The contact recently purchased a 2003 Chevrolet Express. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel due to a corroded catalytic converter. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 12V388000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue; however, the contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 125,000.
The worst 2003 Chevrolet Express problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes11
- Fuel system11
- Electrical10
- Engine6
- Transmission6
- Body5
- Airbags4
- Seat belts4
- Acceleration3
- Steering3
- Visibility3
- Lights2
- Locks1
- Seats1
- Suspension1
- Tires1
- Wheels1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Chevrolet Express
Recalls 10
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: filler pipe and cap
- What is wrong
- 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, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Water and road contaminants may become trapped in the protective conduit that covers the fuel filler pipe and may cause the pipe to corrode.
- Risk
- Significant corrosion may allow fuel to leak during refueling, and in the presence of an ignition source; there is an increased risk of fire.
- 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. Owners may contact the Chevrolet owner center at 1‑866‑694‑6546 and GMC at 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 12V388000 · Recall details
Seat belts
- What is wrong
- On certain full-size passenger, cargo, or cutaway vans, the front and rear seat belt buckles will not latch or will not unlatch.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, a seat occupant may not be properly restrained increasing the risk of personal injury.
- 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. The recall will be conducted in phases. The first phase mailing began during march 2006. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 or gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 05V558000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: anchorage
- What is wrong
- 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. 225, 'child restraint anchorage systems.' these vehicles have one seating position, the center rear seat, equipped with child restraint lower anchorages.
- Risk
- The standard requires child seat lower anchorages in two seating positions for vehicles with three rear seating positions. The standard cab and cargo van vehicles, which only have front seating positions, have an air bag off switch to disable the front passenger air bag and do not have child restraint lower anchorages in the passenger seat. The standard requires passenger seat child seat lower anchorages in vehicles with an air bag off switch. However, the standard does not require vehicles with only front seating positions to have lower anchorage provisions if the vehicle is not equipped with an air bag off switch.
- 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 cover over the resulting opening. The sun visor label and owner's manual will also be changed. The correction for the extended cab vehicle will consist of changing the front passenger seat to a seat that has child restraint lower anchorages. The recall began on september 9, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 or gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 04V225000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic
- What is wrong
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Recall number 04V045000 · Recall details
Equipment: other: owners/service/other manual
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
- 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 booster cushion. Owner notification began august 18, 2003. Owners should contact buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080, cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339, chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463, pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668, or oldsmobile at 1‑800‑630‑6537.
Recall number 03V250000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting
- What is wrong
- 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. The temperature of the license plate lamp socket could increase to the point that it may begin to soften and melt.
- Risk
- If the socket assembly were to reach the point of melting, the occupants of the vehicle may notice an odor and smoke at the rear doors of the vehicle. If this odor and smoke were ignored, the plastic could ignite and a fire could occur.
- 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.
Recall number 03V217000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: buckle assembly
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- This could result in increased risk of personal injury.
- 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 receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020 or gmc at 1‑800‑462‑8782.
Recall number 03V050000 · Recall details
Steering: linkages
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- A separation could result in loss of vehicle control, and a crash could occur with prior warning.
- 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. 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.
Recall number 02V330000 · Recall details
Steering: linkages: tie rod assembly
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- Separation of a tie rod can cause unexpected vehicle steering in some maneuvers and could cause a crash without prior warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will tighten the tie rod end nut and, if necessary, replace the tie rod end. Owner notification began november 27, 2002. 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.
Recall number 02V326000 · Recall details
Wheels: lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
- What is wrong
- Certain vans were built without a wheel bearing assembly retaining nut, which could lead to a possible bearing separation.
- Risk
- If this were to occur, the amber-colored ABS tell-tale lamp in the instrument panel would illuminate and the ABS system would be disabled. The driver would also notice a grinding noise, a decrease in the vehicle speed, and the steering will pull in the direction of the affected brake assembly. This could result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- 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. 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.
Recall number 02V305000 · Recall details
See all 10 recalls for the 2003 Chevrolet Express
Defect investigations
Fuel Filler Pipe Corrosion/Leakage
On August 7, 2012 General Motors (GM) notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) that it will conduct a safety related recall for model year (MY) 2003-2004 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles.The recall affects vehicles equipped with a left side cargo door and that were originally sold or currently registered in the corrosion or salt-belt states of Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Dealers are to install a new fuel filler neck. Consumer notification letters will be sent in early October 2012, when sufficient parts are available. ODI has received 12 complaints alleging unique incidents of fuel leakage during refueling of a subject vehicle. Eleven of the complaints occurred on Chevrolet Express vans, and 1 of the complaints involved a GMC Savana. All vehicles were equipped with the left side cargo door option. For vehicles so equipped, water and road debris can become trapped in the protective conduit that covers the fuel filler pipe and may subsequently cause the pipe to corrode. If the corrosion creates a significant perforation in the pipe, fuel may leak onto the ground while refueling the vehicle. An illuminated Check Engine light (on some vehicles) or the presence of fuel odor may also act as precursors to fuel leakage. Fuel in the presence of an ignition source could cause a fire to occur. In their response to ODI's information request, GM reported 24 owner reports and 1 field report alleging fuel filler pipe failure/corrosion in the subject vehicle population. Six additional records were also provided that included the replacement of the fuel filler pipe, however not enough information existed to determine a relation to the alleged problem. After further review of the reports, ODI determined that a total of 27 individual GM reports were related to filler pipe corrosion. The complaints received from both ODI and GM primarily occurred in the corrosion states. During the investigation, the scope of the subject vehicle population was expanded to include MY 2004 Express vans, and MY 2003 and 2004 GMC Savana vans (with V6 engines) also equipped with left hand side door options, since the Savana vans also utilize the same, or substantially similar fuel filler pipe configuration. GM subsequently modified the design of the fuel filler pipe on vehicles equipped with side doors to correct the corrosion concern, so these vehicles do not have the defect issue.The affected vehicle population shown above reflects the total number of vehicles registered in the salt-belt states listed in GM's defect information report (DIR). Prior to the safety recall announcement, GM had issued a special coverage adjustment for vehicles in these states, during which a total of 771 repairs were made. Accordingly the vehicle population noted in the DIR reflects that of the remaining vehicle population.The investigation is closed based on GM's announcement of safety recall 12V388. The reports cited above can be reviewed online at www-odi.the federal safety agency.dot.gov/owners/Searchreference under the following identification (ODI) numbers: 10463398, 10459328, 10456403, 10453725, 10445925, 10443143, 10441615, 10413568, 10413214, 10411911, 10353717, 10259377.
PE11040
Hydraulic pump failres
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.
EA04012
Technical service bulletins for the 2003 Chevrolet Express 578
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
- This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on OnStar Module 2G Sunset Information.
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have...
- This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.
- This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating...
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the...
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire...
- Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles
- GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities
- This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves...
What 2003 Chevrolet Express owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2003 Chevrolet Express. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was approximately 156,000. It was later discovered that the mileage on July 2, 2024, was 258,051.
The frame and its crossmembers are rusted (rotted) thru above the gas tank making the van useless. The gas tank is even attached at those areas making it a ticking time bomb. This is a know gm frame problem for many years on many truck bodies.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet express. The contact stated that the cable that held the seat belts together, located in the rear middle row, snapped without warning. As a result, the contact was concerned that, in the event of a crash, the seat belts would not secure properly and cause an injury. The contact also stated that the rear driver and passenger side door hinges fractured. The contact stated that the doors were glued shut. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 228,000. Updated 10/17*lj updated 10/4/18
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet express. The contact stated that the front of the vehicle vibrated whenever the vehicle was being driven over 30 MPH over a bump. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the control arms, the pitman arm, the tires and the hubs were replaced, but the failure persisted. The failure mileage was 109,000. The VIN was not available. ....updated 07/22/15 *bf updated 10/4/2017
I received a notice from gm ( doc id #32202443, #12167 fuel filler pipe corrosion) stating that there was a recall on my vehicle for leaking gasoline. I brought it to sighn chevrolet in riverside ca and the service manager told me that ca vehicles do not qualify. I contacted customer complaints case # [xxx] and all they did was call the same service manager and got back to me saying they won't fix it. I believe I am driving around with a vehicle leaking gas on the road creating an extremely dangerous situation for my family with a dire fire hazard. My contention is, why would they send me a recall notice and then tell me I don't qualify? I did receive the notice and it said it had to be acted on before 12/31/12 but it was not leaking then. I don't care when it expires. It is a admitted defect and gm should stand behind their dangerous errors. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).'
My speedometer quickly jumps from one indicated speed to another speed that is clearly inaccurate, down as low as -0- while driving, accompanied by the transmission attempting to downshift on it's own, which causes a severe engine over-rev condition or going into a neutral momentarily with no input from me as the driver. There are no specific actions I can take to trigger the erratic symptom, nor any specific action I can take to cause normal operation. With snow and ice on the roads at this time of the year this is extremely dangerous as it could cause the van to lock up the rear wheels on slippery pavement causing lack of control. This condition can occur regardless of whether or not cruise control is selected, regardless of the gear I manually select, and regardless of the trailer mode being selected or not. Simultaneously the "check engine" light goes on, the "ABS light" and "brakes" lights are lit on the dashboard although no braking abnormalities are noted. I reported a less severe case of this several months ago, but received no reply from the federal safety agency. Doing internet research I find that it may be a defective speedometer dashboard assembly that would need to be sent away for repair/exchange. They require a large deposit in order to go thru the verification process that the odometer reading I report is the same as the unit I send in. Part cost with deposit is close to $600, and they show an online internet video of how to remove the dashboard unit which takes less than 3 minutes. I've read this is a common problem with this vehicle make, model and year. I am the original owner since new, and it has less than 17,000 actual miles on it.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet express. The contact stated that there was a fuel leak coming from the vehicle. The contact indicated that after refueling, fuel puddle under the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who diagnosed that the filler neck needed to be replaced and the metal fuel filler pipe was corroded. The contact was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number: 12v388000 (fuel system, gasoline). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 153,500.
Driving on interstate at 65 MPH, the ABS warning light came on, and the speedometer started jumping erratically from actual speed to lower speeds 45, 25 + others as low as 8 (eight) MPH. This caused the transmission to downshift unpredictably, over-revving the engine speed. It happened repeatedly so I documented the odometer erratic movement on my cell phone as a video, showing road movement + all gauges + audio events like engine over-revving at same time. The video is of high quality and the events taking place are documented with the video. Rural area with few cars on road at the time. If it took place in a city interstate environment (especially in the winter months) it might have caused a multiple car collision with sudden unexpected downshifting that was out of my control. Engine RPM also hunts erratically and out of my control. Predictable in what it does, it begins approximately within a range of 4-8 miles after leaving home daily. When engine turned off and parked at a local store as an example, it will clear it's problem as if a cpu is "re-booted", and repeat the cycle of erratic behavior from that new starting point. When I bought + installed actron brand obd-ii code reader which features ability to reveal ABS brake codes, it never shows any other stored codes except a single po446 which is an emissions related code. This van was originally sent new by the selling nh chevrolet dealer to the pennsylvania based quigley conversion facility, so in february 2004 was modified from rwd to a 4wd by exchanging stock model 2500 front end for a 4 wd pickup truck new factory front end with 4wdl, neutral, 2wdh 4wdh floor control lever. The driver's door jam has an 8600 lb gvw certification which is appropriately quigley's. My very low odometer at 16,614 miles is accurate, as I also have other vehicles to use, and work at home.
This vehicle was bought brand new but unbeknownst to me was made in canada (something which would not have been acceptable to me had I been told). Upon possession the windshield molding came off on the ride home. The driver side tierod end went at 12,000 miles and again at 24,000 miles because upon inspection the ball joints were never properly tightened. The bolts on the transmission were found by the dealer to have been never properly tightened. The sidedoor hinge had to be replaced at a cost of $600 because it froze up and could not be opened. The power steering unit rusted out at 12,000 miles and started leaking fluid and, what I find most important, I am not sure if I have airbags because the airbag light stays on but is noted to go off when the key is partially turned however the key cannot stay in this position and must be turned to start the vehicle. Fuel expectation was never near what I was told it would be and tailpipe consistently showed evidence of being blackened due to insufficient fuel burning. The poor backdoor design makes it difficult to see out the back window and it is clearly evident by almost every van of this type having a dented bumper due to this blindspot in design. I have not begun to list all the things not right with this vehicle but I will chalk them up to downright lying and just inferior parts and craftsmenship. This vehicle has been a nightmare.
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Questions about the 2003 Chevrolet Express
Is the 2003 Chevrolet Express reliable?
Owners have filed 59 complaints about the 2003 Chevrolet Express, 3.9 times a typical Express model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2003 Chevrolet Express year score?
The 2003 Chevrolet Express scores 19 out of 100 (poor). The score compares it with the other model years of the Chevrolet Express: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Chevrolet Express?
Brakes, with 11 complaints, typically around 29,000 miles. Next is fuel system (11).
How many recalls does the 2003 Chevrolet Express have?
10 recalls, covering fuel system, gasoline, seat belts and service brakes, hydraulic.
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