IllustrationINSTRUMENT PANEL HAS STOPPED WORKING. NONE OF THE GAUGES WORK. START VEHICLE NO GAUGES MOVE. DRIVE AND NO GAUGES MOVE, INCLUDING SPEEDOMETER
2003 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Avalanche 1500 years
Owner complaints for the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 38.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Avalanche 1500 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
70–25K
1525–50K
3650–75K
3775–100K
39100–150K
20150K+
154 reports with mileage · 28 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 84 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports3 fire reports2 injury reports
Vehicle Speed Control complaints
11 reportsENGINE LIGHT AND REDUCE ENGINE POWER AND START LOOSING SPEED. AFTER TURNED OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES WORK FINE. THIS YEAR IN AN HOUR RIDE HAVE TO STOP AT LEAST 20 TIMES. COMPUTER CODES STATED NEED TO CHANGE THROTTLE BODY. LAST WEEK I CHANGE IT AND AGAIN THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR
KEY IGNITION SWITCH IS LOOSE AND CAR WILL SHUT OFF WHILE OPERATING, KEY CAN BE PULLED OUT OF IGNITION WHILE RUNNING. IF VEHICLE SHUTS OFF WHILE OPERATING THEN YOU LOOSE CONTROL OF BRAKES, STEERING, AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. GM IS DENYING THERE IS A PROBLEM. MY VEHICLE IS PROOF THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTS AND THE CHEVY AVALANCHE 200…
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KEY IGNITION SWITCH IS LOOSE AND CAR WILL SHUT OFF WHILE OPERATING, KEY CAN BE PULLED OUT OF IGNITION WHILE RUNNING. IF VEHICLE SHUTS OFF WHILE OPERATING THEN YOU LOOSE CONTROL OF BRAKES, STEERING, AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. GM IS DENYING THERE IS A PROBLEM. MY VEHICLE IS PROOF THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTS AND THE CHEVY AVALANCHE 2003 HAS A PROBLEM. *TR
I BELIEVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE GM KEY/IGNITION SWITCH IS MORE COMMON THEN WHAT IS BEING REPORTED. THE AVALANCHE 2003 HAS HAD THE SAME LOOSE IGNITION SWITCH FOR YEARS. OUR KEY SYSTEM HAS TO BE JIGGLED AND FORCED TO THE START POSITION 80 PERCENT OF THE TIME. THE IGNITION SWITCH WILL ALSO MOVE THE OFF POSITION WHILE THE VEHI…
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I BELIEVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE GM KEY/IGNITION SWITCH IS MORE COMMON THEN WHAT IS BEING REPORTED. THE AVALANCHE 2003 HAS HAD THE SAME LOOSE IGNITION SWITCH FOR YEARS. OUR KEY SYSTEM HAS TO BE JIGGLED AND FORCED TO THE START POSITION 80 PERCENT OF THE TIME. THE IGNITION SWITCH WILL ALSO MOVE THE OFF POSITION WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING AND THE KEY WILL FALL OUT.
THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A 2-WAY STOP. UPON TURNING RIGHT, MY FOOT WENT FROM THE BRAKE TO THE GAS PEDAL AND GOT HOOKED ON A PIECE OF METAL EXTENDING FROM THE ARM OF THE ACCELERATOR. THIS CAUSED MY FOOT TO BE TRAPPED BELOW THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT ATTACHED TO THE GAS PEDAL. THE VEHICLE SPUN BACK AND FORTH WHILE TRYING TO GET MY FOOT…
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THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A 2-WAY STOP. UPON TURNING RIGHT, MY FOOT WENT FROM THE BRAKE TO THE GAS PEDAL AND GOT HOOKED ON A PIECE OF METAL EXTENDING FROM THE ARM OF THE ACCELERATOR. THIS CAUSED MY FOOT TO BE TRAPPED BELOW THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT ATTACHED TO THE GAS PEDAL. THE VEHICLE SPUN BACK AND FORTH WHILE TRYING TO GET MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR. I HIT A TRUCK COMING FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM WHICH I WAS TURNING PINNING IT TO THE GUARD RAIL. ALTHOUGH BOTH TRUCKS HAD STOPPED, THE TIRES ON MY TRUCK WERE STILL SPINNING BECAUSE MY FOOT WAS STILL HOOKED ON THE ACCELERATOR AND WEDGE BELOW THE BRAKE PEDAL. ONLY AFTER I TURNED THE KEY OFF COULD I PUT THE TRUCK IN PARK. IN ORDER TO GET OUT OF MY TRUCK I HAD TO UNLACE MY SHOE AND PULL MY FOOT OUT, THEN PRY IT OFF THE SIDE OF THE ACCELERATOR, LEAVING A HOLE IN THE SIDE OF MY SHOE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER SEEMED TO BE DEFECTIVE. THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED PERIODICALLY WHICH CAUSED THE CRUISE CONTROL TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED BUT THE DEALER, WHEN CALLED, STATED THAT THE CONTACT WOULD BE …
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER SEEMED TO BE DEFECTIVE. THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED PERIODICALLY WHICH CAUSED THE CRUISE CONTROL TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED BUT THE DEALER, WHEN CALLED, STATED THAT THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY REPAIR EXPENSES. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 155,000.
LAST YEAR IN MY 2003 AVALANCHE I WAS CRUISING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND I NOTICED MY SPEEDOMETER START TO MOVE BACKWARDS UNTIL IT READ ABOUT 25 MPH, HOWEVER, I WASN'T SLOWING DOWN. IT WAS VERY CONCERNING TO ME, SO I FIRST PULLED OVER TO LOOK UNDER THE HOOD, BUT I FOUND NOTHING. CURRENTLY THE SPEEDO DOES NOT OPERATE AT ALL, BU…
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LAST YEAR IN MY 2003 AVALANCHE I WAS CRUISING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND I NOTICED MY SPEEDOMETER START TO MOVE BACKWARDS UNTIL IT READ ABOUT 25 MPH, HOWEVER, I WASN'T SLOWING DOWN. IT WAS VERY CONCERNING TO ME, SO I FIRST PULLED OVER TO LOOK UNDER THE HOOD, BUT I FOUND NOTHING. CURRENTLY THE SPEEDO DOES NOT OPERATE AT ALL, BUT I WENT THROUGH A FEW MONTHS WHERE IT WOULD START TO WORK PARTIALLY AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR OF DRIVING. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY THIS PART WAS SUPPLIED BY GM IN LARGE NUMBERS OF FAULTY PARTS, AND REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE I BELIEVE I SHOULD BE COMPENSATED TO FIX THE SPEEDO. I HAD NO MAINTENANCE CONTROL OVER THE LIFE OF THE ELECTRONICS, AND IT'S NOT LIKE IF I HAD CHANGED THE OIL MORE REGULARLY I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. CHEVY'S ARE TOO GOOD OF TRUCKS TO HAVE THIS KIND OF PROBLEM ON SO MANY OF THEIR TRUCKS. I'M SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING MOVING BACK TO A FORD TRUCK BECAUSE I OWNED A '95 BRONCO THAT HAD 248K MILES AND NEVER HAD AN ELECTRONIC PROBLEM. *TR
I HAVE A 2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE THAT WAS PURCHASED NEW IN JANUARY 2003. IT CURRENTLY HAS 110,000 MILES ON IT, BUT SINCE ABOUT 40,000 MILES THE SPEEDOMETER HAS BEEN ACTING UP. IT IS REAL JERKY WHEN MOVING AND STICKS ON SPEEDS. CURRENTLY, IT IS PARKED AND ON 100. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL WORK CORRECTLY - SOMETIMES IT DOES…
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I HAVE A 2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE THAT WAS PURCHASED NEW IN JANUARY 2003. IT CURRENTLY HAS 110,000 MILES ON IT, BUT SINCE ABOUT 40,000 MILES THE SPEEDOMETER HAS BEEN ACTING UP. IT IS REAL JERKY WHEN MOVING AND STICKS ON SPEEDS. CURRENTLY, IT IS PARKED AND ON 100. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL WORK CORRECTLY - SOMETIMES IT DOES. *AK
TL* - THE CONTACT CALLED REGARDING THE 2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS FAULTY. HE WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH AND WITHOUT ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE THE SPEEDOMETER WENT TO 120 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF THE SPEEDOMETER REMAINED AT 40 MPH. THE CONTACT TOOK …
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TL* - THE CONTACT CALLED REGARDING THE 2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS FAULTY. HE WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH AND WITHOUT ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE THE SPEEDOMETER WENT TO 120 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF THE SPEEDOMETER REMAINED AT 40 MPH. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CHEVROLET DEALER , AND THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AS NEEDING A NEW SPEEDOMETER CLUSTER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45000.*AK
STARTED TO NOTICE A TWITCH IN THE SPEEDOMETER READING ABOUT A MONTH AGO. PROGRESSIVELY BECAME WORSE TO THE POINT THAT IT READS FASTER AND FASTER AND DOES NOT GO BACK DOWN TO ZERO. NOW IT IS PRESENTLY STUCK PAST 140 MPH. *JB
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA11001 · Brake Line Corrosion Failure
Opened Jan 5, 2011 · Closed Apr 8, 2015
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
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 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.The subject vehicles represent the first five MY's of GM's GMT800 platform production, of which approximately 2,038,504 vehicles were sold in salt states (the subject vehicles).The GMT800 platform includes the following vehicles:1999-2007 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 series pick-up trucks; 2000-2006 Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon sport utility vehicles; and 2002-2006 Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Avalanche sport-utility vehicles.General Motors produced a total of approximately 10,427,062 GMT800 vehicles for sales in the United States, including almost 5 million that were sold in salt states.Although there are over 60 different brake pipe routing configuration used in GMT800 vehicles, with the exception of the rear crossover pipes in MY 200x-2007 vehicles that changed from rear disc to drum brakes, all of the vehicles use brake pipes from the same supplier with a common double-wall, brazed steel pipe design with a combination of hot dip Zinc-Aluminum corrosion protection coating and Aluminum paint outer layer known in the industry as AlGal (ASTM-B750). ODI analysis of field data regarding GMT800 vehicles identified a total of 3,645 complaints of brake pipe corrosion failures, including 107 alleging crashes, and 40 injuries.Though only 20% of total GMT800 production, due to age and region the subject vehicles account for a disproportionate share of the failure experience; with 2,702 of the complaints (75%), 88 of the crashes (82%) and 20 of the injuries (50%) reported in those vehicles.Analysis of the complaints showed strong correlations to vehicle age and region.For vehicles with less than 8 years of service, the complaint rates were minimal for all regions.In the salt states the failure rates begin to climb as the vehicles advance in age, particularly in the Northeast corner of the United States.The complaint rates in the salt states go from less than 0.1 incident per thousand vehicles (IPTV) at 7 years in service to over 1.0 IPTV after the 12th year of service for the subject pickup trucks and utility vehicles.Most of the failures reported to ODI occurred in vehicles with more than 10 years in service.ODI?s investigation did not identify any specific defect conditions that were causing or contributing to the brake pipe failures.Nor did the analysis isolate the problem to any subject vehicle sub-populations when analyzed by vehicle type or production range.The investigation found that vehicles experiencing brake pipe corrosion failures were likely to have general patterns of excessive corrosion on the majority of the brake pipe assembly and appear to be occurring due to expected wear out for the brake pipe coating material used in the subject vehicles and the environmental conditions in severe corrosion states.A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will monitor t
Additional source detail variants (2)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
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 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.The subject vehicles represent the first five MY's of GM's GMT800 platform production, of which approximately 2,038,504 vehicles were sold in salt states (the subject vehicles).The GMT800 platform includes the following vehicles:1999-2007 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 series pick-up trucks; 2000-2006 Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon sport utility vehicles; and 2002-2006 Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Avalanche sport-utility vehicles.General Motors produced a total of approximately 10,427,062 GMT800 vehicles for sales in the United States, including almost 5 million that were sold in salt states.Although there are over 60 different brake pipe routing configuration used in GMT800 vehicles, with the exception of the rear crossover pipes in MY 200x-2007 vehicles that changed from rear disc to drum brakes, all of the vehicles use brake pipes from the same supplier with a common double-wall, brazed steel pipe design with a combination of hot dip Zinc-Aluminum corrosion protection coating and Aluminum paint outer layer known in the industry as AlGal (ASTM-B750). ODI analysis of field data regarding GMT800 vehicles identified a total of 3,645 complaints of brake pipe corrosion failures, including 107 alleging crashes, and 40 injuries.Though only 20% of total GMT800 production, due to age and region the subject vehicles account for a disproportionate share of the failure experience; with 2,702 of the complaints (75%), 88 of the crashes (82%) and 20 of the injuries (50%) reported in those vehicles.Analysis of the complaints showed strong correlations to vehicle age and region.For vehicles with less than 8 years of service, the complaint rates were minimal for all regions.In the salt states the failure rates begin to climb as the vehicles advance in age, particularly in the Northeast corner of the United States.The complaint rates in the salt states go from less than 0.1 incident per thousand vehicles (IPTV) at 7 years in service to over 1.0 IPTV after the 12th year of service for the subject pickup trucks and utility vehicles.Most of the failures reported to ODI occurred in vehicles with more than 10 years in service.ODI?s investigation did not identify any specific defect conditions that were causing or contributing to the brake pipe failures.Nor did the analysis isolate the problem to any subject vehicle sub-populations when analyzed by vehicle type or production range.The investigation found that vehicles experiencing brake pipe corrosion failures were likely to have general patterns of excessive corrosion on the majority of the brake pipe assembly and appear to be occurring due to expected wear out for the brake pipe coating material used in the subject vehicles and the environmental conditions in severe corrosion states.A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will monitor t
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
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 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.The subject vehicles represent the first five MY's of GM's GMT800 platform production, of which approximately 2,038,504 vehicles were sold in salt states (the subject vehicles).The GMT800 platform includes the following vehicles:1999-2007 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 series pick-up trucks; 2000-2006 Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon sport utility vehicles; and 2002-2006 Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Avalanche sport-utility vehicles.General Motors produced a total of approximately 10,427,062 GMT800 vehicles for sales in the United States, including almost 5 million that were sold in salt states.Although there are over 60 different brake pipe routing configuration used in GMT800 vehicles, with the exception of the rear crossover pipes in MY 200x-2007 vehicles that changed from rear disc to drum brakes, all of the vehicles use brake pipes from the same supplier with a common double-wall, brazed steel pipe design with a combination of hot dip Zinc-Aluminum corrosion protection coating and Aluminum paint outer layer known in the industry as AlGal (ASTM-B750). ODI analysis of field data regarding GMT800 vehicles identified a total of 3,645 complaints of brake pipe corrosion failures, including 107 alleging crashes, and 40 injuries.Though only 20% of total GMT800 production, due to age and region the subject vehicles account for a disproportionate share of the failure experience; with 2,702 of the complaints (75%), 88 of the crashes (82%) and 20 of the injuries (50%) reported in those vehicles.Analysis of the complaints showed strong correlations to vehicle age and region.For vehicles with less than 8 years of service, the complaint rates were minimal for all regions.In the salt states the failure rates begin to climb as the vehicles advance in age, particularly in the Northeast corner of the United States.The complaint rates in the salt states go from less than 0.1 incident per thousand vehicles (IPTV) at 7 years in service to over 1.0 IPTV after the 12th year of service for the subject pickup trucks and utility vehicles.Most of the failures reported to ODI occurred in vehicles with more than 10 years in service.ODI?s investigation did not identify any specific defect conditions that were causing or contributing to the brake pipe failures.Nor did the analysis isolate the problem to any subject vehicle sub-populations when analyzed by vehicle type or production range.The investigation found that vehicles experiencing brake pipe corrosion failures were likely to have general patterns of excessive corrosion on the majority of the brake pipe assembly and appear to be occurring due to expected wear out for the brake pipe coating material used in the subject vehicles and the environmental conditions in severe corrosion states.A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will monitor t