2003 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sierra 1500 years
- About as many complaints as other years 18th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 180 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 GMC Sierra 1500. That ranks 18th out of 32 Sierra 1500 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes (55 complaints, 31%), typically at around 89,863 miles. Complaints mention 13 crashes, 4 fires, 9 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 180owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 13complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 GMC Sierra 1500 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 | 55 | 31% | 89,863 | “brake lines” (47%) | $1,050 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 50 | 28% | 63,988 | “brake lines” (50%) | — |
| Electrical System | 43 | 24% | 72,151 | — | — |
| Steering | 15 | 8% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 7 | 4% | 100,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 6 | 3% | 32,150 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 3% | 60,968 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 2% | 86,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 2% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 2% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 2% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | 50,423 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 1% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 1% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 94,959 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 1% | 75,750 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 1% | 51,267 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 1% | 53,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 GMC Sierra 1500 recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Problem: On certain vans equipped with sure-lok wheelchair securement systems, the sprocket teeth of the retractor assembly is out of alignment.
Risk: In the event of a vehicle crash, the wheelchair may not be adequately secured possibly resulting in injuries to a wheelchair occupant.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the wheelchair securement retractors as necessary. Sure-lok will handle the repairs for this campaign. Owners should contact sure-lock at 1-908-231-1804 or mobilityworks at 1-800-769-8267.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Unknown
An accident has not occurred yet, but it something I'm concerned deeply about. Awhile back there was a recall on the instrument cluster of the gmc Sierra 1500 (possibly othets on the list, im sure). I did wind up having the cluster replaced, there didn't seem to be any issues at the time. Now...the…
Hydraulic brake lines corroded causing leaks and brake failure
76000 miles; issue ongoing beginning in november 2018 on dry pavement at low speed (under 10 mph) braking is compromised by abs system engagement issue. Below 10 mph, the abs system engages causing dry pavement braking to be double or triple the normal distance to stop prior to the abs issue. This…
While driving approximately 35 mph in town, the vehicle in front of me signaled to make a left hand turn. I began to slow down the vehicle and then i lost all brake pressure. I was unable to stop the truck to avoid an accident due to complete brake failure! There were no previous lights or warning…
Other GMC Sierra 1500 years
← 2002 Sierra 1500 · 2004 Sierra 1500 →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Sierra 1500 | 141 | 2 |
| 2025 Sierra 1500 | 118 | 1 |
| 2024 Sierra 1500 | 367 | 1 |
| 2023 Sierra 1500 | 489 | 3 |
| 2022 Sierra 1500 | 594 | 6 |
| 2021 Sierra 1500 | 585 | 7 |
| 2020 Sierra 1500 | 475 | 12 |
| 2019 Sierra 1500 | 653 | 10 |
| 2018 Sierra 1500 | 305 | 7 |
| 2017 Sierra 1500 | 354 | 6 |
| 2016 Sierra 1500 | 343 | 8 |
| 2015 Sierra 1500 | 719 | 9 |
| 2014 Sierra 1500 | 742 | 9 |
| 2013 Sierra 1500 | 116 | 3 |
| 2012 Sierra 1500 | 107 | 3 |
| 2011 Sierra 1500 | 284 | 5 |
| 2010 Sierra 1500 | 168 | 4 |
| 2009 Sierra 1500 | 234 | 4 |
| 2008 Sierra 1500 | 381 | 2 |
| 2007 Sierra 1500 | 262 | 2 |
| 2006 Sierra 1500 | 145 | 0 |
| 2005 Sierra 1500 | 177 | 0 |
| 2004 Sierra 1500 | 212 | 2 |
| 2003 | 180 | 1 |
| 2002 Sierra 1500 | 166 | 1 |
| 2001 Sierra 1500 | 140 | 2 |
| 2000 Sierra 1500 | 181 | 1 |
| 1999 Sierra 1500 | 158 | 1 |
| 1998 Sierra 1500 | 59 | 2 |
| 1997 Sierra 1500 | 83 | 3 |
| 1996 Sierra 1500 | 5 | 0 |
| 1995 Sierra 1500 | 3 | 0 |
See all GMC Sierra 1500 problems by year, every GMC model, or the GMC VIN decoder.
Similar GMC models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 GMC Sierra 1500?
Owners most often report service brakes, service brakes, hydraulic, electrical system problems. The top one, service brakes, accounts for 55 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 GMC Sierra 1500?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 GMC Sierra 1500 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sierra 1500 model years, the 2003 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.