IllustrationBRAKES ARE SPONGY NOT RIGHT POWER STEERING WHINES AS DO BRAKES
2003 GMC Sierra 2500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Sierra 2500 years
Owner complaints for the 2003 GMC Sierra 2500 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 46.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sierra 2500 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
140–25K
2825–50K
2950–75K
2075–100K
34100–150K
17150K+
142 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, Hydraulic. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports4 fire reports4 injury reports
Service Brakes complaints
28 reportsBRAKE FAILURE UPON SLOWING DOWN AT OFF RAMP. AVOIDED ACCIDENT BUT HAD TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. PULLED INTO PARKING LOT, CHECKED FLUID LEVELS, WERE OK, TRIED BRAKES AGAIN AND THEY WERE WORKING. HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM SINCE.HAVE HEARD REPORTS OF SIMILAR NATURE. SOME THINK IT IS A PROBLEM IN THE VALVING.HOPE YOU CAN FIND A CURE.
I WAS DRIVING ON I 75 DOING 70 MPH I HAD TO COME TO A SUDDEN STOP I APPLIED BRAKES AND THERE WAS NO BRAKES., I ENDED UP PUTTING TRUCK IN THE DITCH TO AVOID SERIOUS ACCIDENT. IT ENDED BOTH BRAKE LINES FROM MASTER CYLINDER BOTH BLEW UP FROM CORROSION THESE LINES WENT TO THE ABS MODULE. I WAS SOME WHAT INJURED. *TR
ABS COMES ON AT LOW SPEED.. IT INCREASES STOPPING DISTANCE.. I HAVE ONCE REAR ENDED A VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THIS. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO EITHER VEHICLE.. ALSO MY ABS LIGHT COME ON FOR A FEW SECONDS MAYBE TWO OR THREE TIMES A MONTH..
BRAKE LINE FAILED, NO BRAKES WHILE HEADING FOR A RED LIGHT. DRIVE OFF ROAD TILL VEHICLE STOPPED. BRAKE LINE FROM MASTER CYLINDER TO ABS CONTROL , ROTTED OUT. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, ALL BRAKE LINES ARE ROTTED OUT. MY MECHANIC STATES THEY ALL NEED TO BE REPLACED, IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN.
BRAKE LINE RUSTED THROUGH AND LOST ALL BRAKING CAPABILITY. LUCKLY IT HAPPENED PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND NOT ON THE HIGHWAY! FUEL LINES RUSTED THROUGH AND LEAKING FUEL PUDDLING ONTO THE GROUND.
SEVERELY RUSTED BRAKE LINES THAT SPLIT. MAIN LINE FROM MASTER CYLINDER TO ABS MODULE AND REAR LINE JUST INBOARD OF LH REAR TIRE. PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR ON CITY STREET WHEN DRIVING.
I WAS MOVING THE VEHICLE IN THE DRIVEWAY WHEN THE BREAK PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE TRUCK STOPPED SO I GOT OUT AND LOOKED UNDER IT AND SAW BREAK FLUID POURING OUT OF A BREAK LINE THAT HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. THE FORMER OWNER HAD ALREADY HAD ANOTHER BREAK LINE REPLACED BECAUSE HIS BREAKS HAD RUPTURED DUE TO THE LINES RU…
Read full complaint
I WAS MOVING THE VEHICLE IN THE DRIVEWAY WHEN THE BREAK PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE TRUCK STOPPED SO I GOT OUT AND LOOKED UNDER IT AND SAW BREAK FLUID POURING OUT OF A BREAK LINE THAT HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. THE FORMER OWNER HAD ALREADY HAD ANOTHER BREAK LINE REPLACED BECAUSE HIS BREAKS HAD RUPTURED DUE TO THE LINES RUSTING THROUGH WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND TOWING A FIFTH WHEEL CAMPER. HE WAS ABLE TO AVOID WRECKING AND CAME TO A STOP. THIS TRUCK HAS LOW MILES AND ABOUT 90% OF ITS USE HAS BEEN DURING THE SUMMER SO IT HAS HAD LIMITED CONTACT WITH SALTED ROADS YET THE ENTIRE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE IS RUSTING AT AN INCREDIBLE RATE. I AM FORTUNATE THAT I WAS SIMPLY MOVING THE TRUCK RATHER THAN HAULING MY CAMPER ON THE HIGHWAY WHICH IS IT'S TYPICAL USE; I AND/OR OTHERS COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED OR KILLED. THE RUSTING THROUGH OF THE BREAK LINES IS A SAFETY ISSUE!
CAME TO INTERSECTION FOR TURN, BROKE AND PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. *TR
BRAKE LINE LEAKS, BRAKE STOPPED WORKING BECAUSE OF RUSTED BRAKE LINES. ALSO FUEL AND TRANSMISSION LINES ARE RUSTED BADLY. *TR
Official recalls
0No 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.