I have been experiencing complete engine failure while driving at highway speeds without any warning. I notice a loss of power and notice the engine light is on and the vehicle is difficult to steer. After coasting to the left side of the road, the vehicle ignition is turned off and after several attempts, the car starts again and I can drive to my destination. Fuel pump and fuel lines were replaced less than 2 years ago when a similar problem was experienced.
2003 Chevrolet Suburban: fuel pump failure
10 of the 301 complaints about the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban describe fuel pump failure.
- owner complaints
- 10
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- typical mileage
- 50,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below
Fuel pump failure by model year
What owners say
Driving in middle lane on highway out of state with kids in the car engine just quit--no power, couldn't signal to move or get to side of road, just sat in middle lane. Very scary!! Towed to a nearby dealer-told us the fuel pump shorted the engine and had to replace the fuel pump. No advance warning-only a blower motor seemed to be malfunctioning that morning (have had A/C problems). No issue with power until it just quit. Seems to be a common complaint when researching this year and vehicle--loss of power or decreased power. With the number of incidents found, someone should research this before another car is struck from behind and there are injuries or worse, fatalities. To have something this major happen without any symptoms or warning lights, and for the number of cases found, seems irresponsible at best, negligent at least. Please look into this!
The fuel pump on my 2003 chevrolet suburban has failed. It seems that this has been a problem with these vehicles in the past. I wish I had known before. I bought the car used in 2005, with approximately 32,000 miles on it. The "throttle body module", "steering gear", dash cluster, and now fuel pump have all failed! This has made me very upset with the manufacturer. The vehicle now has 72,000 miles on it. I thought buying american was the right thing to do. Now I'm worried about my 2004 gmc sierra.
2003 chevy suburban stalled twice on the highway at high speeds. Consumer states that the vehicle had the fuel pump replaced. After the fuel pump was replaced consumer noticed gasoline all over the garage floor.
Dt: the contact stated the fuel tank collapsed, crushing the fuel pump, which has been replaced twice. The fuel tank was plastic. The vent to the fuel tank was blocked and caused a vacuum which crushed the fuel pump. The first time, the vehicle was driven at 45 MPH, it shut down without warning and would not restart. An indicator light illuminated, stating the computer shut down the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealership, and the fuel pump was replaced. Less than three months later while driving, the problem recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealership. The fuel pump was replaced a second time, and the vent for the fuel tank was retro fitted to the engine compartment. The vehicle has not had any more problems.
Before complete failure, over a period of a month the car failed to start/turnover. After 5 minutes & repeated attempts car would finally start. On final failure date, the car would not start even with periodic attempts over 2 days. Vehicle was towed to dealer. Dealer replaced fuel pump & fuel filter which seems to have fixed the problem.
Dt: consumer owns a 2003 chevrolet suburban. He took vehicle to dealer at least seven times since april. When the vehicle turns over it just does not start. He came back from myrtle beach, and while driving on the interstate at 80 MPH when the vehicle shut down and stalled. He managed to coast off the interstate, it then started back up with one attempt. He traveled about 150 miles and the vehicle stalled again and it started back, this time it started and was running a little rough. The consumer took vehicle to the next exit and found a dealer who told him that he could make it back to ohio if he did not drive it very fast. The dealer told him that it was the fuel filter that was not able to handle the pressure. He drove back at 55 MPH, and the vehicle did not shut down. The next morning he took vehicle to dealer in farris ohio where he bought the vehicle. The dealer changed the ignition switch, the fuel pump, and something he thinks is called a ubeck. He was frustrated that he seemed to spend too much time at the dealer instead at home.
The vehicle has going to the shop 8+ times for similar problem. Vehicle loses power and dies out. Some times it will restart after 5 minutes, and some times it will not restart. The dealer has replaced the fuel pump 3 times, along with the module. They also have replaced the fuel sender, relay, crankshaft position sensor, and fuel filter. The dealer has failed to find the problem.
The vehicle cut off. The fuel pump was replaced. The vehicle still cut off on the highway, however, the dealer could not find any defect.
While making a turn light came on indicating brake system failure in a matter of seconds. Then, everything shut down. Consumer lost the ability to steer or brake. After struggling consumer managed to pull the vehicle to the side of the road. After waiting a few minutes consumer attempted to restart the vehicle, but it would not turn over. It had no power. Consumer had the vehicle towed to a chevrolet dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that a short in a fuel pump wire caused a fuse to blow out, which in turn, shut down the entire system. Consumer stated that dealer put vehicle on the diagnostic machine, and the main computer showed no failure. However, prior to this incident there had been some other electrical problems.
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 03V019000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban fuel pump
Is fuel pump failure a common problem on the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban?
10 of 301 owner complaints about the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban (3%) mention fuel pump failure. The model year with the most reports is 2001.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban?
There is 1 recall and 0 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban
Brake failure 34ABS 14Harsh shifting 10Airbag light 8Loss of power 8Stalling 8Tire blowout 7Seat belt 6Won't start 6Fuel gauge 5
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