2003 Chevrolet Express Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Problem: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with a left side cargo door, and originally sold or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Water and road contaminants may become trapped in the protective conduit that covers the fuel filler pipe and may cause the pipe to corrode.

Risk: Significant corrosion may allow fuel to leak during refueling, and in the presence of an ignition source; there is an increased risk of fire.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a new fuel filler neck, free of charge. The safety recall began on October 1, 2012. Owners may contact the Chevrolet owner center at 1-866-694-6546 and GMC at 1-866-996-9463.

Problem: On certain full-size passenger, cargo, or cutaway vans, the front and rear seat belt buckles will not latch or will not unlatch.

Risk: In the event of a crash, a seat occupant may not be properly restrained increasing the risk of personal injury.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the buckles and, if found to be inoperative, the entire buckle assembly would be replaced. For buckles found to be operative, dealer will replace only the upper buckle cover. The recall will be conducted in phases. The first phase mailing began during march 2006. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or gmc at 1-866-996-9463.

Problem: Certain extended and regular cab pickup trucks and cargo vans converted to compressed natural gas (cng) fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, 'child restraint anchorage systems.' these vehicles have one seating position, the center rear seat, equipped with child restraint lower anchorages.

Risk: The standard requires child seat lower anchorages in two seating positions for vehicles with three rear seating positions. The standard cab and cargo van vehicles, which only have front seating positions, have an air bag off switch to disable the front passenger air bag and do not have child restraint lower anchorages in the passenger seat. The standard requires passenger seat child seat lower anchorages in vehicles with an air bag off switch. However, the standard does not require vehicles with only front seating positions to have lower anchorage provisions if the vehicle is not equipped with an air bag off switch.

Fix: To bring the standard cab and cargo van vehicles into compliance, dealers will inject epoxy into the air bag off switch to prevent air bag activation, relocate the switch behind the instrument panel and then install a cover over the resulting opening. The sun visor label and owner's manual will also be changed. The correction for the extended cab vehicle will consist of changing the front passenger seat to a seat that has child restraint lower anchorages. The recall began on september 9, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or gmc at 1-866-996-9463.

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.

Problem: Certain minivans, passenger and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage system." the owner's manual does not explain the meaning of the location symbols for the child restraint lower universal anchorage system.

Risk: This does not meet the requirements of the standard.

Fix: Owners will be provided with a supplement for their owner's manual. This supplement describes and shows the location symbols for the child restraint anchors that are located in the vehicle and on the child restraint or booster cushion. Owner notification began august 18, 2003. Owners should contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, or oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.

Problem: Certain vans have a condition in which water may enter and corrode the rear license plate lamp socket. If the lamp socket were to corrode, the rear license plate lamp may operate intermittently or not at all, and the left rear tail lamp may become inoperative. The temperature of the license plate lamp socket could increase to the point that it may begin to soften and melt.

Risk: If the socket assembly were to reach the point of melting, the occupants of the vehicle may notice an odor and smoke at the rear doors of the vehicle. If this odor and smoke were ignored, the plastic could ignite and a fire could occur.

Fix: Dealers will install a new sealed rear license plate lamp socket assembly. Owner notification began july 21, 2003. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or gmc at 1-800-462-8782.

Problem: On certain vans with a gross vehicle weight of less than 8,500 pounds, during a vehicle crash sufficient enough to deploy the safety belt pretensioner, the front safety belt buckles may not release after the vehicle crash, or alternately may eject the safety belt latch during the vehicle crash.

Risk: This could result in increased risk of personal injury.

Fix: Dealers will replace the front driver and passenger side safety belt buckle. Owner notification began june 3, 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.

Problem: On certain vans with an 8,500 lb. Or 8,600 lb. Gross vehicle weight rating, the nut attaching the pitman arm to the steering linkage may not be tightened adequately resulting in a possible separation.

Risk: A separation could result in loss of vehicle control, and a crash could occur with prior warning.

Fix: Dealers will tighten the pitman arm nut to the proper specification. If the nut is missing, the dealer will install a new nut and tighten it correctly. Owner notification began december 10, 2002. 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.

Problem: On certain vans, the right-hand tie rod end nut may not be tightened adequately. The nut can loosen resulting in separation of the tie rod from the steering knuckle.

Risk: Separation of a tie rod can cause unexpected vehicle steering in some maneuvers and could cause a crash without prior warning.

Fix: Dealers will tighten the tie rod end nut and, if necessary, replace the tie rod end. Owner notification began november 27, 2002. 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.

Problem: Certain vans were built without a wheel bearing assembly retaining nut, which could lead to a possible bearing separation.

Risk: If this were to occur, the amber-colored abs tell-tale lamp in the instrument panel would illuminate and the abs system would be disabled. The driver would also notice a grinding noise, a decrease in the vehicle speed, and the steering will pull in the direction of the affected brake assembly. This could result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the wheel bearing assembly. If the inspection reveals a missing retaining nut, the wheel bearing assembly will be replaced. Owner notification began november 13, 2002. 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.