2003 Chevrolet Express problems
The 2003 Chevrolet Express has 76 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (16%) concerns fuel system. Next are brakes (14%) and electrical system (13%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 76 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Fuel system 16% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 2 and 7
- Injuries and deaths
- 1 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 43,000 miles 53 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 18 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 7 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 6 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 7 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 2 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 2 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 3 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 2 |
| 200k+ miles | 5 |
What the data shows
Of the 53 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 43,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 2 complaints mention a crash; 7 complaints mention a fire; 1 injury reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2003 ranks 4th most-complained-about out of 11 model years of the Chevrolet Express with enough data (47 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 10 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Fire that originated in the right rear back door factory wiring where arcing and electrical faulting were present, specifically the wiring traveling to the lock motor, where a short to ground occurred and ignited wiring insulation into open flame.
Cosnumer stated vehicle was parked over night when it suddenly caught on fire. Fire department stated it was an electrical fire.
Consumer was awakened by a horn blasting in the driveway of residence. After a few minutes consumer heard a loud explosion. When the consumer arrived at the front door, vehicle was in flames. Engine was totally consumed by the fire. The fire department arrived, and informed the consumer that faulty wiring caused the fire. *nlm
Dt: the consumer stated that while driving at 50-60 MPH 2003 chevrolet express stalled. The vehicle sat for about a minute, then it restarted. There were no lights that came on the dashboard. This happened with no warning. The dealership has not been contacted as of now. The manufacturer has not been called. The consumer was going to contact the dealer so they could examine the van. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but they found nothing wrong with the vehicle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet express. The contact stated that the seat belt buckle assembly broke. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the seat belt was working up to specifications. The dealer stated that there was a recall NHTSA campaign id number: 03v050000 component: seat belts:front:buckle assembly. But the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired.