2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems
The 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 has 561 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (47%) concerns brakes. Next are electrical system (15%) and engine (6%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 561 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Brakes 47% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 33 and 10
- Injuries and deaths
- 16 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 81,000 miles 512 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 | 24 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 52 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 77 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 90 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 85 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 59 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 50 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 26 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 22 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 13 |
| 200k+ miles | 14 |
What the data shows
Of the 512 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 81,000 miles. For brakes specifically, the median reported mileage is about 83,000 miles (255 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 33 complaints mention a crash; 10 complaints mention a fire; 16 injuries 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 29 model years of the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 with enough data (165 complaints in that window).
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle was involved in a head on crash and the air bags did not deploy. The front passenger seat belt also failed to retain its passenger. Both the driver and the passenger suffered injuries as a result. The contact also stated that the driver of the other vehicle involved suffered injuries. The vehicle was towed to an independent repair, but the failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd. The contact stated that while driving t 30 MPH, the contact crashed into another vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The driver and passenger sustained injuries however, the extent of the injuries were unknown. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 173,776.
Braking while pulling a travel trailer and two separate steel brake lines ruptured. In process of replacing all steel lines do to high level of corrosion.
When I turn the left turn signal on, it sometimes works and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it turns both turn signals on like the hazards. If I have my cruise set and use the left turn signal, it shuts the cruise off. Tr