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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.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

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 reports
103,389 miles · Apr 25, 2010
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

BRAKE LINES HAVE ROTTEN OUT IN 6 YRS WITH OUT WARNING ,AND COULD HAVE CAUSED ACCIDENT, IF I WAS IN TRAFFIC LOW POWER IN BOOSTER. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10327328

110,000 miles · Apr 11, 2010
Engine And Engine CoolingService Brakes, Electric

I WAS DRIVING ALONG THE ROAD THIS PAST WINTER AND A CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME...I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO BRAKES AND THANKFULLLY WAS ABLE TO GET AROUND THE CAR INTO THE OTHER LANE WITHOUT INJURY. THE BRAKE LINES WERE ALL CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT HAD THERE BEEN VEHICLES IN TH…

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I WAS DRIVING ALONG THE ROAD THIS PAST WINTER AND A CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME...I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO BRAKES AND THANKFULLLY WAS ABLE TO GET AROUND THE CAR INTO THE OTHER LANE WITHOUT INJURY. THE BRAKE LINES WERE ALL CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT HAD THERE BEEN VEHICLES IN THE OTHER LANE. IN ADDITION TO THIS THE SPEEDOMETER OFTEN STOPS WORKING AND IS REGISTERING AT THE WRONG SPEED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10324969

50,000 miles · Mar 2, 2010
Steering

MY 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO Z71 1500 PICK-UP EXPERIENCES POWER STEERING FAILURE WHEN GOING A VERY SLOW SPEEDS (I.E. TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT) ON RIGHT TURNS ONLY. CHEVY DEALERS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM...SOME HAVE SAID THAT IF I CHANGE THE STEERING BOX FROM A 670 TO 680 MODEL IT WOULD HELP BUT NOT ELIMINATE???? H…

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MY 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO Z71 1500 PICK-UP EXPERIENCES POWER STEERING FAILURE WHEN GOING A VERY SLOW SPEEDS (I.E. TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT) ON RIGHT TURNS ONLY. CHEVY DEALERS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM...SOME HAVE SAID THAT IF I CHANGE THE STEERING BOX FROM A 670 TO 680 MODEL IT WOULD HELP BUT NOT ELIMINATE???? HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR THE LAST 40,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10315515

60,000 miles · Jun 23, 2009
Engine And Engine CoolingFire

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 HD. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST COMPLETE POWER. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UN…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 HD. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST COMPLETE POWER. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 60,000.

NHTSA ODI #10274707

65,325 miles · Jan 20, 2009
Electrical System

SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING ON MY 03 CHEVY SILVERADO, SOMETIMES GETS STUCK AT 40 MPH. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10255609

Mileage unknown · Dec 18, 2008
Electrical System

THE GAUGES HAVE A MIND OF THEIR OWN. IT STARTED WITH THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE AND NOW NONE OF THEM ARE WORKING. WENT TO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT IT WOULD COST OVER $500.00 TO REPLACE TO DEFECTED PART AND THAT GM ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY UP TO 70,000 MILES. WHY NOT A RECALL??? WITH AS MANY COMPLAINTS THAT ARE HERE, THE…

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THE GAUGES HAVE A MIND OF THEIR OWN. IT STARTED WITH THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE AND NOW NONE OF THEM ARE WORKING. WENT TO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT IT WOULD COST OVER $500.00 TO REPLACE TO DEFECTED PART AND THAT GM ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY UP TO 70,000 MILES. WHY NOT A RECALL??? WITH AS MANY COMPLAINTS THAT ARE HERE, THEY SHOULD RECALL THIS PART AND STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS ESPECIALLY IF THEY WANT A BAIL OUT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10252194

91,723 miles · Dec 11, 2008
Electrical System

SPEEDOMETER JUST QUIT WORKING, JUMPS FROM 10 TO 70+. SHOWS A MINIMUM OF 10 MPH PARKED. NOT EXACTLY SAFE TO NOT HAVE A CLUE HOW FAST YOUR GOING. I SEARCHED ON THE NET SUSPECTING AN ISOLATED PROBLEM, BUT FOUND THIS HAS AFFECTED 8 TO 10 MODELS FOR 4 PLUS YEARS, ARE YOU KIDDING ME. JUST ONE OF THOUSANDS WITH THE SAME DANGEROUS PROBL…

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SPEEDOMETER JUST QUIT WORKING, JUMPS FROM 10 TO 70+. SHOWS A MINIMUM OF 10 MPH PARKED. NOT EXACTLY SAFE TO NOT HAVE A CLUE HOW FAST YOUR GOING. I SEARCHED ON THE NET SUSPECTING AN ISOLATED PROBLEM, BUT FOUND THIS HAS AFFECTED 8 TO 10 MODELS FOR 4 PLUS YEARS, ARE YOU KIDDING ME. JUST ONE OF THOUSANDS WITH THE SAME DANGEROUS PROBLEM!!!!! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10251526

112,000 miles · Nov 22, 2008
Electrical System

I OWN A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500HD, MY PROBLEM STARTED WITH THE HEATED SEATS COMING ON AND GOING OFF BY THEIR SELF. I TOOK MY TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. NOW MY TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER HAVE STOPPED WORKING. I THINK I HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT DEFECTED INSTRUMENT…

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I OWN A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500HD, MY PROBLEM STARTED WITH THE HEATED SEATS COMING ON AND GOING OFF BY THEIR SELF. I TOOK MY TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. NOW MY TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER HAVE STOPPED WORKING. I THINK I HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT DEFECTED INSTRUMENT PANEL FROM CHEVROLET THAT REQUIRED REPLACING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BUT I CAN NOT FIND ANY INFORMATION ON THAT. I WOULD LIKE GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED BEFORE IT CONTINUES SHORTING OUT THE REST OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10249554

38,000 miles · Jun 16, 2008
Electrical System

SPEEDOMETER WILL OCCASIONALLY READ FROM 5 TO 30 MPH FROM TRUE SPEED. WHEN THIS MALFUNCTION OCCURS, STOPPING THE TRUCK WILL NOT CAUSE THE SPEEDOMETER TO GO TO 0 MPH AS EXPECTED BUT WILL READ, FOR INSTANCE, 25 MPH. TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND RESTARTING THE ENGINE WHILE PARKED WILL MAKE THE SPEEDOMETER READ APPROXIMATELY 4 MPH CL…

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SPEEDOMETER WILL OCCASIONALLY READ FROM 5 TO 30 MPH FROM TRUE SPEED. WHEN THIS MALFUNCTION OCCURS, STOPPING THE TRUCK WILL NOT CAUSE THE SPEEDOMETER TO GO TO 0 MPH AS EXPECTED BUT WILL READ, FOR INSTANCE, 25 MPH. TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND RESTARTING THE ENGINE WHILE PARKED WILL MAKE THE SPEEDOMETER READ APPROXIMATELY 4 MPH CLOSER TO ZERO EACH TIME. THIS MALFUNCTION HAS CAUSED ME TO DRIVE AT INAPPROPRIATE SPEED MANY TIMES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10231135

84,000 miles · Apr 10, 2008
Electrical System

I PURCHASED THE TRUCK USED WITH 83,000 MILES IN AUGUST OF 2007. ABOUT A MONTH LATER THE WATER TEMP GAUGE MOVED ALL THE WAY AROUND AND THEN WENT BACK TO ZERO AND STOPPED WORKING. THEN THE SPEEDOMETER WAS STUCK FOR A FEW DAYS AND STARTED WORKING AGAIN. BUT FOR HOW LONG? AND NOW I'VE HEARD GM ISSUED AN "EXTENDED WARRANTY" JUST FOR …

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I PURCHASED THE TRUCK USED WITH 83,000 MILES IN AUGUST OF 2007. ABOUT A MONTH LATER THE WATER TEMP GAUGE MOVED ALL THE WAY AROUND AND THEN WENT BACK TO ZERO AND STOPPED WORKING. THEN THE SPEEDOMETER WAS STUCK FOR A FEW DAYS AND STARTED WORKING AGAIN. BUT FOR HOW LONG? AND NOW I'VE HEARD GM ISSUED AN "EXTENDED WARRANTY" JUST FOR THE GAUGES AND MUST HAVE UNDER 70,000 MILES INSTEAD OF A RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10224093

Official recalls

0

No 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.