CHEVROLET C/K SERIES · model year

2003 CHEVROLET C/K SERIES

8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2003CHEVROLETC/K SERIES carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2003 C/K SERIES is electrical system: instrument cluster/panel with 2 filings, followed by electrical system (1) and power train:automatic transmission (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 2003 C/K SERIES. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

8
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

8 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE1
STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS1
STEERING:COLUMN1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC1

Recent Complaints

20090718SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

POOR BRAKING POWER. REPLACED ROTORS & REAR BRAKES DUE TO ROTORS RUSTING OUT AT ONLY 23,000 MILES. IN HARD STOP PEDAL WILL GO TO FLOOR. CHEVY SAYS THIS IS NORMAL...BEEN THIS WAY SINCE NEW. *TR

Mileage: 8

20080211ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

MY 2003 CHEVY SILVERADO HAS A SPEEDOMETER ISSUE THAT SAYS I MA GOING 30 WHEN I AM STOPPED. GM PUTS OUT A RECALL BUT WILL ONLY FIX IT IF THE MILEAGE IS LESS THAN 70K. MINE WENT OUT AT 72K, HOW CONVENIENT. THIS IN MY OPINION IS A SAFETY ISSUE NOT KNOWING HOW FAST YOU ARE GOING. IF NOT KNOWING HOW FAST YOU ARE GOING THEN WHY DO WE HAVE SPEED LIMITS? *TR

Mileage: 71,250

20070727STEERING:COLUMN

REPACKED THE STEERING COLUMN DUE TO A POPPING NOISE. THEN IT CAME BACK. SO THEY SAID THEY REPLACED IT. AND KNOW IT IS BACK AGAIN. *JB

Mileage: 25,000

20070115ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

WHEN THE WEATHER GETS COLD THE INSTRUMENT PANEL QUITS WORKING, OR PARTS OF IT QUIT WORKING. WHEN THE WEATHER GETS ABOVE 20 DEGREES ABOVE ZERO THE GAUGES START WORKING. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS THING TO HAVE HAPPEN WHEN DRIVING. WE HAVE CONTACTED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO LEARN THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2003-2003 GM PICKUP TRUCKS. THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT ACCORDING TO OUR SERVICE MAN AT OUR LOCAL VEHICLE REPAIR CENTER. HE SAID HE HAS HAD SEVERAL OF THESE TRUCKS IN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. HE BELIEVES THE PROBLEM IS, WHEN THE WEATHER GETS COLD, THE CONNECTIONS RETRACT AND NO LONGER MAKE CONTACT. HE SAID HE HAS HAD TO SEND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BACK TO GM AND THEY FIX IT AND RETURN IT AT A COST OF OVER $250.00. WE PURCHASED THIS TRUCK NEW AND DO NOT BELIEVE THIS INSTRUMENT PANEL SHOULD BE FAILING WHEN THE WEATHER GETS COLD. IT IS DANGEROUS, AND VERY ANNOYING. *JB

Mileage: 60,000

20040704STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

WHILE AT A 4TH CELEBRATION ON THE TAILGATE OF MY AMERICAN CHEVROLET TRUCK MY WIFE AND 15 MONTH OLD LITTLE BOY, WAS SITTING THERE AND THE TAILGATE CABLES ON MY 2003 DURAMAX BROKE CAUSING MY WIFE AND CHILD TO HIT THE GROUND BUSTING HIS LIP. I ONLY HOPE THE IS NO TEETH DAMAGE. WILL CHEVROLET REPLACE MY BENT TAILGATE KNOWING THERE IS A RECALL, IF THEY CANT MAKE CABLES FAST ENOUGH, GET-R-DONE, WANT MY TAIL GATE FIXED ALSO AND MY KIDS TEETH. *AK

Mileage: 40,000

20040120POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

DRIVE TRAIN: CLUNK/CLANK DURING UPSHIFT UNDER LIGHT/EASY ACCELERATION. ALSO DURING DOWNSHIFT SUCH AS WHEN SLOWING FOR STOP LITE. ALSO DDURING SLOWING FOR TURN OR UPON QUICK ACCELERATION. VEHICLE HAS 4193 MILES. PROBLEM HAS BEEN WITH VEHICLE SINCE NEW! OCT '03. VEHICLE ALSO HAS DEAD SPOT IN ACCEL WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS. NOTE: WHEN SHIFTING TRANS (AT) FROM PARK TO DRIVE OR TO REVERSE OR ANY COMBINATION THERE IS A VERY NOTICEABLE DELAY IN THE TRANS SHIFTING. THIS COULD BE RELATED TO OVERALL PROBLEM. THE CLUNK/CLANK NOISE IS VERY NOTICEABLE. VERY AUDIBLE,NOT ONLY THAT, YOU CAN ALSO FEEL IT. N MY OPINION THIS COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL IF VEHICLE FAILS TO SHIFT WHEN NEEDED. APPLE CHEVROLET IN RED LION,PA SAID NOISE IS NORMAL. BULL! *AK

Mileage: 1

20040120POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE

DRIVE TRAIN: CLUNK/CLANK DURING UPSHIFT UNDER LIGHT/EASY ACCELERATION. ALSO DURING DOWNSHIFT SUCH AS WHEN SLOWING FOR STOP LITE. ALSO DDURING SLOWING FOR TURN OR UPON QUICK ACCELERATION. VEHICLE HAS 4193 MILES. PROBLEM HAS BEEN WITH VEHICLE SINCE NEW! OCT '03. VEHICLE ALSO HAS DEAD SPOT IN ACCEL WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS. NOTE: WHEN SHIFTING TRANS (AT) FROM PARK TO DRIVE OR TO REVERSE OR ANY COMBINATION THERE IS A VERY NOTICEABLE DELAY IN THE TRANS SHIFTING. THIS COULD BE RELATED TO OVERALL PROBLEM. THE CLUNK/CLANK NOISE IS VERY NOTICEABLE. VERY AUDIBLE,NOT ONLY THAT, YOU CAN ALSO FEEL IT. N MY OPINION THIS COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL IF VEHICLE FAILS TO SHIFT WHEN NEEDED. APPLE CHEVROLET IN RED LION,PA SAID NOISE IS NORMAL. BULL! *AK

Mileage: 1

20031211CrashELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2003 CEHVROLET 3500 DURAMAX DIESEL, WHEN COMPUTER THINKS ENGINE WILL STALL IT IS PROGRAMED TO JUMP THE RPM'S 300 BY IT SELF, HAPPENED WITHIN 10 DAYS OF OWNERS HIP AND SEVERAL TIMES AFTER, DEALER HAD TRUCK 5 OUT OF THE FIRST 8 WEEKS OF OWNERSHIP CAN NOT FIX AS THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE AND IT DOES NOT SEND A FAULT CODE. I HAVE WOKRD MY WAY UP AT CHEV AND WAS TOLD TOUGH, IAND IF I HAD AN CCIDENT AND CAUSED INJURY TO SOME ONE THAT THEY HAVE LAWYERS ON STAFF FO THAT. THE OWNER OF THE DEALERSHIP ADDMITTED TO ME HE WOULD NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE OR LET ANYONE IN HIS DO SO. AFTER 8 WKS THEY OFFERED TO DO A BUY BACK AT OVER AN $8000. LOSS. I HAVE BEED ADVISED THAT IF I TRADE OR SELL THE TRUCK I HAVE TO DISCLOSE THIS DEFECT OR ELSE I AM LIABLE. I HAVE DONE AN INFORMAL SURVEY AND DICOVERED AT LEAST 20% DO THE SAME THING AND THE REAL NUMBER COULD BE AS HIGH AS A THIRD DO. THE PICKUP TRUCK IS TOO HEAVY TO BE COVERED UNDER ANY LEMON LAW AND GM KNOWS THIS. I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH A MR. MCCABE AT 1-800-231

Mileage: 350

Compare 2003CHEVROLETC/K SERIES to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2003 CHEVROLET C/K SERIES have?
The 2003 CHEVROLET C/K SERIES has 8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 CHEVROLET C/K SERIES?
The most-complained component for the 2003 CHEVROLET C/K SERIES is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 2003 CHEVROLET C/K SERIES safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.