Subpar material used in brake/fuel lines they rust premature
The worst 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 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.
- Brakes65
- Electrical60
- Body14
- Fuel system14
- Visibility10
- Steering9
- Engine8
- Acceleration7
- Transmission6
- Lights4
- Seat belts4
- Tires3
- Airbags2
- Locks2
- Suspension2
- Driver assistance1
- Seats1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 94
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 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)...
- This Warranty Administration bulletin provides retail and wholesale service personnel with the...
2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3L 8‑cyl | RWD | 12-13 | 17 | 14 |
| 5.3L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 12-13 | 16-17 | 13-14 |
What 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
My entire instrument panel does not always work when I start my truck. It will occasionally come to life after driving a bit or sometimes it doesn't work at all. No pattern as to when, where or driving conditions. Started a few months ago where it would always work shortly after I started the engine and has progressively gotten worse,
Brake lines rusting. Twice in a month the brakes failed after a hard stop at a traffic light. Lucky for me & others there were no cars in front of me or trying to cross the intersection. After applying the brake hard to stop, the brake pedal continued all the way to the floor and the car did not stop. The mechanic told me that the brake lines rusted and therefore the brake fluid leaked out of the system
Without warning brake line blew a hole and no brakes. No warning and total loss of brakes. Service brake system light came on. No help with that. Fortunately I was able to pass on right shoulder threw the grass. Almost a three vehicle accident. Need to have this problem addressed and taken care of. People could have easily been injured or killed.
Tamara inflators I'm loosing brake fluid as I drive I'm leasing the automobile from quality auto also they said it's okay to still drive the car with a gas in the truck but it's saying needs gas I keep smelling gas after he said it passed road inspection test ! I'm very concerned it more wrong if I jam or pump the brakes I can not stop I'm immediately. Im unsure what my actual mileage is . The sensors are not working when I went to uncle ed's or even other auto shops I do have photos and videos
I just started leasing the vehicle from quality auto that says that the car is road ready but have lots of hazardous things to it a very bad gas leak that there taking there time to fix and my hood of my car won't stay down ...it's 7 days into my car lease and there promises have been broken and won't trade me another car .
Brakes failed while driving vehicle shortly after leaving my house while driving down my driveway. The brakes were working fine when I started the truck and completed a 3 point turn to turn the vehicle around in my driveway. As I started going down my driveway and went to apply my brakes to slow the vehicle down that's when the problem occurred. Luckily I was driving slow, under 15 MPH, when I experienced the issue: the brake pedal went all the way to the floor and the vehicle barely slowed down. I started to pump the brakes which did slow the vehicle some and I also employed the emergency brake which enabled me to bring the vehicle to a stop. Had I been in traffic, and not just in my driveway, I most likely would have collided with another vehicle as I had very little control over stopping the vehicle when the issue happened. The issue was due to a rusted rear brake line under the vehicle. The single brake line feeding both of the rear brakes had burst in the vicinity under the drivers seat. The brake line burst while I was going down my driveway as evidenced by the amount of brake fluid spayed onto my driveway when I first attempted to apply my brakes while driving down the driveway and at each point where I pumped the brakes. I was shocked that a single brake line bursting would leave my entire vehicle without brakes. Why is there a front and rear reservoir if they don't matter? There should have been at least a safety alert about this potential danger so I would have known to watch for this obvious safety flaw on my chevrolet suburban. After inspecting the rest of my brake lines I have found that 100% of all my brake lines are severely rusted and will need to be replaced. The chevrolet dealership near my house has already quoted me a repair estimate of $2,100 over the phone, but will need to see the vehicle first to be more precise in their estimate.
During cold months only vehicle has power surges whenever driving. Interior lights and headlights flicker consistently to where it appears I am flashing my lights. The higher the rpms, flickering is more frequent. Apparently a known issue with no solution or recall. Alternator and battery testing out good.
The battery keeps going dead and something is not shutting the car down causing a parasitic battery draw killing battery I have gone through 4 battery and after about 3 days or 4 the truck does not start and 2hen I take it to autozone they say its dead and give me a new battery and tried looking up issue and see alot of people having issues and when I took to check alternator or starter nothing they are good
Noticed recently that the dashboard developed a crack near the air bag and extending forward to the windshield.. Vehicle was stationary.
Compare the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500
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Questions about the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500
Is the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 reliable?
Owners have filed 175 complaints about the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500, 1.9 times a typical Suburban 1500 model year.
What is the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 year score?
The 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 scores 52 out of 100 (below average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Chevrolet Suburban 1500: 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 Suburban 1500?
Brakes, with 65 complaints, typically around 103,000 miles. Next is electrical (60).
How many recalls does the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the Chevrolet Suburban 1500 have bad brakes?
The Chevrolet Suburban 1500 model years with the most brakes complaints are 2002 (66 complaints), 2003 (65 complaints) and 1999 (50 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 get?
Official estimates for the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 range from 13 to 14 mpg combined. The most efficient version (5.3L 8-cyl, RWD) gets 12-13 city and 17 highway.
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