Four problems related to manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe have been reported for the 2003 Chevrolet 1500. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
The bolts are broken off in the manifold, after checking you-tube I found this is a problem the gm has chosen to ignore.
Inspection revealed that the heads on several exhaust manifold bolts had broken off. Reportedly, this has been a very common defect in gm p/u trucks and SUV's. From what some technicians have said, gm used substandard bolts for this application, and that they simply cannot bear up under the heat from manifolds. Many complaints have been filed by vehicle owners, but gm refuses to acknowledge the problem and institute a safety recall for this potentially serious safety issue. The repair of this problem is very costly and can cause (and has caused) additional problems with other vehicle components.
I purchased this vehicle used on March 1 2013 didn't noticed any problems except a slight engine noise. I thought the engine noise was tapping valves, because I was told the truck was not on the road for about a year. When I changed the oil for the first time I noticed that the rear manifold bolt was missing, looked at the other side, that was missing also. I heard I could e-mail you to report a problem so I did.
The bolt heads on the exaust manifold are snapping off causing an exaust leak and a possible emission failure.
| Manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe problems | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling problems | |
| Crankcase (pcv) problems | |
| Engine problems |