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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.

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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

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

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

3 reports
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80,000 miles · Nov 30, 2017
Engine And Engine Cooling

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 1500. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, EXHAUST FUMES ENTERED THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JOHN PAUL'S BUICK GMC (3615 S 108TH ST, GREENFIELD, WI 53228 (414) 482-6246) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A FRACTURED EXHAUST MANIFOLD GASKE…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 1500. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, EXHAUST FUMES ENTERED THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JOHN PAUL'S BUICK GMC (3615 S 108TH ST, GREENFIELD, WI 53228 (414) 482-6246) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A FRACTURED EXHAUST MANIFOLD GASKET. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST THE CONTACT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO RECALL ISSUED FOR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. .*BF CONSUMER STATED WIFE SMELLED EXHAUST FUMES, CONSUMER CANNOT SMELL AND WAS GETTING HEADACHES AFTER DRIVING. PROBLEM IS FROM THE EXHAUST FUMES. UPDATED 8/15/18*JB

NHTSA ODI #11051442

80,845 miles · Feb 25, 2008
Engine And Engine CoolingExterior LightingSteering

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE HEADLIGHTS DIM AND THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHEN THE CONTACT DEPRESSES THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT MOVE AND THE CONTACT WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSIST THE DEALER IN LOCATING…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE HEADLIGHTS DIM AND THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHEN THE CONTACT DEPRESSES THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT MOVE AND THE CONTACT WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSIST THE DEALER IN LOCATING THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,845. UPDATED 4/2/08 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF AND VEHICLE IS STILL, THE STEERING WHEEL BECOMES INOPERABLE. UPDATED 04/02/08 *TR

NHTSA ODI #10219136

41,000 miles · Jul 5, 2006
Engine And Engine CoolingFire

I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK AND I SMELLED A WEIRD SMELL. I THOUGHT MY AIR CONDITIONING MAY BE MESSING UP SO I TURNED OFF MY AIR AND OPENED MY WINDOW. I STILL SMELLED THE WEIRD SMELL WITH THE WINDOW DOWN SO I ASSUMED IT WAS AN ODOR FROM THE CAR IN FRONT OR JUST GENERALLY OUTSIDE. I NOTICED IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR THE CAR BEHI…

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I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK AND I SMELLED A WEIRD SMELL. I THOUGHT MY AIR CONDITIONING MAY BE MESSING UP SO I TURNED OFF MY AIR AND OPENED MY WINDOW. I STILL SMELLED THE WEIRD SMELL WITH THE WINDOW DOWN SO I ASSUMED IT WAS AN ODOR FROM THE CAR IN FRONT OR JUST GENERALLY OUTSIDE. I NOTICED IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS FLAGGING ME DOWN. I PULLED OVER AND SHE TOLD ME MY TRUCK WAS SMOKING AND SHE THOUGHT SHE SAW A FLAME OUT THE BACK. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD BETTER AND GOT OUT TO LOOK. I LOOKED IN THE AREA BETWEEN THE CAB AND THE BED AND I SAW FLAMES. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS THE FLAMES GOT BIGGER AND FLARED UP OVER THE BED OF THE TRUCK. A PASSING MOTORIST STOPPED AND HAD A COOLER OF WATER AND POURED IT ON THE AREA AND PUT THE FIRE OUT. I HAD CALLED 911 AND THE FIRE TRUCK ARRIVED AFTER THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT. THE POLICE DID NOT ACCOMPANY THE FIRE TRUCK. AN INSURANCE ADJUSTOR HAS NOT BEEN TO THE MECHANIC TO LOOK AT THE TRUCK YET SO I DO NOT KNOW THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10161459

Official recalls

1

04V562000 · 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.