general problems of the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado - part 1

This is the second of three fatal collisions investigated this year by my office involving Chevrolet pickups that caught fire after being involved in frontal collisions. This was an off set head on, passenger side to passenger side. Passenger in pickup was pinned in vehicle due to crush and consumed by fire.

I have had to replace the distributor cap and rotor bug often due to corrosion after less than 1000 miles. This is very dangerous. The delearship installed cover over the ac line and that had little effect. It is my belief that this is a manufacture flaw.

The contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado. While driving at approximately 60 mph, all the gauges on the instrument panel seized. The contact had to maneuver to the side of the road where the vehicle was started after five minutes. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado. While driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the contact¿s residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 227,792.

2003 Silverado started by itself while I was putting gas in . Key was in ignition but was not turned on. It started in reduced power mode. I do not have a remote start installed on this vehicle.

We were driving on us19 in new port richey, FL, when traffic slow down for a red light and I lost all breaks had to veer off the road almost got into a head on accident, the only way to stop was by using the emergency breaks, could not change the gears, everything just froze. We just moved from connecticut a year ago. Now the instrument gauge cluster panel is not working, rpm, speedometer is not reading at all, it just states on 0, this is the second time it happened in about 2 months.

Overheated connector in dash, possibly loose at assembly. Origin behind instrument panel, driver side of dash.

Brake lines, gas line, transmission fluid lines all rusted/corroded beginning at under 50,000 miles. * had near accidents as the brake lines blew while driving on a highway and was decelerating in an attempt to come to a stop. . Pedal went to the floor, I continued on (foot off the gas) until the truck slowed down enough on it's own, shifted into low gear & was able to come to a stop and get towed. * shortly after brake line incident, the same thing with the gas line, rusted/corroded and leaked gasoline when ignition was on and pump was running. . . Towed * a few ,months later, I was parking the truck and fluid started spewing from under the truck - after close examination I determined it was transmission fluid, the lines had rusted/corroded - again,towed. * rear bumper rotted out completely before hitting 35,000 miles- I had it replaced, now the wheels and side quarter panels and everything in between are also rotting out. * currently the dash lights/panel will intermittently begin to flash - the whole dash goes blank, lights off, then they come back on, while driving! * mechanic recently told me after state inspection, that the frame is the next thing to go, it is rusting out more than expected for a vehicle of it's age/low mileage. Personally, I feel that inferior products were used when the truck was manufactured only because I have another Chevrolet product with twice the mileage and 6 years older with barely any rust/rot/corrosion.

I purchased a 2003 chevy Silverado lt manufactured in Nov 2002, for the past yr and a half the truck has been in and out of the shop numerous times for electrical problems, my outside temp and direction indicator located on the rear view, the heated seats, the remote entry have all stopped working and sometimes the stereo will come on and work properly but with no sound, constantly having to get a jump start because the battery was drained while parked. I have replaced the battery twice. After talking to several different technicians at different dealerships I found out that those items I just listed are controlled by the body control module or (bcm). Also that it will draw power off of the battery. That is the same problem recalled on the other gm vehicles, why is the recall not being added to the chevy trucks as well. My truck was manufactured very close to the same time as the malibu's and other gm vehicles that are being recalled and I would like to know if my vehicle has the same part.

The instrument cluster guages are all failing. I did not realize it until I received a ticket for speeding and found out my speedometer was not working correctly.

I have a 2003 chevy Silverado. I've started having trouble with the electronic dash. About two months ago it sometimes came on then off, but now it just stays off. Nothing shows up. I have no clue how much gas I have, how fast I am going, how many miles on the truck etc. . . Now I am told that it happens a lot with chevy's. The only way to get it fixed is to bring it in and taken apart then has to get sent out so then can computerize it to that truck. There is no other way, and that will take between a week or two. Crazy!!!! now I have to rent a car in the mean time. Chevy needs to pay for this.

I have an 03 chevy Silverado. My speedometer works intermittently if at all. When it does work it is usually off by a good bit (high and low). It has never been in an accident and is a one owner. I googled "silverado speedometer bad" and found hundreds of similar complaints as mine. It is a regularly occurring problem for me and many others as well. Dealer says it is a $500 repair. I now rely on my gps which has a speedometer feature on it.

After a 3 mile ride, backing up truck noticed smoke then flames coming out from under the hood. Fire melted all electical lines, destroyed hood and windshield. Weather was perfect, air conditioning may have been on.

In-dash gear selector light is inoperable. Light stopped burning for no reason and during the day time can not see what gear the vehicle is currently in. There is a possibility that vehicle could not be in park and could roll away from vehicle operator when it was thought to be in a parked position. To fix the light one large part that covers multiple dash components is replaced not just a single component and this part costs hundreds of dollars even if other components are working fine. This component also has to be installed by a dealership since it covers the odometer.

2003 chevy Silverado speedometer. Started giving incorrect readings last month. Now unit is stuck at 45 mph. Sometimes needle will move.

2003 chevy Silverado 2500hd diesel. Speedometer maxed out when really only doing 45mph. Gauge stuck at maxed out position.

My speedometer reads 125+ mph when I'm only driving 55mph according to my gps. My oil pressures gauge and ammeter also indicate readings in excess of mechanical limits.

Speedometer fails to read, or reports incorrect speed.

On January 5, 2008 I arrived home at 11:30 pm and parked my truck in the garage attached to my house. I went to bed and at around 2:00 am I smelt smoke. I walked through the house checking rooms, when I got to the screen door to the garage the handle was hot. I then went out my front door and called 911. The truck was a loss and part of my garage. In less then 11 months this is the 2nd Chevrolet/silverado that I have owned that has burnt.

If it rains and wipers are used wipers will not turn off unless fuse is pulled. Water gets into wiper module and cause short circuit. , which depending on the occurrence and weather situation, driver visibility could be reduced, which could result in a crash.

The contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado. While driving approximately 60 mph, the contact decelerated and the speedometer displayed inaccurate readings. There were no warnings prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer. The failure was identical to the one mentioned in the recall; however, the vehicle was excluded from the recall due to its excessive mileage. The vehicle has not yet been repaired. The failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 88,500.

Air conditioner shorts out. We have had every panel replaced trying to fix it, but it keeps happening. There is also a problem with this trucks brakes rotting out and brake failure. This happened 2/2013. There is also a problem with the drivers seat and seatbelt. Both have completely broken in the truck 5/2013. We have never received any recall notices for this truck.

2003 Chevrolet Silverado speedometer very erratic will be sitting still and will show 60 70 or 80 mph and will go to max when doing around 30 or 35 . . . This is a safety issue not knowing your speed. My vehicle only has 37,000 miles to date.

Speedometer is acting up and giving me wrong readings while driving. It rests at about 75 mph while I am parked, and while driving some times goes as high as 125+ mph when I am clearly going 60-70. 2003 Chevrolet Silverado with 51,000 miles. Nothing significant happened to make this problem happen, as I was just driving on the freeway when it occurred. I have done nothing to the vehicle to attempt to fix it as I feel there should be a recall on this faulty part.

: the contact stated the speedometer works intermittently. The dealership determined the cluster panel needs to be replaced. Updated 7/13/2006 -.

I have owned my 2003 Silverado for just over 3 years. I have had several problems already: 1) the air conditioner would only blow out hot air-- has been fixed. 2)vibration noise in rear end around 30-40 mph--?? can't be fixed/duplicated. 3) speedometer quit working--replaced at my cost; warranty just expired, go figure; also had to go to court to fight speeding ticket! ( relative has same truck, same problem!) 4) windshield wipers will not shut off, I get to pay for this one too, after warranty. I had to pull the fuse out! not very safe in crazy mi weather!! 5) also had tailgate cables replaced under recall. 6) back seat loop replaced due to recall. No wonder chevy is not doing well, who wants to spend over $30,000 for a piece of junk! will not buy another.

My speedometer is not giving the right speed or sometimes, it doesn't even work at all. I still get my total mile on the odometer but not my speed. This is a low mileage, barely used truck and I have no idea how fast I'm going? sometimes it works but is still off and other times, it just stops working all together. If it is cold, it stops working and you hear a tapping noise coming out of the cluster. If it is warm weather, you get some response out of it but it is not correct. I was already pulled over for speeding when I thought I was under the speed limit. There are I believe, 5 different speed sensors on the truck and I don't know which one is not working. I am not alone in this! there are hundreds of people on chats and forums who are complaining about the same thing. Why should I have to pay for these cheap parts?.

Was driving down the freeway and my speedometer was showing that I was slowing down. My speedometer will work for a short period of time then it will start to show that the vehicle is slowing down. And soon shows that you are going 0 mph. After sitting for a few hours in park and not running, it might work. Sometimes it never works again for a day. Took it to the local dealer and they told me that they have had many others like this and they didn't know why it is happening but Chevrolet has not recalled it yet. They told me it ranges from 2003- 2005. They have worked on every one of these years. The dealer told me they couldn't do anything for me except replace my speedometer cluster, for about 1000 dollars. Without a speedometer is a big safety issue and I know that this is happening to other people.

For what appears to be no reason at all, the speedometer needle will go 'ballistic', registering higher than traveling speed, and occasionally even pegging out. "over a period of time, it will then drop back to normal operation. This phenomenon will occur in warm or cool temperatures, within 5 miles of starting, or well into a longer distance of travel. Upon inquiry at several dealerships (I am a full-time driver and travel a lot), I have heard various reasons for this occurrence, the most prominent having to do with the cluster in the dash, and the 'cure' depends upon the person to whom I am speaking. At one dealership, I was told parts were on backorder for 7 weeks. At another I was told I would have to park the truck and wait for a third-party repair service to do that work. I would be unable to move the vehicle while waiting, as the mileage would have to be re-programmed into the repaired cluster. Waiting time for that was estimated at 4-6 weeks! (as stated, I RV full time, and this is my only means of transportation. ) customer service at gm gives the impression that ours' is an isolated situation (explain that 7-week backorder at the dealership to me again!), and therefore must be of little consequence to them! I am concerned from the safety standpoint, as it is impossible to know what one's speed is. (going too slowly can be as dangerous as going to fast--I fear being rear-ended as much as anything!) there must be more folks out there who have not complained, to account for the lengthy wait involved in getting a solution to the problem. Please help.

The daytime running lights have failed due to what appears to be the overheating of the lamp sockets. When you go to replace the lamp' the sockets appears to be burnt and brittle and are missing the little metal tabs used to make contact with the lamp base. You cant replace the lamp. Therefore I only have 1 daytime running light and am worried about a possible fire hazard with the other one. The one that works looks like it's not far from failing and very soon wont be working either. The more I see the amount of gm vehicles (trucks, Silverado, tahoe, trailblazer, sierra, yukon & envoy's) without two daytime running lights, I really do wonder if gm has a real problem. I see several each and every day without one or both. I have spoke to other owners and they have the same problem with one or both of them. Thank you for your time.

The speedometer on my 2003 Silverado started sticking, not resetting to zero. This allowed the vehicle to fail to show the correct speed. At times, I could turn the vehicle off, and restart several times in a row to make the speedometer reset back to zero, but now it will not reset at all. I have heard from several dealers that this is a common problem, if that is true, why hasn't general motors done something to correct this problem, such as a "recall"?? this to me is a serious problem, and the manufacturer should be taking the proper steps for repairs! if I cant get this resolved, I can guarantee I wont purchase another gm vehicle!.

Speedometer erratic, sticks at various speeds, does not display correct speed. Part is on national back order. Was told by chevorlet dealership that this problem exists in 2003 and 2004 Silverado trucks. Internet search for others experiencing this problem provided numerous results. With road conditions in fla subject to change without notice due to rain this is a very unsafe condition, its hard to drive safe if you have no idea how fast you are going. Was told the part will be at least 2 months back order.

9 January, 2006 to whom it may concern: I would like to report two safety related problems with my 2003 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. While driving through illinois last year, I experienced the failure of the speedometer. I had been on the road for 12+ hours and was the only car on the interstate late at night when I began having trouble maintaining a consistent speed and was uncomfortable in general with the quality of my driving. Feeling that I must be too tired to continue, I pulled off the road at the next interchange. When I stopped I noted that the speedometer continued to read 60 mph. This vehicle had approximately 40,000 miles on it at the time. The other problem is more recent. The vehicles flashers come on when the left turn signal is applied. This is very confusing to other drivers around me. The manager of the company fleet reports that there are two company pickups of the same vintage that have also experienced unreliable speedometers early in there lives. The Chevrolet dealer states that he has not experienced these problems before. Please let me know if this is an ongoing problem with these trucks or an anomaly. Thank you,.

General motors have a faulty neutral safety shift switch on their Silverado 1500 1/2 ton pickups that may lead to failure and cause the truck to burn. I have brought this to the attention of general motors but they ignored me. My truck burned and we put it out. I see others that have burned and I bet the neutral safety switch is what started it. If you were to investigate how many 03 (maybe newer maybe older) have burned you will find the cause in this switch.

Speedometer does not work properly. Sometimes it does . Sometimes it doesn't last I heard there was a national backorder on the cluster. To me its a hazard.