Total Complaints
5 filings
GMC C/K SERIES · model year
2003 GMC C/K SERIES
5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2003GMCC/K SERIES carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 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 C/K SERIES is structure:body:bumpers with 1 filings, followed by steering (1) and tires:tread/belt (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 2 investigation files 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.
5
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
| TIRES:BEAD | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20130726SERVICE BRAKES
DRIVING WENT TO STOP, BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. FOUND OUT THE REAR BRAKE LINE RUSTED THRU. *TR
Mileage: 62,000
20071223TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TODAY, A FIRESTONE DESTINATION LE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE EITHER BLEW APART OR RAN OVER SOMETHING SO DEVASTATING CAUSING IT TO BLOW OUT ON MY 2003 GMC SIERRA 4WD EXT CAB TRUCK. THIS CAUSED THE TRUCK TO SKID ACROSS THE OPPOSITE LANE OF TRAFFIC WHILE TURNING AND TWISTING ON WHAT FELT LIKE TWO WHEELS INTO A STEEP DITCH, NEARLY CAUSING A COMPLETE ROLL-OVER. DRIVING CONDITIONS WERE 30 TO 40 MPH ON A MODERATELY CURVY COUNTRY ROAD IN 20 DEGREE WEATHER WHILE IN 2 WHEEL DRIVE. ADDITIONAL DETAILS ARE: TIRES ARE LESS THAN 1 YEAR OLD, LESS THAN 8000 MILES ON THEM. EVEN IF I HAD RUN-OVER A SHARP OBJECT CAUSING THE TIRE TO GO FLAT, IT SHOULD NOT HAVE DISTENGRATED OR 'BLOWN-APART' IN SECONDS NEARLY CAUSING A POSSIBLE FATAL ACCIDENT. CAN ANYONE STEER ME IN THE NEXT DIRECTION FOR MORE INFO ON THIS TIRE WITH SIMILAR RESULTS? YOUR ASSISTANCE IS MUCH APPRECIATED. *TR
Mileage: 50,000
20071223TIRES:BEAD
TODAY, A FIRESTONE DESTINATION LE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE EITHER BLEW APART OR RAN OVER SOMETHING SO DEVASTATING CAUSING IT TO BLOW OUT ON MY 2003 GMC SIERRA 4WD EXT CAB TRUCK. THIS CAUSED THE TRUCK TO SKID ACROSS THE OPPOSITE LANE OF TRAFFIC WHILE TURNING AND TWISTING ON WHAT FELT LIKE TWO WHEELS INTO A STEEP DITCH, NEARLY CAUSING A COMPLETE ROLL-OVER. DRIVING CONDITIONS WERE 30 TO 40 MPH ON A MODERATELY CURVY COUNTRY ROAD IN 20 DEGREE WEATHER WHILE IN 2 WHEEL DRIVE. ADDITIONAL DETAILS ARE: TIRES ARE LESS THAN 1 YEAR OLD, LESS THAN 8000 MILES ON THEM. EVEN IF I HAD RUN-OVER A SHARP OBJECT CAUSING THE TIRE TO GO FLAT, IT SHOULD NOT HAVE DISTENGRATED OR 'BLOWN-APART' IN SECONDS NEARLY CAUSING A POSSIBLE FATAL ACCIDENT. CAN ANYONE STEER ME IN THE NEXT DIRECTION FOR MORE INFO ON THIS TIRE WITH SIMILAR RESULTS? YOUR ASSISTANCE IS MUCH APPRECIATED. *TR
Mileage: 50,000
20040422STEERING
INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. SAME PROBLEM AS WE HAD REPAIRED ON OUR 1999 GMC 3/4 TON. THE 2003 HAS EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM. MY SON'S 2001 TAHOE HAS THE SAME IDENTICAL PROBLEM WITH HIS. FLYER ON ALL OF THESE VEHICLES ON INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. 1999 HAS HAD THE SHAFT REPLACED 6 TIMES. TAHOE HAS HAD SHAFT REPLACED 2 TIMES. 2003 HAS SAME PROBLEM AND THEY GREASED IT BECAUSE THEY SAY IT CAME FROM FACTORY WITH NO GREASE!!!! LOOKS AS IF THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM BROTHER-IN-LAW WORKS FOR GM AND SAYS THE 2004 SHOULD BE FIXED, HA,HA.
Mileage: 26,132
20030626STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS
FRONT BUMPER IS SEVERELY RUSTED .METAL DEGRADED.*AK
Compare 2003GMCC/K SERIES to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2003 GMC C/K SERIES have?▼
The 2003 GMC C/K SERIES has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 GMC C/K SERIES?▼
The most-complained component for the 2003 GMC C/K SERIES is STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING and TIRES:TREAD/BELT.
Is the 2003 GMC 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.