While driving down a 50 mph roadway there was a line of cars slowing for a vehicle to make a turn. When gently pushing the brakes to slow down, brake went clear to the floor and could not slow down. Truck was driven into the ditch to avoid rear-ending vehicles. This happened immediately without warning, all braking prior to this incident was normal. When taken to our mechanic, they advised the brake lines underneath were notorious for rusting out and failing, new stainless steel lines were then installed to correct the problem.
The worst 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 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.
- Brakes247
- Electrical86
- Engine31
- Transmission30
- Fuel system29
- Steering17
- Acceleration15
- Body15
- Suspension14
- Tires14
- Airbags11
- Lights5
- Seat belts5
- Visibility4
- Driver assistance3
- Locks3
- Wheels3
- Seats2
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
Brake failure 95ABS 31Loss of power 15Tire blowout 13Fuel gauge 9Stalling 9Check engine light 8Ball joint 6Fire or smoke 6Fuel leak 5
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Defect investigations
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 Silverado 2500 401
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.
- Unknown or other
- This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.
- Unknown or other
- 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...
- This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as...
- This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming System (SPS)...
What 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 equipped with Prinx Tires, Tire Line: High Country, Tire Size: 245/75/R16, DOT Number: 04N18HTPC1323. The contact had the tires rotated by an independent mechanic. Upon inspection of the tires, the contact discovered cracks along the base of the tire treads on all four tires. The contact notified the mechanic about the defect and was given a credit for the remaining mileage on the tires warranty. The contact notified the manufacturer about the failure through voicemail and email; however, the contact never received a response. The contact stated that the four tires were replaced. The tire failure mileage was 21,942. The vehicle failure mileage was 342,422.
The component that failed according to the Chevrolet dealer is the "transfer case pump clips", which came loose inside the transfer case and wore a hole through the case causing the oil to come out. If I would not have noticed the oil on the back of my truck, I could have continued to drive the truck, which could have caused the transfer case gears to lock up the front and rear axles while driving and could have caused me to wreck, causing injury to myself, my family or someone else. I marked the area of the leak with a sharpie as depicted in the photos.
When starting vehicle , after initial dash lights times out, I now get an AIRBAG 9malfunction light). Tried resetting, did not work. Now, every time I start the engine, the comes on and stays on.
Hydroboost valve pump shows a recall.,and it's not working properly
I had to replace the replace the housing on my transfer case as it wore a hole in and was leaking. At a cost of 1200 dollars due to myself catching it early as later with a fully disabled case would have been 2600 dollars. My mechanic who deals in transmission repairs told me this a very common problem for Chevy trucks from 1999 to 2006. He claimed he had done 7 transfer cases in one week and was actually replacing a fully wrecked one for 2600 dollars as I brought mine in to be worked on . It had worn a hole through the transfer case and was leaking. As this seems to be a serious defect . I feel it should have been under a recall and reimbursement should be in order for those who paid out of pocket for repairs. My mechanic also stated that he has replaced them at 35, 000 miles and on up. No rhyme or reason to when they fail or leak.
In the middle of the taxiway, while I was traveling my truck turned off while it was running and did not turn on again, putting my safety at risk by being in the middle of the taxiway, after several minutes the truck was able to be removed from the road, then I was able to investigate that I am not the only one that the same thing has happened to him, there is no Safety Recall in this regard, the GM fabric is aware of these cases but only wrote a TSB, it was diagnosed with the scanner and it gave code U1800, before the event there were no lights warning but after the event there is a check engine light on.
The contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering failed causing the steering wheel to become hard to maneuver. The contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the hydro boost area when the brake pedal or accelerator pedal were depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that the intermediate shaft was faulty. The intermediate shaft was replaced however, the failure recurred. The contact requested the dealer to replace the power steering pump but the dealer informed the contact that the failure was caused by the power steering pump. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 115,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 equipped with cooper tire, tire line: sunfire, tire size: lt245/75 r16, dot number: (not available). The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, he felt vibration and the rear driver's side tire experienced a blowout. The contact pulled over and parked safely on the side of the road. The contact stated due to tire blowout, the vehicle sustained damages to the rear driver's side tail light assembly, bumper and quarter panel. The contact stated he contacted triple a and had the rear driver's side tire changed. The contact stated he experience the failure for a second time on 10/24/2020 to the rear passenger's tire and a third time on 11/9/2020 on another rear tire. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was informed that the rear tire needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of failure. The failure mileage was approximately 203,107
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500. While the contact was changing the oil in the vehicle, he noticed oil leaking without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who visually inspected the vehicle and determined that the fuel line was fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Holz motors (5961 s 108th st, hales corners, wi 53130, (414) 377-3584) was contacted and stated that the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.
Compare the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
Is the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 reliable?
Owners have filed 449 complaints about the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 4.3 times a typical Silverado 2500 model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 year score?
The 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 scores 22 out of 100 (poor). The score compares it with the other model years of the Chevrolet Silverado 2500: 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 Silverado 2500?
Brakes, with 247 complaints, typically around 83,000 miles. Next is electrical (86).
How many recalls does the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 have bad brakes?
The Chevrolet Silverado 2500 model years with the most brakes complaints are 2003 (247 complaints), 2002 (212 complaints) and 2001 (181 complaints).
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