2003 Gmc Sierra 1500: Reliability Data
Source: NHTSA — 210 complaints
210
Total Complaints
72,075mi
Median Mileage
Service Brakes
Top Issue
15
Crash Reports
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
47,500
25th Percentile
72,075
Median Mileage
100,000
75th Percentile
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Service Brakes
55
Instrument Cluster/Panel
32
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
32
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
11
Steering
11
Electrical System
11
Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings
5
Fuel System, Gasoline
5
Air Bags
5
Power Train
4
Severity Assessment
15
Crashes
4
Fires
11
Injuries
0
Deaths
Sample Complaint Reports
"I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK AND I SMELLED A WEIRD SMELL. I THOUGHT MY AIR CONDITIONING MAY BE MESSING UP SO I TURNED OFF MY AIR AND OPENED MY WINDOW. I STILL SMELLED THE WEIRD SMELL WITH THE WINDOW DOWN SO I ASSUMED IT WAS AN ODOR FROM THE CAR IN FRONT OR JUST GENERALLY OUTSIDE. I NOTICED IN M..."
"DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THERE WAS A CLUNKING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD, AND A SHAKING IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE THE DEALER REMOVED THE SHAFT SECTOR, REGREASED IT, AND REINSTALLED IT."
"DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING UNWARRANTED ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) ACTIVATION. THIS CONDITION IS MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR IN ENVIRONMENTALLY CORROSIVE AREAS. THE VEHICLE IS REGISTERED IN MICHIGAN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON 12/15/06 WHO DETERMINED THAT THE V..."
Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.
When Were Complaints Filed?
Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.
When Does Each Component Fail?
Median mileage at complaint for top components.
Service Brakes
55 complaints
25th: 70,125 mi
Median: 89,862 mi
75th: 113,273 mi
Instrument Cluster/Panel
32 complaints
25th: 62,000 mi
Median: 73,500 mi
75th: 80,750 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
32 complaints
25th: 44,300 mi
Median: 68,000 mi
75th: 85,770 mi
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
11 complaints
25th: 31,000 mi
Median: 37,000 mi
75th: 50,000 mi
Steering
11 complaints
25th: 15,000 mi
Median: 26,000 mi
75th: 80,845 mi
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
MI: 24
PA: 19
NY: 16
CA: 12
OH: 11
MD: 11
VA: 11
IL: 9
NC: 8
NJ: 8
Who Files Complaints?
15.2%
Original Owners
84.8%
Second+ Owners
Gmc Sierra 1500 — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
Active Recalls (4)
Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.
Service Brakes, Air
Campaign 06E050000 | 06/06/2006
IF STOPPING DISTANCE IS LIMITED, A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR.
FEDERAL-MOGUL WILL NOTIFY ITS OWNERS AND WILL EITHER CREDIT THE CUSTOMERS ACCOUNT OR REPLACE THE UNIT. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JUNE 2006. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL-MOGUL CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-563-8507 EXT 3530.
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility
Campaign 04V562000 | 26/11/2004
IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE WHEELCHAIR MAY NOT BE ADEQUATELY SECURED POSSIBLY RESULTING IN INJURIES TO A WHEELCHAIR OCCUPANT.
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.
Fuel System, Gasoline
Campaign 06E043000 | 19/05/2006
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.
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).
Hub
Campaign 07E106000 | 17/12/2007
WHEEL SEPARATION CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
FEDERAL-MOGUL WILL NOTIFY CUSTOMERS AND WILL REPLACE THE HUB ASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 7, 2008. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL-MOGUL TOLL-FREE AT 877-489-6659.
Extend Your Brake Life
Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.
- Replace brake pads before they wear to the metal — rotors cost 3x more
- Flush brake fluid every 2-3 years regardless of mileage
- Don't ride the brakes downhill — use engine braking
- Address any grinding, pulsing, or pulling immediately
- Have brakes inspected during every tire rotation
Vehicle Rankings
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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.
Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.
Data through: 2026-03-28