gm had a injector problem (recall ) in 2006. They replaced mine on sept,27 2006. On may 21 20013 I had the same problem in which gm conveys they can't fix it again. The mileage on may, 21 was 84362, just about how long the others lasted. I was told from my local gm dealer that they are several other owners with this…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2013, at 38,094 miles
    The contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the engine stalled and there was an abnormal noise. The contact was a certified mechanic and diagnosed that the fuel injector failed. The vehicle was restarted and the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2015, at 186,444 miles

  5. Transmission

    4 complaints · 10%

    Parts named most often: transfer case (4-wheel drive), driveline.

    Transfer case failure due to faulty design. Oil pump in transfer case rubs a hole in the case and dumps all the lubricant on the highway. Then the case ends up destroying itself. Hundreds of these failures are occurring. Mine happened at 83,000 miles.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2007, at 83,000 miles
    The contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. While driving approximately 4 MPH, the clutch panel assembly fractured into the floorboard without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and a dealer on two separate occasions where it was diagnosed that the clutch panel failed and needed to be…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2016, at 85,337 miles

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 Silverado 3500 recalls

NHTSA lists no recalls for this model year.

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.

Questions about the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 3500

What are the most common problems with the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 3500?
By NHTSA owner complaints: brakes (24 complaints, typically around 84,500 miles); fuel system (7 complaints, typically around 61,000 miles); electrical (6 complaints, typically around 111,000 miles).
How many recalls does the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls in case one is issued later.
Is the 2003 a bad year for the Chevrolet Silverado 3500?
It is 9th of 27 Silverado 3500 model years by number of complaints, with 42 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.

Other Chevrolet Silverado 3500 years

Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems by year