2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems
Owners have filed 151 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 19% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 57,840 miles. The words owners use most often: “brake lines” (40% of reports).
- 151service brakes, hydraulic complaints
- 57,840median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,300typical repair cost reported by owners
- 8%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Brake lines: mentioned in 60 of 151 complaints (40%)
- Pedal went: mentioned in 23 of 151 complaints (15%)
- Anti lock: mentioned in 16 of 151 complaints (11%)
- Stopping distance: mentioned in 11 of 151 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical service brakes, hydraulic repair on the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 at $1,300, and half of them between $890 and $1,650.
Based on 16 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2007–2013), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems happen?
Based on 141 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 151 complaints, 2 mention a crash.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 service brakes, hydraulic complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Silverado 1500 | 2 | 2% | 4,555 |
| 2025 Silverado 1500 | 1 | 1% | 21,800 |
| 2024 Silverado 1500 | 1 | 0% | 4,000 |
| 2023 Silverado 1500 | 7 | 2% | 17,000 |
| 2022 Silverado 1500 | 3 | 0% | 6,000 |
| 2021 Silverado 1500 | 4 | 0% | 96,000 |
| 2020 Silverado 1500 | 11 | 1% | 73,350 |
| 2019 Silverado 1500 | 16 | 1% | 58,750 |
| 2018 Silverado 1500 | 12 | 2% | 70,750 |
| 2017 Silverado 1500 | 15 | 2% | 75,000 |
| 2016 Silverado 1500 | 11 | 1% | 138,000 |
| 2015 Silverado 1500 | 23 | 2% | 81,000 |
| 2014 Silverado 1500 | 12 | 1% | 105,994 |
| 2012 Silverado 1500 | 1 | 0% | 42,000 |
| 2011 Silverado 1500 | 3 | 1% | 114 |
| 2010 Silverado 1500 | 2 | 1% | 57,050 |
| 2009 Silverado 1500 | 6 | 1% | 10,422 |
| 2008 Silverado 1500 | 14 | 2% | 10,995 |
| 2007 Silverado 1500 | 26 | 3% | 18,000 |
| 2006 Silverado 1500 | 53 | 15% | 47,000 |
| 2005 Silverado 1500 | 46 | 9% | 36,500 |
| 2004 Silverado 1500 | 100 | 13% | 50,000 |
| 2003 Silverado 1500 | 151 | 19% | 57,840 |
| 2002 Silverado 1500 | 164 | 32% | 70,000 |
| 2001 Silverado 1500 | 147 | 31% | 75,000 |
| 2000 Silverado 1500 | 237 | 39% | 93,311 |
| 1999 Silverado 1500 | 222 | 38% | 92,000 |
| 1998 Silverado 1500 | 109 | 30% | 68,500 |
| 1997 Silverado 1500 | 123 | 22% | 82,500 |
| 1996 Silverado 1500 | 2 | 29% | 77,524 |
| 1995 Silverado 1500 | 1 | 33% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists service brakes, hydraulic for the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500. While driving at various speeds, the brakes failed to stop the vehicle. The contact had to apply the emergency brake to bring the vehicle to a stop. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rear brake line…
2003 chevrolet silverado. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle brake failure. *smd the consumer stated the brake failure happened with no warning. There were no signs of leak and no other visible or physical evidence of a brake system problem. The vehicle was take to a repair facility. The…
While looking at my truck after getting it back from the shop getting all 4 of the brake lines replaced, i noticed the fuel lines are leaking and extremely corroded. I have always been a chevy lover, and this is my first nice vehicle i have ever owned. Bought used in september of 2014. So far we…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500s have service brakes, hydraulic problems?
No. NHTSA has 151 owner complaints about service brakes, hydraulic for the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (19% of the 805 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 service brakes, hydraulic?
No recall currently lists service brakes, hydraulic for this vehicle.
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems start?
The median reported mileage is 57,840 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,300 (half paid between $890 and $1,650), from 16 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
The most frequent phrase is “brake lines”, in 60 of 151 complaints, followed by “pedal went” (23).
Other 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems
- Service Brakes problems (273)
- Electrical System problems (195)
- Steering problems (56)
See all 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems or service brakes, hydraulic problems across all Silverado 1500 years.