2003 GMC Sierra 1500 HD
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › GMC › Sierra 1500 HD › 2003
These records cover every 2003 GMC Sierra 1500 HD. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
1 recall names the 2003 GMC Sierra 1500 HD. Newest first.
Certain replacement fuel filters, fram brand name p/n g3727, with date codes x52911 through x60801 sequentially or x600141 and a mexico country or origin marking on the fuel filter housing manufactured from october 18, 2005, through march 21, 2006, sold for use on the vehicles listed above and on certain school buses. (to see the school bus engine sizes…
Risk and remedy
Risk
This condition may cause an inadequate seal at the connection, potentially leading to a fuel leak. In the presence of an ignition source, a fire could occur.
Remedy
Honeywell will notify owners and replace the fuel filters free of charge. the recall began on october 18, 2006. owners may contact fram customer service at 1-800-890-2075 (option 1).
Owner complaints
16 complaints1 involved a fire
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Engine · Service brakes · Steering
I am an ase master technician, I own an auto/truck repair facility. we are a state of oregon authorized deq repair facility, state of oregon das fleet repair facility, us army base vehicle repair shop and more. driving my truck to tacoma washington. I was towing a vehicle on in the right…
I am an ase master technician, I own an auto/truck repair facility. we are a state of oregon authorized deq repair facility, state of oregon das fleet repair facility, us army base vehicle repair shop and more. driving my truck to tacoma washington. I was towing a vehicle on in the right slow lane, and "reduced engine power" light came on. engine vibrated and runs on 1/2 cylinders. cannot brake or steer, total lack of power. semi-truck nearly rear ends me as I cannot go over 10 mph. no throttle response, period. I was in road construction zone and everyone was slamming on their brakes to avoid pile-up as I had no shoulder to pull over to. a mile or so later I pulled over, and shut off truck. restarted few minutes later and cel was on, but reduced engine power lights out. I continued my drive, but now cautiously. it happened 3 more times getting to tacoma, and 5 times returning back to pdx. now afraid of truck. I finally arrived to my shop the next day and scanned. codes read maf fail, tps fail. replaced throttle pedal assy, throttle body with position sensor, wiring to the throttle body, checked grounds, replaced battery and more as stated by gm tech's. still happens every day. seems like under low acceleration, engine bucks then cel appears and reduced engine power returns. gm has no offers or explanations for repairs. I am a certified ase master technician and have never seen or heard of this until I went online to see if this happens to others. this IS a major problem with most gm owners in the "fly by wire" type of vehicles. no fixes, no help from gm. this has and IS still occurring even today 1/27/2015 with no fixes. vehicle IS being parked until further notice as this vehicle IS dangerous to drive. ase master technician #[xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(B)(6).' *tr
- Electrical system · Engine
I experience an intermittent problem with my truck that flashes an error code "reduced engine power". this IS tied to error code p1516. usually this problem occurs in colder parts of the year, and on a cold soaked engine, but it has happened other times as well. as soon as the error occurs the…
I experience an intermittent problem with my truck that flashes an error code "reduced engine power". this IS tied to error code p1516. usually this problem occurs in colder parts of the year, and on a cold soaked engine, but it has happened other times as well. as soon as the error occurs the throttle shuts and leaves the vehicle with only inertia to attempt to get off the road. this has happened to me on the interstate, and though I have not had an accident yet, I do consider it dangerous. I have taken the vehicle to my local dealer and independent mechanics, and they have been unable to resolve the problem. this seems to be a widespread problem without a solution. *Tr
- Electrical system
A fire in the dash board in the middle of the night while the vehicle was parked in our back yard drive way. dash board area melted where the head unit and cigarette lighter IS located. burned the head liner where a compartment was. the windshield cracked from the inside/outward. Burned spots…
A fire in the dash board in the middle of the night while the vehicle was parked in our back yard drive way. dash board area melted where the head unit and cigarette lighter IS located. burned the head liner where a compartment was. the windshield cracked from the inside/outward. Burned spots on the seats from the dash board burning. Everything in the front of the cab IS black. all windows were up and truck was locked. fire happened in the middle of the night when we were all asleep. We drove the truck on 2/20/14, with no problems. parked it in the drive way about 5:30 pm on 2/20/13. next morning saw that the windshield was cracked, but facing outward. opened the door and was in shock. this truck IS vary special to us. It belonged to our son that past away 1/10/2013. can't seem to find if there was any recalls for 2003 sierra 1500 HD crew cab. *tr
- Service brakes
Brake line failure due to excessive corrosion of the line. after replacing the line myself, I performed a test run and yet another line failed due to the corrosion problem. the issue has been addressed by general motors in canada, but has not been addressed in the us. I feel that ten years and…
Brake line failure due to excessive corrosion of the line. after replacing the line myself, I performed a test run and yet another line failed due to the corrosion problem. the issue has been addressed by general motors in canada, but has not been addressed in the us. I feel that ten years and only 84,000 miles IS not an acceptable timeframe/mileage to be experiencing brake line corrosion failure in the state of virginia. in fact the entire undercarriage of the vehicle IS corroded far worse than my 2000 honda civic which has 175,000 miles on it. general motors should be forced to address the corrosion issues with the sierra pickup line in the us. *tr
- Power train
TL* the contact owns a 2003 GMC sierra 1500 HD. The contact stated that while entering the driveway at various speeds, the vehicle failed to respond to deceleration attempts. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
- Service brakes
Rusty brake lines failed upon application of brakes while towing a boat immediately causing complete loss of stopping ability. I had to have the lines replaced in a small shop due to location and lack of dealerships. Vehicle IS meticulously maintained and only has 82000 miles. *tr
- Service brakes
Extremely well cared for vehicle - always serviced at gm dealership, and recently safety state inspected. brake line ruptured under truck cab leading to rear wheels. complete loss of brake pressure. complete loss of brakes. inspection of brake line at the frame where rupture occurred reveals…
Extremely well cared for vehicle - always serviced at gm dealership, and recently safety state inspected. brake line ruptured under truck cab leading to rear wheels. complete loss of brake pressure. complete loss of brakes. inspection of brake line at the frame where rupture occurred reveals all lines leading to the rear of the vehicle are so corroded and rotten that I should be grateful this didn't occur at highway speed, otherwise, I would not be making this complaint. this failure should not be happening to a vehicle of this age and mileage. *tr
- Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
I received a letter from general motors a few years ago about a speedometer defect. the letter extended the manufactures warranty to 7 years 80,000 miles on the gauge cluster due to defects. the letter said in bold underlined words not to bring the truck in if it IS not experiencing any problems.…
I received a letter from general motors a few years ago about a speedometer defect. the letter extended the manufactures warranty to 7 years 80,000 miles on the gauge cluster due to defects. the letter said in bold underlined words not to bring the truck in if it IS not experiencing any problems. it IS now past the extended warranty and the speedometer IS not working. it IS stuck at 80mph and will not move. I took it to the GMC dealership and gm will not fix the unit since it IS to old. I believe it IS very dangerous not to know how fast you are going, this IS a known problem by gm and gm has not had to have a recall on the unit? gm should have a recall for all the affected cars and trucks with this known problem. *tr
- Engine and engine cooling · Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
TL* the contact owns a 2003 GMC sierra 1500 HD. The contact stated that the bolts on the manifold were fractured and caused leakage through the exhaust emission before going to the catalytic converter. The dealer was notified who advised replacing the bolts and manifold. The manufacturer was…
TL* the contact owns a 2003 GMC sierra 1500 HD. The contact stated that the bolts on the manifold were fractured and caused leakage through the exhaust emission before going to the catalytic converter. The dealer was notified who advised replacing the bolts and manifold. The manufacturer was notified who stated there were no recalls and offered no further assistance. The failure mileage was 99,500. the consumer stated he first heard a ticking sound coming from the engine. he eventually found the exhaust manifold heads broken off the bolt shanks. He then found evidence due to leaking of the exhaust, gas carbon deposits on the engine by the manifold's broken bolts. updated 10/14/11
- Service brakes, hydraulic
TL* the contact owns a 2003 general motor sierra 1500 HD. The contact stated while driving 55 miles per hour, the vehicle would not come to a complete stop until the brakes were applied repeatedly. The contact noticed the vehicle was leaking break fluid which led to the discovery of a rusting…
TL* the contact owns a 2003 general motor sierra 1500 HD. The contact stated while driving 55 miles per hour, the vehicle would not come to a complete stop until the brakes were applied repeatedly. The contact noticed the vehicle was leaking break fluid which led to the discovery of a rusting brake line. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer, and the manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and current mileage was 34,000.
- Electrical system
No warning on my 2003 GMC truck speedometer started going from 70 mph to 120 and beyond when in reality I was going probably 30 mph. This could be a safety issue because a man needs to know how fast he's really going after a little research there's alot of gm owners who don't know how fast there going recall anyone. *Tr
- Service brakes, hydraulic
Brakes failed due to brake line being corroded. *Tr
- Equipment › Appliance › Air conditioner
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 GMC sierra 1500 HD. the contact stated that the heater activates automatically and does not shut off after the vehicle has been turned off. she must open the hood and remove the fuse from the fuse box to turn off the heat. before the vehicle IS restarted, she must…
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 GMC sierra 1500 HD. the contact stated that the heater activates automatically and does not shut off after the vehicle has been turned off. she must open the hood and remove the fuse from the fuse box to turn off the heat. before the vehicle IS restarted, she must reinstall the fuse in the fuse box once again. the dealer was aware of the issue and stated that there was only a tsb for this failure and no recall. the contact would be responsible for the repair costs. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 95,000.
- Visibility › Defroster/defogger/hvac system › Fan/motor
Hvac system will hang up on defrost, it will not return to any other position until vehicle IS restarted with switch in different position. also when using vent on the higher fan settings you can hear and feel a surging of air the fan IS not a producing a constant flow of air. *tr
- Visibility › Rearview mirrors/devices › Exterior
Outside passenger side rear view mirror defrost does not work. *Tr
- Visibility › Glass, side/rear
Truck was parked outside at work during the day. when I entered the truck and closed the driver door to leave, the rear window exploded when the door closed. I am not aware of any objects hitting the window prior to this, or defects, etc. contacted local GMC dealer who claimed to have no…
Truck was parked outside at work during the day. when I entered the truck and closed the driver door to leave, the rear window exploded when the door closed. I am not aware of any objects hitting the window prior to this, or defects, etc. contacted local GMC dealer who claimed to have no knowledge of this and therefore did not offer any assistance. it IS being repaired at a glass shop at my expense with a new window. *nm
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 11010544This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.
- 11007208This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized, tested and designed for the vehicle in question and its applications. Technician should not use the information that is provided by the antilock braking system tire size selection.
- 11006621Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It provides the ability via a single selection within Techline Connect to first identify which modules need updating and then proceed to updating affected modules (with some exceptions). The updating of modules is completed in parallel instead of the technician needing to update one module at a time. This allows a more streamlined approach for dealers and customers.
- 11006421GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities. The damage is being caused either in the removal process by the technician, or inadequate packaging or shipping. This bulletin advises the dealers to be more careful not to damage the transmissions during removal and to package the core properly for return.
- 11004761This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with DTCs, and explains how Top Tier fuels should be used to reduce carbon build-up.
- 11004557This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as a Product Allegation Resolution (PAR) claim.
- 11002312This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming System (SPS) Error Codes E4398, E4399, E4401, E4403, M4404, M4413, M6954, M6955, E4414, E4423, E4491, E4492, or E6961 and resolution information.
- 11000576This Warranty Administration bulletin provides retail and wholesale service personnel with the policies/procedures and the warranty transaction submission procedures that support the Personal Property Damage process.
- 10252735This bulletin provides information for electrical ground repairs using new General Motors replacement fasteners with conductive finish.
- 10252163XM Audio Traffic And Travel Link Availability And Operation.
- 10251890This technical bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with DTCs, and explains how Top Tier fuels should be used to reduce carbon build-up.
- 10251887This bulletin advises the technician of possible location of an internal coolant leak from a specific cylinder head and location.
- 10250775This service bulletin provides service information to technicians on guidelines to replace Oil Cooler, Oil Cooler Lines and Oil Tank if the engine was replaced where large amounts of debris has flowed throughout the oiling system.
- 1025004605500 ignition distributor system corrosion inspect / replace
- 10249980This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vibration complaints that are one of the most challenging complaints to accurately diagnose and repair. Technician will need to use Pico Oscilloscope Diagnostic Kit to effectively diagnosis vehicles. Technician should drive the vehicle will using the Pico Oscilloscope to record data. After the data is recorded it should be reviewed to determine the root cause of the concern. If a repair attempt made the concern better but not eliminated or had no affect at all, and are requesting assistance from General Motors Technical Assistance Center record another Pico file and save it to the computer. After the new Pico Oscilloscope data has been saved email the data to General Motors Technical Assistance Center in the subject line include ?Vibration? ?Business Associate Code? and the last 8 of the Vehicle Identification Number.
- 10249590This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as a Product Allegation Resolution (PAR) claim.
- 10249579This PI bulletin advises the technician on the proper way to install the pistons in an engine.
- 10249011This informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Headlamp, Tail Lamp, License Lamp or Fog/Driving Lamp Damage.
- 10248444Vehicle Recalls
- 10247780This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air. Before calling General Motors Technical Assistance Center technician will need to have high and low pressures, outside temperature, humidity, and vent temperature.
- 10247748Speedometer Needle Accuracy Information.
- 10247747Speedometer Needle Accuracy Information
- 10247681Information On Requests To Add OnStar Bluetooth Option.
- 10247552This service bulletin provides information on Concerns or Questions Regarding Installation of Dealer Installed Accessories.
- 10247093Speedometer Needle Accuracy Information.
- 10247092Speedometer Needle Accuracy Information
- 10246952Programming And Activation Of Replacement OnStar Modules.
- 10246951Programming And Activation Of Replacement OnStar Modules.
- 10246647Pre-Formed and Pre-Flared Hydraulic Brake Pipe Kits Now Available for Service
- 10246631Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
- 10245951Canadian Customers Unable To Place Calls And Turn By Turn Inoperative In The United States.
- 10245950Canadian Customers Unable To Place Calls In The United States
- 10244274This service bulletin provides information about the Hunter wheel Road Force balancers that should be utilized for all repairs requiring balance and Road Force measurement.
- 10244214This informational bulletin provides information for the IPC odometer programming method quick reference guide.
- 10244201This service bulletin provides information for dealers on how to submit a product information report (PIR) (Canada Only).
- 10242843The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is opened rapidly and advises the customer that it is normal for the delay.
- 10242262This service bulletin provides graphics, information and guidelines for engine component wear to assist service personnel as a guideline to perform necessary engine repairs and prevent unnecessary engine replacement.
- 10240344This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.
- 10235802This diagnostic tip bulletin provides additional information on how to diagnose a possible valve, lifter or camshaft issue.
- 10235799This service bulletin provides information about the Hunter wheel Road Force balancers that should be utilized for all repairs requiring balance and Road Force measurement.
Every GMC Sierra 1500 HD model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.