IllustrationERRATIC SPEEDOMETER. *JB
2003 GMC Sierra 1500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2003 GMC Sierra 1500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 181.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sierra 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
90–25K
2625–50K
4450–75K
3875–100K
32100–150K
13150K+
162 reports with mileage · 18 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.
- Service Brakes. Review the 55 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 50 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
13 crash reports4 fire reports6 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
43 reportsTHE SPEEDOMETER ON MY 2003 GMC SIERRA SLE IS FAULTY. IT BEGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 37,000 MILES AND READS BETWEEN 20-60 MPH HIGHER THAN MY ACTUAL SPEED. THE PROBLEM WAS INITIALLY ISOLATED TO THE SPEEDOMETER, BUT NOW MY TACHOMETER IS NOW READING 800-2000 RPM HIGHER THAN ACTUAL AND THE AMP METER HAS ALSO STARTED TO READING HIGH. I CON…
Read full complaint
THE SPEEDOMETER ON MY 2003 GMC SIERRA SLE IS FAULTY. IT BEGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 37,000 MILES AND READS BETWEEN 20-60 MPH HIGHER THAN MY ACTUAL SPEED. THE PROBLEM WAS INITIALLY ISOLATED TO THE SPEEDOMETER, BUT NOW MY TACHOMETER IS NOW READING 800-2000 RPM HIGHER THAN ACTUAL AND THE AMP METER HAS ALSO STARTED TO READING HIGH. I CONTACTED A LOCAL GMC DEALERSHIP AND GOT AN ESTIMATE OF AROUND $600 DOLLARS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE TECHNICIAN I SPOKE TO AT THE GMC DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FROM GMC OWNERS BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN INITIATED. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND DISCUSSION FORUMS WHERE MANY OTHER GMC OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND GMC CONFRONTED WITH A SOLUTION. *JB
DROVE 2003 GMC SIERRA PICKUP TO MOUNTAINS, STAYED 5 DAYS. GOT IN TRUCK TO COME HOME AND SPEEDOMETER WAS ERRATIC AT TIMES AND DIDN'T MOVE AT ALL AT OTHER TIMES.HAVE NOT HAD IT REPAIRED. PROBLEM 3 MOUNTHS OLD.
THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING IN MY 2003 GMC SIERRA, IT JUST STOPPED ONE DAY GOING DOWN THE ROAD, HASN'T BEEN FIXED I THINK GM SHOULD SOMETHING ABOUT I'M NOT THE ONLY ON THAT HAS THE PROBLEM. *JB
SPEEDOMETER ON MY 03 GMC SIERRA TRUCK STOPS WORKING THEN WORKS ERRATICALLY,SHOWS IM GOING 120 WHEN ONLY TRAVELING AT 35 OR SO. I HAVE BEEN READING POST ON FORUM SITES AND SEEMS TO BE A CHRONIC PROBLEM FROM GM. *JB
OUT OF THE BLUE, THE SPEEDOMETER ON OUR 2003 GMC SIERRA STARTED ACTING ERRATICALLY. AT REST, IT READS ~50 MPH, AND OVER 120 MPH WHEN DRIVING. *JB
1 DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT LIMIT 2 SPEEDOMETER JUMPS UP TO 100 3 SPEEDOMETER AT 30 WHEN STOPPED, STILL NOT WORKING. *JB
WAS DRIVING ON EXPRESS WAY AND SPEEDOMETER WENT TO ZERO WHILE I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. HAVE NOT TAKEN IN YET, WILL THIS WEEK TO THE LOCAL DEALER. OVER PAST 2 DAYS SINCE INCIDENT OCCURRED, HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES AT VARIOUS SPEED LEVELS. *NM
SPEEDOMETER ON 2003 GMC SIE FAILED CONSTANTLY AND WHEN IT WORKS, IT WORKS VERY ERRATICALLY, TESTED ACTUAL SPEED ON POLICE RADAR AND SPEED WAS NEVER CONSISTENT AND SOMETIMES OUT BY 15KM/H. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT IT DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. *JB
THE SPEEDOMETER, THE HEAT GAUGE, AND MY BATTERY GAUGE ARE ALL PEGGED AND DO NOT WORK AT ALL ON MY 2003 GMC SIERRA 1500 WITH 50K MILES...I'VE READ NUMEROUS MESSAGE BOARDS AND I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE...THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR GMC'S... *JB
Official recalls
104V562000 · Equipment Adaptive/mobility
Nov 26, 2004
ON CERTAIN VANS EQUIPPED WITH SURE-LOK WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT SYSTEMS, THE SPROCKET TEETH OF THE RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE WHEELCHAIR MAY NOT BE ADEQUATELY SECURED POSSIBLY RESULTING IN INJURIES TO A WHEELCHAIR OCCUPANT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT RETRACTORS AS NECESSARY. SURE-LOK WILL HANDLE THE REPAIRS FOR THIS CAMPAIGN. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SURE-LOCK AT 1-908-231-1804 OR MOBILITYWORKS AT 1-800-769-8267.
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.