Total Complaints
3 filings
GMC S UTILITY · model year
2003 GMC S UTILITY
3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2003GMCS UTILITY carries 3 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, 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 S UTILITY is exterior lighting:headlights with 2 filings, followed by electrical system:wiring (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 S UTILITY. 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.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
1
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 |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20080327EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
MY COMPLAINT IS WITH HEADLIGHTS ON NEWER CARS AND TRUCKS. WHY DO WE NEED THEM SO BRIGHT. WHY DO WE NEED HIGH BEAMS. THEY JUST BLIND ALL DRIVERS. *TR
20060105EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
HEADLIGHTS MOUNTED ON 2005-6 TRUCKS AND SUV'S ARE MOUNTED MUCH TOO HIGH ON THE VEHICLES. THEY BLIND ONCOMING AUTOS AND EVEN CAUSE SEVERE EYE DISCOMFORT THROUGH THE REAR VIEW MIRROR WHEN SAID VEHICLE IS STOPPED BEHIND YOU IN TRAFFIC. EVERYONE I KNOW SAYES THE SAME THING. HOW MANY ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN BEFORE THOSE IN CHARGE WAKE UP AND CHANGE THIS??????????????????????????? *NM
20050701ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
THIS CAR HAS A PROBLEM WHEN YOU ARE ON AN INCLINE WAITING TO PROCEED. THE VEHICLE STARTS TO ROLLBACKWARDS. TWICE I HAD THIS HAPPEN TO ME. THE FIRS TIME I HAD MY SON ALONG WITH ME. I WAS WAITING ON AN STEEP INCLINE FOR TRAFFICE TO MOVE. WHEN THE TRAFFIC STARTED TO MOVE, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKES THE CAR STARTED TO ROLLBACKWARD. I HAD TO PUSH HARD ON THE ACCELARATOR. THEN THE WHEELS STARTED TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL AND JERK. FINALLY IT MOVED FORWARD. THE INCIDENT HAPPEN AGAIN WHEN I WAS ON A STEEP INCLINE. AS SOON AS I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BARKES TO PUT IT ON SHE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR BEGAN TO MOVE BACKWARD AND I HAD TO DO THE SAME AS PREIVOUSLY. THE WHEELS STARTED TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO JERK BACK AND FORWARD, THUS THRUSSING MY BODY FORWARD AND BACKWARD. FINALLY IT DECIDED TOMOVE FORWARD. LUCKILY, I DID NOT HIT THE VECHICLE IN ACK OF ME. SO TO TEST WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS THE VEHICLE, I WENT AROUND AGAIN TO THAT SAME SPOT, MAKING SURE THERE WERE N
Mileage: 28,280
Compare 2003GMCS UTILITY to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2003 GMC S UTILITY have?▼
The 2003 GMC S UTILITY has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 GMC S UTILITY?▼
The most-complained component for the 2003 GMC S UTILITY is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING.
Is the 2003 GMC S UTILITY 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.