IllustrationBRAKE LINE FAILURE COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKES WHILE DRIVING ON HWY OFF RAMP.
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
Fuel/propulsion System complaints
2 reportsI WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON I-75 AND STARTED DETECTING A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE. I PULLED OVER AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. I FOUND THAT THE FUEL LINE HAD RUSTED AND WAS SPRAYING GAS EVERYWHERE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, I FOUND THAT ALL THE LINES FOR THE FUEL AND BRAKE SYSTEM WERE SEVERELY RUSTED AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLA…
Read full complaint
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON I-75 AND STARTED DETECTING A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE. I PULLED OVER AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. I FOUND THAT THE FUEL LINE HAD RUSTED AND WAS SPRAYING GAS EVERYWHERE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, I FOUND THAT ALL THE LINES FOR THE FUEL AND BRAKE SYSTEM WERE SEVERELY RUSTED AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED TO AVOID CATASTROPHIC FAILURE THAT COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURIES TO MYSELF AND OTHERS ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS FILED, BUT NO ACTION TAKEN. AS AN ADDED NOTE...I BOUGHT THE TRUCK NEW, IT IS KEPT IN THE GARAGE MOST OF THE TIME, AND I DO NOT LIVE IN A STATE THAT IS KNOWN FOR HEAVY SNOW FALL OR SALT USAGE. I ALSO HAVE A 1965 MODEL CAR THAT HAS NEVER HAD THE FUEL LINES OR BRAKE LINES REPLACED.
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.