IllustrationSPEEDOMETER QUIT WORKING AT 40120 MILES. *JB
2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Hd
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Silverado 1500 Hd years
Owner complaints for the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Hd are substantially higher than the model-year median of 22.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Silverado 1500 Hd 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
80–25K
1325–50K
1750–75K
2375–100K
23100–150K
9150K+
93 reports with mileage · 8 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 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports3 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
101 reportsI OWN A 2003 CHEVROLET 1500HD 4X4. IT HAS HEATED SEATS WHICH TEND TO COME ON BY ITS SELF AND WILL NOT TURN OFF. THE SEATS GET EXTREMELY HOT. SINCE THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED, I'M NOW GETTING A SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE LIGHT, BUT THE 4X4 SEEMS OK. I THINK THE SHORT IN THE SEATS IS EFFECTING OTHER PARTS ON MY TRUCK. *JB
SPEEDOMETER STUCK ON 120 MPH AT TIMES. *NM
SPEEDOMETER FAILS TO FUNCTION - WILL BE TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD AND IT RANGES FROM 0-120 MPH WHEN I ESTIMATE I AM ACTUALLY TRAVELING 35 MPH(ESTIMATED OBVIOUSLY). HAS HAPPENED ON 3 OCCASIONS AND IN NOW NON-FUNCTIONING. DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDS REPLACING INSTRUMENT CLUSTER - AND ADMITS TO A RASH OF THESE REPLACEMENTS ON THESE TRUCK…
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SPEEDOMETER FAILS TO FUNCTION - WILL BE TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD AND IT RANGES FROM 0-120 MPH WHEN I ESTIMATE I AM ACTUALLY TRAVELING 35 MPH(ESTIMATED OBVIOUSLY). HAS HAPPENED ON 3 OCCASIONS AND IN NOW NON-FUNCTIONING. DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDS REPLACING INSTRUMENT CLUSTER - AND ADMITS TO A RASH OF THESE REPLACEMENTS ON THESE TRUCKS. *NM
I HAVE A 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 HD WITH APPROX 55,000 MILES ON IT. WITHOUT NOTICE THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED TO WORK (NEEDLE IS FIXED BETWEEN 60-120 MPH). AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET, I DISCOVERED THAT MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN LEVIED (IN AT LEAST AN INFORMAL SETTING). *NM
STEERING WHEEL KNOCK CAUSE BY INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. THE SHAFT WAS REPLACED AT 18,013 MILES AND FAILED AGAIN AT 31,000 MILES. GM HAS KNOW ABOUT THIS FLAW SINCE 1999 AND HAS NO KNOWN PERMANENT REPAIR. *JB
I HAVE A 2003 CHEVROLET P/U AND THE SPEEDOMETER WORKS VERY ERRATICALLY. IT USUALLY REGISTERS A MUCH FASTER SPEED THAN I AN TRAVELING. WHEN I AM STOPPED IT WILL SHOW A SPEED OF FORTY OR FIFTY MPH. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO COME AND GO. IT IS VERY UNSAFE TO NOT KNOW YOUR SPEED. I KNOW MANY OTHER GM AND CHEVROLET VEHICLES OF THIS …
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I HAVE A 2003 CHEVROLET P/U AND THE SPEEDOMETER WORKS VERY ERRATICALLY. IT USUALLY REGISTERS A MUCH FASTER SPEED THAN I AN TRAVELING. WHEN I AM STOPPED IT WILL SHOW A SPEED OF FORTY OR FIFTY MPH. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO COME AND GO. IT IS VERY UNSAFE TO NOT KNOW YOUR SPEED. I KNOW MANY OTHER GM AND CHEVROLET VEHICLES OF THIS YEAR EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM. *NM
MY SPEEDOMETER IS MALFUNCTIONING. THIS WAS FIRST POINTED OUT BY AN IDAHO STATE TROOPER WHEN I WAS PULLED OVER WITH MY FAMILY IN THE TRUCK PULLING A TRAILER. MY SPEEDOMETER READ 60 BUT I WAS CLOCKED AT 79 MPH. THIS LAST WEEKEND ON A TRIP TO DOWN I-5 IN CALIFORNIA, I WAS DOING WHAT THOUGHT WAS 70 MPH BUT I WAS PASSING A LOT OF C…
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MY SPEEDOMETER IS MALFUNCTIONING. THIS WAS FIRST POINTED OUT BY AN IDAHO STATE TROOPER WHEN I WAS PULLED OVER WITH MY FAMILY IN THE TRUCK PULLING A TRAILER. MY SPEEDOMETER READ 60 BUT I WAS CLOCKED AT 79 MPH. THIS LAST WEEKEND ON A TRIP TO DOWN I-5 IN CALIFORNIA, I WAS DOING WHAT THOUGHT WAS 70 MPH BUT I WAS PASSING A LOT OF CARS AND WHEN I REMEMBER THE ISSUE MY TACHOMETER READ 3500 RPM WHICH MEANS I WAS DOING 80 PLUS. THEN YESTERDAY (10/22/2006) MY SPEEDOMETER READ 10 MPH WHEN MY TACH INDICATED 2100 RPM (~62 MPH), WHICH WAS CONFIRM BY BY WIFE FOLLOWING IN ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM IS INCONSISTENT. THE SPEEDOMETER SEEMS TO WORK FOR A WHILE BUT THEN DEGRADES AND THE SPEED INDICATED DOES NOR REFLECT THE ACTUAL SPEED. BETWEEN THE INITIAL OCCURRENCE AND 10/20 I DID NOT MAKE ANY TRIPS LONGER THAN 20 MINUTES AND DID NOT NOTICE A PROBLEM EXCEPT FOR A SOMEWHAT JERKY SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE. THE SPEEDOMETER SEEMS TO "RESET" AFTER THE VEHICLE STOP FOR A WHILE. ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR IS $98-$105 "EVALUATION AND $550-$600 ACTUAL REPAIR WHICH INCLUDES PARTS AND LABOR. *NM
1. -POOR DESIGN OF STEERING SHAFT THAT ALLOWS LOWER SHAFT TO BECOME VERY LOOSE AND COULD RESULT IN LOOSE OR FAILED STEERING 2.- FAILED STEERING COLLISION 3. -LOWER SHAFT LUBRICATED IT FAILED. SHAFT HAS BEEN REPLACED EVER YEAR DURING THE LAST 3 YEARS AND NOW GENERAL MOTORS REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *NM
SPEEDOMETER STOP FUNCTIONING AND DOESN'T ACCURATELY REFLECT THE VEHICLE'S SPEED. THE SPEEDOMETER IS STUCK AT 120+ MPH. I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE GM DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THE ENTIRE ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT PANEL MUST BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $500. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET FORUMS IT APPEARS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM.…
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SPEEDOMETER STOP FUNCTIONING AND DOESN'T ACCURATELY REFLECT THE VEHICLE'S SPEED. THE SPEEDOMETER IS STUCK AT 120+ MPH. I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE GM DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THE ENTIRE ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT PANEL MUST BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $500. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET FORUMS IT APPEARS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. SEE THIS WEBSITE HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.NET/FORUM/AUTOS/CHEVROLET-SILVERADO-1500/TR5QAB2MN19BL1D2J. THIS POSES A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE THE DRIVER DOES NOT KNOW THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE. *NM
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.