2003 Chevrolet Avalanche Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Avalanche years
- Far more complaints than other years 4th of 15 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 204 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche. That ranks 4th out of 15 Avalanche model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes (51 complaints, 25%), typically at around 120,509 miles. Complaints mention 10 crashes, 2 fires, 7 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
- 204owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 10complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes problems | 51 | 25% | 120,509 | “brake lines” (55%) | $2,300 |
| Electrical System | 42 | 21% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 27 | 13% | 47,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 14 | 7% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 14 | 7% | 18,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 5% | 52,280 | — | — |
| Visibility | 10 | 5% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 9 | 4% | 8,389 | — | — |
| Steering | 8 | 4% | 22,304 | — | — |
| Suspension | 7 | 3% | 28,672 | — | — |
| Tires | 7 | 3% | 9,343 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 3% | 9,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 3% | 64,117 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 2% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 2% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 1% | 159,700 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 1% | 14,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 84,900 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 0% | 28,586 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | 31,175 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Chevrolet Avalanche recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seat belts:rear/other
Problem: On certain crew cab pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the 2nd row center occupant seat belt routing may make it difficult to position the lap portion of the safety belt low around the hips of occupants, especially smaller occupants, seated in this position. Appropriate use of a child seat or booster seat, as recommended for small children, does improve the fit condition for this user group. In addition to instructions on proper infant and young child restraint (with child seats or boosters), special verbiage for restraining older child is included in the owner's manual. Also, the suggested seat belt fit/routing for adults, irrespective of seating position, is described in the owner's manual text.
Risk: A lap portion of the seat belt routing that is not low and snug on the hips can allow the lap belt to ride up on an occupant's abdomen instead of fitting low around their hipbones, and therefore, can expose them to more risk of abdominal and internal organ injury.
Fix: Dealers will cut open the guide loop, remove a portion of the loop, and then the remaining two sides should be folded over and secured with a retainer free of charge. The recall began on july 21, 2005. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, or hummer at 1-800-732-5493.
Structure:body:tailgate:hinge and attachments
Problem: On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the galvanized steel tailgate support cables that retain the tailgate in the full open (horizontal) position may corrode, weaken, and eventually fracture. If both cables fractured, the tailgate would suddenly drop and strike the top surface of the rear bumper.
Risk: Anyone sitting or standing on the horizontal surface of the tailgate when both cables fractured could be injured by falling from the tailgate. On vehicles that have had the bumper removed, the tailgate may drop even lower. Additionally, if there is cargo on the tailgate the cargo may fall off if the support cables fracture.
Fix: Dealers will replace the cables. Interim owner notification began on april 7, 20004. The recall began on september 24, 2004, when replacement parts were available, and will continue through october 29, 2004. Owners should contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or gmc at 1-866-996-9463, or visit www.mygmlink.com, and enter your vehicle identification number.
Service brakes, hydraulic
Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and passenger vans fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 135, ?passenger car brake systems.? Some of these vehicles were produced with an out-of-specification brake hydro-boost housing relief valve bore.
Risk: Consequently, the valve o-ring seal may fracture. Steering efforts may be slightly increased while braking or parking. Under certain driving conditions, a fractured seal may require a slight increase in the applied brake pedal effort to achieve the same vehicle deceleration rate as prior to the seat fracture.
Fix: Dealers are to replace the hydro-boost relief valve. The recall began on june 18, 2004. Owners should contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; gmc at 1-866-996-9463; or hummer at 1-866-486-6376.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly
Problem: On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, vehicles, during a 30 degree left angle frontal impact of sufficient severity, a tear could develop in the mid-frame cross member at its attachment to the left frame rail. If the mid-frame cross member tears during frontal impact and produces a sharp edge, contact of the sharp edge with the fuel tank could result in a puncture of the fuel tank and possible fuel leakage.
Risk: Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will install a fuel tank shield. Owner notification began february 20, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or gmc at 1-800-462-8782.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Brake line corrosion failure (PE10010) — opened Mar 30, 2010, closed Jan 5, 2011.
- Parking brake failure (DP05009) — opened Dec 20, 2005, closed May 31, 2006.
- Hydraulic pump failres (EA04012) — opened Apr 30, 2004, closed Feb 28, 2005, led to recall 05V005000.
- Tailgate cable breakage (EA04005) — opened Feb 19, 2004, closed Sep 28, 2004, led to recall 04E067000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My 17 year old son was on the freeway and the brake pedal travelled all the way to the floor while attempting to stop. The service brake system light came on at the same time. Stopping distance was increased dramatically, by at least double. If there would have been a curve or car in front of him…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche. While driving approximately 65 mph, the instrument panel failed. In addition, the driver side headlight failed. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the instrument panel…
Brake line failure: i had a ruptured steel break line failure while applying normal breaking pressure on the pedal. After further inspection of break lines, i found all break lines were rusted and in danger of also rupture.
The other day i started noticing that when i turn right (or left in reverse) at a low rate of speed the vehicle makes a clunking noise and my steering is affected. I started looking online for a remedy to this problem and found that several people had the same problem and did not know where to…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet avalanche. While driving at an unknown speed, the brake pedal extended to the floor when it was depressed. The contact discovered that the brake lines near the driver side door were rusted and corroded, and brake fluid had leaked from the vehicle. The contact…
Other Chevrolet Avalanche years
← 2002 Avalanche · 2004 Avalanche →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 Avalanche | 82 | 2 |
| 2012 Avalanche | 36 | 3 |
| 2011 Avalanche | 127 | 3 |
| 2010 Avalanche | 111 | 3 |
| 2009 Avalanche | 76 | 5 |
| 2008 Avalanche | 258 | 4 |
| 2007 Avalanche | 377 | 4 |
| 2006 Avalanche | 11 | 1 |
| 2005 Avalanche | 71 | 3 |
| 2004 Avalanche | 165 | 5 |
| 2003 | 204 | 4 |
| 2002 Avalanche | 444 | 2 |
| 2001 Avalanche | 2 | 0 |
| 2000 Avalanche | 2 | 0 |
| 1999 Avalanche | 0 | 0 |
See all Chevrolet Avalanche problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche?
Owners most often report service brakes, electrical system, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, service brakes, accounts for 51 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Avalanche model years, the 2003 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.