Total Complaints
21 filings
CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500 · model year
21 NHTSA complaints, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2003CHEVROLETEXPRESS 1500 carries 21 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 3 fires, 2 injuries, 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 EXPRESS 1500 is fuel system, gasoline with 5 filings, followed by fuel/propulsion system (4) and seat belts (2). 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. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2003 EXPRESS 1500, and 2 remain open. 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.
Total Complaints
21 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 5 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 4 |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP | 1 |
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18, 2005, THROUGH MARCH 21, 2006, SOLD FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE AND ON CE
HINGES BROKE; DOORS ARE UNSAFE.
CORRODED AND LEAKING FUEL FILLER NECK. FOOLISH DESIGN INVOLVING DISSIMILAR METALS HELD IN CONTACT AND SURROUNDED WITH A CONDUIT WHICH HOLDS WATER AND ROAD SALT. DESIGN IS DESTINED FOR FAILURE. GM HAS A PARTIAL RECALL FOR THE SNOW BELT. SUCH A FOOLISH DESIGN SHOULD BE FIXED EVERYWHERE AS IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL FAILURE.
Mileage: 124,000
THE PASSENGER SIDE SWING DOORS ARE VERY HARD TO OPEN AND SHUT AND THE DRIVERS SIDE SWING DOORS ARE IN THE INITIAL STAGE OF THIS. THE PASSENGER SWING DOOR THAT IS FIRST TO OPEN (RIGHT) DOES NOT WANT TO OPEN AND DOESN'T WANT TO SHUT. I HAVE TO FORCE IT. THE SECOND DOOR (LEFT) IS GETTING WORSE AS WELL. THIS IS CAUSING THE INTERIOR LIGHT PIN IN THE DOOR JAM TO NOT PUSH IN ALL THE WAY, THEREFORE; THE LIGHTS WILL NOT SHUT OFF.
Mileage: 133,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500 VAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN FUELING THE VEHICLE, FUEL SPRAYED FROM THE FILLER NECK. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT FUEL FILLER PIPE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000.
Mileage: 107,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN AND THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE RETURN AND DELIVERY FUEL LINES WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 148,000.
Mileage: 148,000
ON A FEW OCCASIONS PRIOR TO LOCATING A LEAK, I NOTICED A GASOLINE SMELL. FINALLY WHEN FILLING EARLIER THIS MONTH, I SAW A LOT OF LEAKING COMING OUT OF THE FUEL FILLER TUBE, BETWEEN THE METAL TUBE AND THE PLASTIC COVER SURROUNDING THE TUBE. WHEN I GOT HOME, I CUT OFF THE PLASTIC TUBE ABOUT HALFWAY AND FOUND A STATIC WIRE RUNNING THE LENGTH OF THE TUBE. EVERYWHERE, WHERE THIS WIRE TOUCHED TO METAL PIPE, IT WAS CORRODED COMPLETELY THROUGH. THE STATIC WIRE IS OF A DIFFERENT MATERIAL AND WAS NOT CORRODED. PRESENTLY I HAVE WRAPPED THE TUBE WITH A GASOLINE RESISTANT TAPE. BUT, I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE TUBE SOON. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP HAS QUOTED APPROX. $241.00 WITHOUT INSTALLATION. ARE THERE OTHER INSTANCES LIKE THIS AND IS THERE A RECALL I'M NOT AWARE OF. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR
Mileage: 162,000
FOR SOMETIME, THERE WAS A SMELL OF GASOLINE WHEN FILLING THIS VAN, WHICH I JUST ATTRIBUTED TO A VAPOR RELEASE WHEN THE TANK WAS FULL. RECENTLY, I NOTICE GAS LEAKING UNDER THE VAN WHEN FILLING AT THE GAS STATION. THE GAS LEAKS IN AND AROUND THE BRAKE LINES. THIS VAN IS A 2003 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500 WITH LEFT HAND DOOR OPTION. THIS IS MY FAMILY VEHICLE AND IN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM FURTHER, I UNDERSTAND IT TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM AND A DESIGN FLAW, WHERE THE FUEL FILL HOSE RUSTS. THIS NEEDS A RECALL WITH IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. *TR
I WAS REFUELING MY VAN AND GAS STARTED POURING OUT FROM THE BOTTOM. AFTER LOOKING I DISCOVERED THE FUEL FILLER NECK WAS RUSTED THRU. THE VAN ONLY HAS 64K MILES. I REPLACED IT MYSELF AT THIS TIME. THERE WAS NO COLLISION DAMAGE....SIMPLY HEAVY CORROSION. *TT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER REFUELING, HE NOTICED AN OVERPOWERING FUEL ODOR. THE CONTACT FURTHER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING AND RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER AND THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE GASOLINE FILLER TUBE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 64,000. UPDATED 02/13/12
Mileage: 64,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER REFUELING, HE NOTICED AN OVERPOWERING FUEL ODOR. THE CONTACT FURTHER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING AND RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER AND THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE GASOLINE FILLER TUBE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 64,000. UPDATED 02/13/12
Mileage: 64,000
DRIVERS SEAT BELT BECAME STUCK AND I HAD TO LIMBO TO GET OUT OF MY EXPRESS CONVERSION VAN. I HAD TO BAG ON IT TO MAKE IT RELEASE. IT DOESN'T LATCH ANYMORE AND I NEED TO REPLACE THE BOTTOM SECTION. *TR
Mileage: 73,850
GAS FILLER TUBE RUSTED THROUGH AND GASOLINE LEAKED EVERY TIME I REFUELED. THIS WAS NOT A SMALL HOLE. THE METAL ON THE WHOLE TUBE BROKE DOWN CAUSING FUEL TO LEAK AND CREATING A FIRE HAZARD. UPDATED 08/11/11 *BF UPDATED 3/08/2012 *LN *TR
Mileage: 63,000
FUEL LEAKING FROM FUEL TANK FILLER TUBE WHEN FILLING GAS TANK. *TR
Mileage: 92,464
SEAT BACK OF DRIVERS SEAT FAILED AND NOW SEAT WILL NOT STAY IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN A COLLISION AND THIS OCCURED WHILE DRIVING. *TR
Mileage: 69,000
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500. ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2008, THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE AND HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND. THE SOUND ORIGINATED FROM THE ENGINE AND PERSISTED THROUGHOUT THE DAY. HE CHECKED THE OIL AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS ONLY ONE QUART. HE PLACED MORE OIL IN THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE DID NOT PREVENT HIM FROM ACCELERATING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE LIFTERS AND PUSH RODS WERE DEFECTIVE, WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 138,000.
Mileage: 138,000
(1)SEAT BELT WILL NOT LATCH. SEATBELT LATCH OPENS WITHOUT WARNING. (2)THE SIDE CARGO DOOR HINGES ARE FAULTY AND HARD TO OPEN. OPENS WITHOUT WARNING. *TR
Mileage: 134,089
(1)SEAT BELT WILL NOT LATCH. SEATBELT LATCH OPENS WITHOUT WARNING. (2)THE SIDE CARGO DOOR HINGES ARE FAULTY AND HARD TO OPEN. OPENS WITHOUT WARNING. *TR
Mileage: 134,089
AT 4:30 A.M. ON THE MORNING OF FEB 13 2008 WAS AWOKE TO FLAMES FLICKERING ON BEDROOM WALL IT WAS MY 2003 REGENCY CONVERSION VAN GOING UP IN SMOKE NO APPARENT REASON BUT IT DID START IN THE FUSE BOX AREA MAYBE THE SAME ISSUE AS THE HORN PROBLEM THE WEEK BEFORE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM OF HORN GOING OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT BUT THERE WAS NO FIRE AT THAT TIME. *TR
Mileage: 40,270
DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE OF MY 2003 CHEVY EXPRESS VAN, I NOTICED THAT BOTH INNER TIE RODS HAVE EXCESSIVE END PLAY IN THEM, LEFT INNER AND RIGHT INNER. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS IS A NORMAL WEAR PROBLEM AND IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONCERN. *TR
Mileage: 53,000
TL*THE CONTACT CALLED REGARDING A 2003 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500. THE CONTACT IS THE PHYSICAL DAMAGE INSPECTOR FOR AN INSURANCE COMPANY. HE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN THE HORN BEGAN TO SOUND. HE STATED THAT THE HORN IS ALSO USED AS AN INTRUDER ALARM. SHORTLY AFTER, FLAMES BEGAN TO RISE FROM THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT IT WAS NOT A WARRANTY RELATED FAILURE. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE WIRE THAT RUNS FROM THE HORN RELAY TO THE ACTUAL HORN IN THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN SUPER HEATED, WHICH CAUSED THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE PURCHASE DATE AND MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN. RETURN USPS, MADE 2ND ATTEMPT 08/04/07 FAILED. *BF
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
Fuel Line Leak
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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.