The Used Car Index

2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems

NHTSA lists 805 complaints for the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 26 of them mention a crash and 7 mention a fire. 8 complaints mention an injury, with 13 injuries and 0 deaths reported.

Data build 2026-10-09.

NHTSA lists this vehicle as CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500.

At a glance

Complaints
805
With crash
26
With fire
7
With injury (complaints)
8
Injuries
13
Deaths
0
Recalls
0
Do not drive recalls
0
Park outside recalls
0
Recall potential units (maximum)
Unavailable
Investigations
3
Open investigations
0
Manufacturer communications
218

Complaints per 100k sold unavailable. The required sales year is missing.

Where the complaints are

Top systems
SystemComplaintsShare of this vehicle's complaints
SERVICE BRAKES27333.9%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM19524.2%
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC15118.8%
STEERING567.0%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL293.6%
STRUCTURE273.4%
POWER TRAIN263.2%
AIR BAGS212.6%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING202.5%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM182.2%
Top subsystems
SystemSubsystemComplaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMINSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL105
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULICANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP31
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULICFOUNDATION COMPONENTS27
STRUCTUREBODY19
POWER TRAINAUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION11
STEERINGCOLUMN10
SUSPENSIONFRONT9
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLINGENGINE5
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLINGEXHAUST SYSTEM5
VISIBILITYDEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM5

One complaint can name several systems, so shares can add to more than 100 percent.

Model-generated complaint tags: This model year has not been tagged.

Recalls

See new recalls and investigations this week.

0 recalls.

Investigations

3 investigations; 0 open.

EA11001

Opened: 2011-01-05. Closed: 2015-04-08.

Brake line corrosion failure

On January 11, 2011, ODI opened EA11-001 to investigate allegations of premature brake line corrosion failure in model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 General Motors (GM) full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles sold or registered in the following region of the United States that NHTSA has viewed as salt states for investigations of corrosion related issues:Connecticut, Delaware, District of

Systems: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC.

Linked campaign numbers: None listed.

EA04011

Opened: 2004-04-09. Closed: 2005-05-10.

PARKING BRAKE FAILURE

IN A LETTER DATED APRIL 20, 2005, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT HAD DECIDED THAT DEFECTS THAT RELATE TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXIST IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES (PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) AND MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES (TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) PICKUPS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS.ACCORDING TO GM, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE THE FRICTION LINING

Systems: PARKING BRAKE.

Linked campaign numbers: 05V161000.

PE03057

Opened: 2003-12-08. Closed: 2004-04-09.

PARKING BRAKE FAILURE

ODI OPENED PE03-057 TO ASSESS PARKING BRAKE INEFFECTIVENESS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THESE VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH FOUR WHEEL DISC BRAKES THAT INCORPORATE A SINGLE-SHOE DRUM-IN-HAT PARKING BRAKE INDEPENDENT OF THE SERVICE BRAKES.COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA INDICATE THAT THE PARKING BRAKE LININGS TEND TO WEAR OUT EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE (AT AN AVERAGE OF 24 MONTHS IN SERVICE), REDUCING T

Systems: PARKING BRAKE.

Linked campaign numbers: None listed.

Manufacturer communications

218 manufacturer communications.

Communications by system
SystemCount
EQUIPMENT71
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING46
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM43
ENGINE14
POWER TRAIN13
STRUCTURE11
UNKNOWN OR OTHER10
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY9

11020816

Date: 2025-07-18. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.

11020688

Date: 2025-07-08. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

This Preliminary Information communicates direction for different audio issues with RPO UQA, UQF, UQS, or NKD

11017252

Date: 2025-03-28. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on OnStar Module 2G Sunset Information.

11014455

Date: 2025-02-20. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an unusual noise and is difficult to identify, isolate or pinpoint. Technician should get record a sound clip or take a video of the noise for assessment by engineering. Technician will need to

11012907

Date: 2024-12-18. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ENGINE.

This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.

11009156

Date: 2024-10-25. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8 starting/charging tester A and Vehicle Data Recorder tools, giving website address and st

11010544

Date: 2024-10-07. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ENGINE.

This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.

11007743

Date: 2024-09-12. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air. Before calling General Motors Technical Assistance Center technician will need to have high and low pressures, outside temperature, humidity, and ven

11007744

Date: 2024-09-12. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air. Before calling General Motors Technical Assistance Center technician will need to have high and low pressures, outside temperature, humidity, and ven

11007208

Date: 2024-09-06. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized, tested and designed for the vehicle in question and its applications. Technician s

Notes on this record

  • Complaints from the API and bulk file are merged and deduplicated by ODI number; the API alone misses records.
  • System and subsystem counts are numbers of distinct complaints, recalls or communications that name them. One record can name several systems, so shares across systems can add to more than 100 percent; a single share never exceeds 100 percent.
  • Recalls are counted once per campaign, investigations once per action and manufacturer communications once per NHTSA id, even when NHTSA lists several model names for the same record.
  • A sales denominator is a calendar-year proxy, not the population of vehicles still in use. Rates are copied from verified pipeline output.

Other names NHTSA uses

None listed.

Matched NHTSA models

Matched labels and complaints
NHTSA model labelComplaints
SILVERADO 1500805

Same model, other years

All model years | All Chevrolet models

Other Chevrolet models, 2003

Sources

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