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2003 Chevrolet Tahoe

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Tahoe years

Owner complaints for the 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe are substantially higher than the model-year median of 246.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

408 reports with mileage · 99 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 193 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 84 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 52 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

20 crash reports9 fire reports13 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

193 reports
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Mileage unknown · Nov 21, 2012
Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES ALL FAILED AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO READ THE FUEL GAUGE, SPEEDOMETER, THERMOMETER, ETC. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THEY ADVISED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS N…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES ALL FAILED AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO READ THE FUEL GAUGE, SPEEDOMETER, THERMOMETER, ETC. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THEY ADVISED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS LATER CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 168,286.

NHTSA ODI #10485388

10,000 miles · Jun 1, 2012
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

THE SPEED GAUGE WAS STRUCK ON 10 THAN 20 IT STOP WORKING ALL TOGETHER ABOUT TWO MONTHS GO. IAM GOING TO GET IT FIX. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10460218

Mileage unknown · Feb 15, 2012
Electrical System

I WAS DRIVING MY 03 TAHOE, WHEN AN EXPLOSION WENT OFF IN MY VEHICLE. MY ENTIRE BACK END OF MY TAHOE WAS LITERALLY BLOW TO BITS. THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES OR PEOPLE AROUND ME. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE POLICE DEPT. THEY WERE SHOCKED TO SEE THE CONDITION OF MY VEHICLE AND SAID IT LOOKED TO THEM, THAT IT WAS A CHEVY MALFUNCTION…

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I WAS DRIVING MY 03 TAHOE, WHEN AN EXPLOSION WENT OFF IN MY VEHICLE. MY ENTIRE BACK END OF MY TAHOE WAS LITERALLY BLOW TO BITS. THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES OR PEOPLE AROUND ME. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE POLICE DEPT. THEY WERE SHOCKED TO SEE THE CONDITION OF MY VEHICLE AND SAID IT LOOKED TO THEM, THAT IT WAS A CHEVY MALFUNCTION OF SOME SORT. I CALLED MY INSURANCE COMPANY RIGHT AWAY. THEY CAME OUT AND TOWED THE VEHICLE. THEY WERE ALSO SHOCKED TO SEE THE DAMAGE, AND HAD NO IDEA WHAT OR WHY IT HAD HAPPENED. AFTER ASSESSING ALL THE DAMAGE THEY FOUND IT WOULD COST $2000 TO FIX THE DAMAGE. INS. SAID THEY WERE WILLING TO COVER THE DAMAGE, WE HAD TO PAY A $500 DEDUCTIBLE. I HAVE FIVE KIDS WHO ARE NORMALLY IN THE TRUCK WITH ME, THANK GOD THAT MORNING, THEY WERE NOT. GLASS WAS BLOWN ALL OVER THE INSIDE OF MY TRUCK, THE NOISE ALONE WOULD HAVE DAMAGED THEIR EARS, MINE WERE RINGING ALL DAY. I ALSO CONTACTED CHEVY'S CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE. I SPOKE WITH AN AGENT THERE WHO AS NO HELP, ASKED TO SPEAK TO HER SUPERVISOR, AND SHE WAS NO HELP. I THEN ASKED FOR WHOEVER WAS ABOVE HER, AND I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE TO HELP ME. I ASKED FOR A NAME, A PHONE NUMBER, AN EMAIL ANYTHING FOR SOMEONE WITH MORE AUTHORITY AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO ONE. THIS IS WRONG! WHAT IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING DOWN I95, OR WHAT IF I HAD MY CHILDREN WITH ME?? THEN ID BE SUING CHEVY FOR MILLIONS! IM ASKING IS THAT THEY COVER THE $500 DEDUCTIBLE SINCE THIS IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS WASN'T NORMAL WEAR AND TARE, THIS WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY AND ISN'T COVERED. THIS IS CRAZY! THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A CHEVY DEFECT AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I AM SENDING PICTURES SO YOU CAN SEE HOW HORRIBLE THIS WAS. THIS WASN'T JUST THE BACK GLASS SHATTERED, THIS WAS LIKE A BOMB LITERALLY BLEW OFF MY BACK DOOR, WHILE I WAS DRIVING. CHEVY NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10448043

Mileage unknown · Jan 18, 2012
Electrical SystemFuel System, GasolineUnknown Or Other

I CAN BE GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY RUNNING 65-70 MPH AND THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT WILL COME ON AND REDUCES MY SPEED TO 10 MPH! I PULL OVER, DISCONNECT THE BATTERY CABLE AND REPLACE IT, THEN I COULD CONTINUE FOR ANOTHER WEEK OR SO. FINALLY, I LEFT THE DIAGONSTIC COMPUTER IN MY TRUCK AND WAS ABLE TO CAPTURE THE CODE P1125. THE …

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I CAN BE GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY RUNNING 65-70 MPH AND THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT WILL COME ON AND REDUCES MY SPEED TO 10 MPH! I PULL OVER, DISCONNECT THE BATTERY CABLE AND REPLACE IT, THEN I COULD CONTINUE FOR ANOTHER WEEK OR SO. FINALLY, I LEFT THE DIAGONSTIC COMPUTER IN MY TRUCK AND WAS ABLE TO CAPTURE THE CODE P1125. THE MECHANIC SAID TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY. THAT WAS DONE IN OCTOBER. IT RAN FINE FOR A WHILE, BUT IT STARTED DOING IT AGAIN. THE THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED AGAIN! NOW, TWO MONTHS LATER, IT'S DOING IT AGAIN! NO ONE CAN SEEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM. MEANWHILE, I AM A FEMALE WHO TRAVELS THE HIGHWAYS EVERYDAY GOING BACK AND FORTH TO WORK AND I HAVE BEEN IN SEVERAL DANGEROUS SITUATIONS DUE TO THIS PROBLEM THAT WILL NOT STOP! AS OF NOW, I CAN NOT DRIVE MY TRUCK AND HAVING TO RELY ON CARPOOLING AGAIN UNTIL IT'S FIXED FOR THE THIRD TIME IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS. IT ALSO APPEARS THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH NO RESULTS. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED IF THIS IS NOT ADDRESSED SOON!

NHTSA ODI #10444435

130,000 miles · Dec 29, 2011
Electrical SystemVisibility

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE K1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEATER FAILED AND WOULD ONLY EMIT EXTREMELY HOT AIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE BLOWER RESISTER AND PLUG NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE K1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEATER FAILED AND WOULD ONLY EMIT EXTREMELY HOT AIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE BLOWER RESISTER AND PLUG NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000. UPDATED 05/21/12

NHTSA ODI #10441645

180,000 miles · Dec 1, 2011
Electrical System

I HAVE NOTICED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND IT APPEARS GM DOES NOT CARE. MY SPEEDOMETER IS NEVER CORRECT. IT RUNS 20-30 MPH OVER (AND SOMETIMES UNDER) WHAT WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING. THIS FIRST WAS NOTICED SEVERAL WEEKS AGO (PRIOR TO ACTUALLY FAILING) WHEN IT APPEARED THAT THE NEEDLE WOULD JERK (OR STEP ACTION) UP OR D…

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I HAVE NOTICED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND IT APPEARS GM DOES NOT CARE. MY SPEEDOMETER IS NEVER CORRECT. IT RUNS 20-30 MPH OVER (AND SOMETIMES UNDER) WHAT WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING. THIS FIRST WAS NOTICED SEVERAL WEEKS AGO (PRIOR TO ACTUALLY FAILING) WHEN IT APPEARED THAT THE NEEDLE WOULD JERK (OR STEP ACTION) UP OR DOWN, I KNOW CHEVROLET SENT OUT A NOTICE ON THIS A YEAR OR SO AGO, BUT MY VEHICLE WAS BEYOND THEIR (GM) MILEAGE REQUIREMENT. I FEEL THAT THEIR "BEAN COUNTERS" KNEW THIS AT THE TIME AND IT WAS AGAINST THE AMERICAN CONSUMER. ANYWAY, THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN BY NOT ONLY GM, BUT DOT AS WELL SIMPLY ON THE FACT THAT ONE DOES NOT KNOW HOW FAST THEY ARE GOING. IF CAUGHT OFF GUARD - THINKING THEY ARE GOING 70 MPH BUT DOING 90 MPH, LOOSE CONTROL OR RUN INTO SOMEONE. ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE, DOING 70 MPH, GLANCE DOWN AND SEE THAT THEY ARE DOING 90 MPH, THEY MAY HIT THE BRAKE TOO HARD TO SLOW DOWN AND LOOSE CONTROL OR GET REAR ENDED. I COULD GO ON MORE WITH THIS ISSUE, BUT IT WILL PROBABLY NOT HELP (EXCEPT ADD TO THE PILES OF COMPLAINTS YOU ARE ALREADY RECEIVING), SO I'LL QUIT FOR NOW. THANK YOU AND PLEASE "LIGHT A FIRE" UNDER GM'S CORPORATE PEOPLE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED OVER THIS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10438006

92,000 miles · Jun 6, 2011
Electrical System

2003 TAHOE HAS A DEFECTIVE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER - GM REFUSES TO REPAIR UNDER THEIR "SPECIAL COVERAGE" BECAUSE THAT COVERAGE EXPIRED AT 80,000 MILES. MY VEHICLE IS SETUP WITH A TOW PACKAGE ALLOWING YOU TO TOW UP TO 7,000 POUNDS. IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU KNOW YOUR SPEED WHEN TOWING A TRAILER OR YOU CAN EASILY LOOS…

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2003 TAHOE HAS A DEFECTIVE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER - GM REFUSES TO REPAIR UNDER THEIR "SPECIAL COVERAGE" BECAUSE THAT COVERAGE EXPIRED AT 80,000 MILES. MY VEHICLE IS SETUP WITH A TOW PACKAGE ALLOWING YOU TO TOW UP TO 7,000 POUNDS. IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU KNOW YOUR SPEED WHEN TOWING A TRAILER OR YOU CAN EASILY LOOSE CONTROL. MY SPEEDOMETER IS CURRENTLY STUCK AT 10 MILES PER HOUR. GM HAS DIAGNOSED AND STATED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS DEFECTIVE. GM DOES NOT CONSIDER A SPEEDOMETER TO BE A SAFETY DEVICE, BUT BECAUSE THEY PROMOTE THIS VEHICLE WITH A "TOW PACKAGE" SPEED BECOMES A MUCH MORE CRITICAL FACTOR IN VEHICLE OPERATION. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10405302

86,000 miles · Feb 22, 2011
Electrical System

THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED - INDICATING INCORRECT SPEED. FOR EXAMPLE, DRIVING THROUGH TOWN AT THE NORMAL FLOW OF TRAFFIC (20-30 MPH) THE SPEEDOMETER INDICATES 50+ MPH. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10384061

28,000 miles · Feb 21, 2011
Electrical System

03 CHEVY TAHOE WITH 28,000 MILES,ALL GAUGES QUIT WORKING,HAVE NO IDEA HOW FAST WE ARE GOING,NO IDEA ON GAS,OIL PRESSURE ETC. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS AND CAN NOT AFFORD 700. TO FIX WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SAFETY RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10383481

85,000 miles · Feb 16, 2011
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

DRIVING ALONG THE HIGHWAY AT THE POSTED SPEED OF 65 MPH THE SPEEDOMETER SUDDENLY DROPPED TO 0 AND THE NEEDLE CEASED TO MOVE. UPON STOPPING AT THE NEXT REST STOP AND CHECKING FOR CIRCUIT BREAKERS I REALIZED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS PROBABLY WITHIN THE INSTRUMENT ITSELF AND CONTINUED. RETURNING TO THE FREEWAY I NOTICED THE SPEEDOMETER…

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DRIVING ALONG THE HIGHWAY AT THE POSTED SPEED OF 65 MPH THE SPEEDOMETER SUDDENLY DROPPED TO 0 AND THE NEEDLE CEASED TO MOVE. UPON STOPPING AT THE NEXT REST STOP AND CHECKING FOR CIRCUIT BREAKERS I REALIZED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS PROBABLY WITHIN THE INSTRUMENT ITSELF AND CONTINUED. RETURNING TO THE FREEWAY I NOTICED THE SPEEDOMETER WAS ONCE AGAIN FUNCTIONING BUT CARS WERE PASSING ME AT AN EXCESSIVE SPEED. I ESTIMATED, BY TRAVELING WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC, OUR SPEEDOMETER WAS READING 15-20 MPH FAST. AFTER STOPPING AGAIN AND TROUBLESHOOTING WITH NO SUCCESS WE RESUMED OUR TRIP WITH THE SPEEDOMETER READING APPROXIMATELY 10-15 SLOWER THAN ACTUAL SPEED. UPON NOTIFYING OUR DEALER I WAS TOLD THE SPEEDOMETERS IN THIS YEAR VEHICLE WERE FAILING AT A EXCESSIVE RATE AND THE MANUFACTURER HAD DECIDED TO OFFER AND EXTENDED WARRANTY TO 70000 MILES FOR REPLACEMENT. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS PROBLEM AND WARNED OF THE DEFECTIVE PARTS IN MY VEHICLE. THIS PARTICULAR TRIP WAS TO MEXICO AND THE RELIABILITY OF MY SPEEDOMETER WOULD BE A PARTICULAR CONCERN ON THE ROADS I TRAVELLED. THIS PART SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE RATE OF FAILURE AND THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED THE CONSUMER IMMEDIATELY.

NHTSA ODI #10383794

Official recalls

4

05V163000 · Seat Belts:rear/other

Apr 22, 2005

ON CERTAIN CREW CAB PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE 2ND ROW CENTER OCCUPANT SEAT BELT ROUTING MAY MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO POSITION THE LAP PORTION OF THE SAFETY BELT LOW AROUND THE HIPS OF OCCUPANTS, ESPECIALLY SMALLER OCCUPANTS, SEATED IN THIS POSITION. APPROPRIATE USE OF A CHILD SEAT OR BOOSTER SEAT, AS RECOMMENDED FOR SMALL CHILDREN, DOES IMPROVE THE FIT CONDITION FOR THIS USER GROUP. IN ADDITION TO INSTRUCTIONS ON PROPER INFANT AND YOUNG CHILD RESTRAINT (WITH CHILD SEATS OR BOOSTERS), SPECIAL VERBIAGE FOR RESTRAINING OLDER CHILD IS INCLUDED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. ALSO, THE SUGGESTED SEAT BELT FIT/ROUTING FOR ADULTS, IRRESPECTIVE OF SEATING POSITION, IS DESCRIBED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL TEXT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A LAP PORTION OF THE SEAT BELT ROUTING THAT IS NOT LOW AND SNUG ON THE HIPS CAN ALLOW THE LAP BELT TO RIDE UP ON AN OCCUPANT'S ABDOMEN INSTEAD OF FITTING LOW AROUND THEIR HIPBONES, AND THEREFORE, CAN EXPOSE THEM TO MORE RISK OF ABDOMINAL AND INTERNAL ORGAN INJURY.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL CUT OPEN THE GUIDE LOOP, REMOVE A PORTION OF THE LOOP, AND THEN THE REMAINING TWO SIDES SHOULD BE FOLDED OVER AND SECURED WITH A RETAINER FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 21, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, OR HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493.

04V045000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Feb 4, 2004

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, PICKUP TRUCKS, AND PASSENGER VANS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 135, ?PASSENGER CAR BRAKE SYSTEMS.? SOME OF THESE VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITH AN OUT-OF-SPECIFICATION BRAKE HYDRO-BOOST HOUSING RELIEF VALVE BORE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: CONSEQUENTLY, THE VALVE O-RING SEAL MAY FRACTURE. STEERING EFFORTS MAY BE SLIGHTLY INCREASED WHILE BRAKING OR PARKING. UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS, A FRACTURED SEAL MAY REQUIRE A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE APPLIED BRAKE PEDAL EFFORT TO ACHIEVE THE SAME VEHICLE DECELERATION RATE AS PRIOR TO THE SEAT FRACTURE.

Remedy: DEALERS ARE TO REPLACE THE HYDRO-BOOST RELIEF VALVE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 18, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339; CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438; GMC AT 1-866-996-9463; OR HUMMER AT 1-866-486-6376.

03V094000 · Structure

Mar 7, 2003

CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCK, VAN, AND MINI VAN CONVERSIONS EQUIPPED WITH SOUTHERN COMFORT BUILT RUNNING BOARDS THAT CONTAIN CERTAIN COURTESY LIGHTS MANUFACTURED BY AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY COMPONENTS, INC. THESE UNITS CONTAIN A COURTESY LIGHT OR LIGHTS THAT MIGHT OVERHEAT WHEN THE WIRE HARNESS IS EXPOSED TO EXCESSIVE MOISTURE AND ROAD SALT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS OVERHEATING CONDITION CAN CAUSE THE RUNNING BOARD TO MELT OR CAUSE A FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS ON THESE RUNNING BOARDS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 7, 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 SOUTHERN COMFORT AT 1-800-745-6096.

03V037000 · Structure:body:door:hinge And Attachments

Feb 6, 2003

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 214, "SIDE IMPACT PROTECTION." THESE VEHICLES ARE BUILT WITH FOUR WELDS ON THE REAR DOOR UPPER HINGE. ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES, ONE OR TWO OF THE WELDS MAY NOT BE TO SPECIFICATION.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: AS A RESULT, THE DOOR STRENGTH MAY BE DEGRADED DURING A SIDE IMPACT VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE WELDS ON THE LEFT REAR DOOR UPPER HINGE. IF A WELD IS FOUND OUT-OF-SPECIFICATION, A BOLT WILL BE INSTALLED TO SECURE THE HINGE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 17, 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 CADILLAC AT 1-800-458-8006, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, OR GMC AT 1-800-462-8782.

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

3

EA11001 · 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

DP05009 · Parking Brake Failure

Opened Dec 20, 2005 · Closed May 31, 2006

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Parking Brake; Parking Brake:conventional; Parking Brake:conventional:mechanical

ODI'S REVIEW OF COMPLAINT DATA RECEIVED SINCE THE CLOSE OF EA04-011 REVEALED NO INDICATION THAT THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE RE-OPENED.MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE ENCLOSED IN THE DP05-009 PUBLIC FILE.ODI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION IN THE FUTURE SHOULD CONDITIONS WARRANT.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Parking Brake:conventional

ODI'S REVIEW OF COMPLAINT DATA RECEIVED SINCE THE CLOSE OF EA04-011 REVEALED NO INDICATION THAT THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE RE-OPENED.MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE ENCLOSED IN THE DP05-009 PUBLIC FILE.ODI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION IN THE FUTURE SHOULD CONDITIONS WARRANT.

Parking Brake:conventional:mechanical

ODI'S REVIEW OF COMPLAINT DATA RECEIVED SINCE THE CLOSE OF EA04-011 REVEALED NO INDICATION THAT THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE RE-OPENED.MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE ENCLOSED IN THE DP05-009 PUBLIC FILE.ODI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION IN THE FUTURE SHOULD CONDITIONS WARRANT.

Parking Brake

ODI'S REVIEW OF COMPLAINT DATA RECEIVED SINCE THE CLOSE OF EA04-011 REVEALED NO INDICATION THAT THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE RE-OPENED.MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE ENCLOSED IN THE DP05-009 PUBLIC FILE.ODI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION IN THE FUTURE SHOULD CONDITIONS WARRANT.

PE03026 · Steel Wheel Rim Fracture

Opened Jun 12, 2003 · Closed Nov 3, 2003

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Wheels; Wheels:multi Piece; Wheels:rim

THERE HAVE BEEN LESS THAN 2 COMPLAINTS PER 100,000 SUBJECT VEHICLES RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.THE OLDEST VEHICLES (MY 1999) HAVE ONLY 2 COMPLAINTS IN OVER 140 THOUSAND VEHICLES AFTER OVER 4 YEARS IN SERVICE.THE RATE OF WARRANTY CLAIMS POTENTIALLY RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS LESS THAN 0.1%.THERE ARE NO KNOWN INCIDENTS INVOLVING RAPID LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. A DEFECT TREND 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 NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Wheels

THERE HAVE BEEN LESS THAN 2 COMPLAINTS PER 100,000 SUBJECT VEHICLES RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.THE OLDEST VEHICLES (MY 1999) HAVE ONLY 2 COMPLAINTS IN OVER 140 THOUSAND VEHICLES AFTER OVER 4 YEARS IN SERVICE.THE RATE OF WARRANTY CLAIMS POTENTIALLY RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS LESS THAN 0.1%.THERE ARE NO KNOWN INCIDENTS INVOLVING RAPID LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. A DEFECT TREND 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 NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

Wheels:multi Piece

THERE HAVE BEEN LESS THAN 2 COMPLAINTS PER 100,000 SUBJECT VEHICLES RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.THE OLDEST VEHICLES (MY 1999) HAVE ONLY 2 COMPLAINTS IN OVER 140 THOUSAND VEHICLES AFTER OVER 4 YEARS IN SERVICE.THE RATE OF WARRANTY CLAIMS POTENTIALLY RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS LESS THAN 0.1%.THERE ARE NO KNOWN INCIDENTS INVOLVING RAPID LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. A DEFECT TREND 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 NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

Wheels:rim

THERE HAVE BEEN LESS THAN 2 COMPLAINTS PER 100,000 SUBJECT VEHICLES RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.THE OLDEST VEHICLES (MY 1999) HAVE ONLY 2 COMPLAINTS IN OVER 140 THOUSAND VEHICLES AFTER OVER 4 YEARS IN SERVICE.THE RATE OF WARRANTY CLAIMS POTENTIALLY RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS LESS THAN 0.1%.THERE ARE NO KNOWN INCIDENTS INVOLVING RAPID LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. A DEFECT TREND 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 NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.