GMC TAHOE · model year

2003 GMC TAHOE

4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2003GMCTAHOE carries 4 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 TAHOE is electrical system: instrument cluster/panel with 2 filings, followed by steering:linkages (1) and fuel system, gasoline (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 TAHOE. 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.

4
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

4 filings

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

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL2
STEERING:LINKAGES1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE1

Recent Complaints

20071110ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

2003 GMC TAHOE. SPEEDOMETER QUIT WORKING WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

20061221FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

TL* - THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE REGISTERS 1/8 OF A TANK OF GAS WHEN TANK IS EMPTY. THERE ARE NO WARNINGS GIVEN TO INDICATE THAT THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF GAS. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE LEVEL SENSOR TWICE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN PARK WHEN IT IS DISCOVERED THAT THE TANK IS EMPTY. THE CONTACT STATES ONCE HE PUTS GAS IN THE VEHICLE IT STARTS RIGHT UP. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE REPAIR SHOP 6 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM.

Mileage: 60,000

20061206ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

MY 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE HAS BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE SPEEDOMETER. WHEN IT IS COLD, AND I START THE CAR UP IN THE MORNING, THE SPEEDOMETER JUMPS UP, AND SAYS THE SPEED IS ABOUT 10 MPH. ONCE I START DRIVING, IT QUICKLY JUMPS UP IN EXCESS OF 120 MPH, AND OFF THE CHARTS. THEN WHEN COMING BACK DOWN TO IDLE, IT SITS ANYWHERE FROM 60 MPH - 90 MPH. TO CLEAR THIS BACK TO ZERO, AND GET IT TO SEEM LIKE IT IS WORKING PROPERLY, I HAVE TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE, TURN IT BACK ON AGAIN, AND THEN IT JUMPS DOWN 10 MPH EACH TIME IT TURNS BACK ON. SO I HAVE TO DO THIS SEVERAL TIMES TO GET IT BACK TO NORMAL. THIS HAPPENED ON THANKSGIVING, AND THEN AGAIN TODAY. THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AMON GM VEHICLE OWNERS, WITH TAHOES, YUKON'S, AVALANCES, AND OTHER CHEVROLET/GMC TRUCKS/SUV'S. THE CHEVROLET DEALERS SAY THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAS TO BE REPLACED, AND PARTS AND LABOR FOR THIS, SEEMS TO BE ANYWHERE FROM $350 - $700+. WITH SUCH A WIDESPREAD REPORT OF THIS PROBLEM, GM NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS, A

Mileage: 60,000

20041225STEERING:LINKAGES

WHEN DRIVING AROUND CORNERS,MILD TO SEVERE,VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A CLICKING NOISE THEY STATED IT WAS IN THE STEERING SHAFT WOULD ORDER NEW PART .4TO6WEEKS TO RECIEVE WAS NOT A SAFTY ISSUE OK TO DRIVE.THIS VEHICLE HAS BECOME MORE DIFFICULT TO DRIVE BY THE DAY.A WIND GUST TOSSES IT ALL OVER THE ROAD. STILL NOT FIXED.STATED GM CANNOT MAKE THE REPLACEMENT PARTS FAST ENOUGH. *AK

Mileage: 17,934

Compare 2003GMCTAHOE to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2003 GMC TAHOE have?
The 2003 GMC TAHOE has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 GMC TAHOE?
The most-complained component for the 2003 GMC TAHOE is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING:LINKAGES and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE.
Is the 2003 GMC TAHOE 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.