2003 Chevrolet Express Recalls & Complaints

Incident: September 22, 2026 · Filed: September 22, 2026

The contact recently purchased a 2003 Chevrolet Express. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel due to a corroded catalytic converter. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V388000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue; however, the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 125,000.

Incident: October 10, 2024 · Filed: March 17, 2026

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2003 Chevrolet Express. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was approximately 156,000. It was later discovered that the mileage on July 2, 2024, was 258,051.

Incident: December 1, 2018 · Filed: December 27, 2018

THE FRAME AND ITS CROSSMEMBERS ARE RUSTED (ROTTED) THRU ABOVE THE GAS TANK MAKING THE VAN USELESS. THE GAS TANK IS EVEN ATTACHED AT THOSE AREAS MAKING IT A TICKING TIME BOMB. THIS IS A KNOW GM FRAME PROBLEM FOR MANY YEARS ON MANY TRUCK BODIES.

Incident: August 5, 2017 · Filed: August 9, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET EXPRESS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CABLE THAT HELD THE SEAT BELTS TOGETHER, LOCATED IN THE REAR MIDDLE ROW, SNAPPED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT, IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT BELTS WOULD NOT SECURE PROPERLY AND CAUSE AN INJURY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HINGES FRACTURED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOORS WERE GLUED SHUT. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 228,000. UPDATED 10/17*LJ UPDATED 10/4/18*JB

Incident: April 1, 2015 · Filed: April 6, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET EXPRESS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE VIBRATED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN OVER 30 MPH OVER A BUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE CONTROL ARMS, THE PITMAN ARM, THE TIRES AND THE HUBS WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. ....UPDATED 07/22/15 *BF UPDATED 10/4/2017*CN

Incident: December 3, 2014 · Filed: January 24, 2015

I RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM GM ( DOC ID #32202443, #12167 FUEL FILLER PIPE CORROSION) STATING THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE FOR LEAKING GASOLINE. I BROUGHT IT TO SIGHN CHEVROLET IN RIVERSIDE CA AND THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT CA VEHICLES DO NOT QUALIFY. I CONTACTED CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS CASE # [XXX] AND ALL THEY DID WAS CALL THE SAME SERVICE MANAGER AND GOT BACK TO ME SAYING THEY WON'T FIX IT. I BELIEVE I AM DRIVING AROUND WITH A VEHICLE LEAKING GAS ON THE ROAD CREATING AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR MY FAMILY WITH A DIRE FIRE HAZARD. MY CONTENTION IS, WHY WOULD THEY SEND ME A RECALL NOTICE AND THEN TELL ME I DON'T QUALIFY? I DID RECEIVE THE NOTICE AND IT SAID IT HAD TO BE ACTED ON BEFORE 12/31/12 BUT IT WAS NOT LEAKING THEN. I DON'T CARE WHEN IT EXPIRES. IT IS A ADMITTED DEFECT AND GM SHOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR DANGEROUS ERRORS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *TR

Incident: December 21, 2014 · Filed: December 21, 2014

MY SPEEDOMETER QUICKLY JUMPS FROM ONE INDICATED SPEED TO ANOTHER SPEED THAT IS CLEARLY INACCURATE, DOWN AS LOW AS -0- WHILE DRIVING, ACCOMPANIED BY THE TRANSMISSION ATTEMPTING TO DOWNSHIFT ON IT'S OWN, WHICH CAUSES A SEVERE ENGINE OVER-REV CONDITION OR GOING INTO A NEUTRAL MOMENTARILY WITH NO INPUT FROM ME AS THE DRIVER. THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC ACTIONS I CAN TAKE TO TRIGGER THE ERRATIC SYMPTOM, NOR ANY SPECIFIC ACTION I CAN TAKE TO CAUSE NORMAL OPERATION. WITH SNOW AND ICE ON THE ROADS AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS IT COULD CAUSE THE VAN TO LOCK UP THE REAR WHEELS ON SLIPPERY PAVEMENT CAUSING LACK OF CONTROL. THIS CONDITION CAN OCCUR REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT CRUISE CONTROL IS SELECTED, REGARDLESS OF THE GEAR I MANUALLY SELECT, AND REGARDLESS OF THE TRAILER MODE BEING SELECTED OR NOT. SIMULTANEOUSLY THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT GOES ON, THE "ABS LIGHT" AND "BRAKES" LIGHTS ARE LIT ON THE DASHBOARD ALTHOUGH NO BRAKING ABNORMALITIES ARE NOTED. I REPORTED A LESS SEVERE CASE OF THIS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, BUT RECEIVED NO REPLY FROM THE NHTSA. DOING INTERNET RESEARCH I FIND THAT IT MAY BE A DEFECTIVE SPEEDOMETER DASHBOARD ASSEMBLY THAT WOULD NEED TO BE SENT AWAY FOR REPAIR/EXCHANGE. THEY REQUIRE A LARGE DEPOSIT IN ORDER TO GO THRU THE VERIFICATION PROCESS THAT THE ODOMETER READING I REPORT IS THE SAME AS THE UNIT I SEND IN. PART COST WITH DEPOSIT IS CLOSE TO $600, AND THEY SHOW AN ONLINE INTERNET VIDEO OF HOW TO REMOVE THE DASHBOARD UNIT WHICH TAKES LESS THAN 3 MINUTES. I'VE READ THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER SINCE NEW, AND IT HAS LESS THAN 17,000 ACTUAL MILES ON IT. *TR

Incident: August 7, 2014 · Filed: September 3, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET EXPRESS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A FUEL LEAK COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT AFTER REFUELING, FUEL PUDDLE UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FILLER NECK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE METAL FUEL FILLER PIPE WAS CORRODED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V388000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 153,500.

Incident: August 25, 2014 · Filed: August 30, 2014

DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT 65 MPH, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE SPEEDOMETER STARTED JUMPING ERRATICALLY FROM ACTUAL SPEED TO LOWER SPEEDS 45, 25 + OTHERS AS LOW AS 8 (EIGHT) MPH. THIS CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO DOWNSHIFT UNPREDICTABLY, OVER-REVVING THE ENGINE SPEED. IT HAPPENED REPEATEDLY SO I DOCUMENTED THE ODOMETER ERRATIC MOVEMENT ON MY CELL PHONE AS A VIDEO, SHOWING ROAD MOVEMENT + ALL GAUGES + AUDIO EVENTS LIKE ENGINE OVER-REVVING AT SAME TIME. THE VIDEO IS OF HIGH QUALITY AND THE EVENTS TAKING PLACE ARE DOCUMENTED WITH THE VIDEO. RURAL AREA WITH FEW CARS ON ROAD AT THE TIME. IF IT TOOK PLACE IN A CITY INTERSTATE ENVIRONMENT (ESPECIALLY IN THE WINTER MONTHS) IT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED A MULTIPLE CAR COLLISION WITH SUDDEN UNEXPECTED DOWNSHIFTING THAT WAS OUT OF MY CONTROL. ENGINE RPM ALSO HUNTS ERRATICALLY AND OUT OF MY CONTROL. PREDICTABLE IN WHAT IT DOES, IT BEGINS APPROXIMATELY WITHIN A RANGE OF 4-8 MILES AFTER LEAVING HOME DAILY. WHEN ENGINE TURNED OFF AND PARKED AT A LOCAL STORE AS AN EXAMPLE, IT WILL CLEAR IT'S PROBLEM AS IF A CPU IS "RE-BOOTED", AND REPEAT THE CYCLE OF ERRATIC BEHAVIOR FROM THAT NEW STARTING POINT. WHEN I BOUGHT + INSTALLED ACTRON BRAND OBD-II CODE READER WHICH FEATURES ABILITY TO REVEAL ABS BRAKE CODES, IT NEVER SHOWS ANY OTHER STORED CODES EXCEPT A SINGLE PO446 WHICH IS AN EMISSIONS RELATED CODE. THIS VAN WAS ORIGINALLY SENT NEW BY THE SELLING NH CHEVROLET DEALER TO THE PENNSYLVANIA BASED QUIGLEY CONVERSION FACILITY, SO IN FEBRUARY 2004 WAS MODIFIED FROM RWD TO A 4WD BY EXCHANGING STOCK MODEL 2500 FRONT END FOR A 4 WD PICKUP TRUCK NEW FACTORY FRONT END WITH 4WDL, NEUTRAL, 2WDH 4WDH FLOOR CONTROL LEVER. THE DRIVER'S DOOR JAM HAS AN 8600 LB GVW CERTIFICATION WHICH IS APPROPRIATELY QUIGLEY'S. MY VERY LOW ODOMETER AT 16,614 MILES IS ACCURATE, AS I ALSO HAVE OTHER VEHICLES TO USE, AND WORK AT HOME. *TR

Incident: September 1, 2003 · Filed: May 15, 2014

THIS VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW BUT UNBEKNOWNST TO ME WAS MADE IN CANADA (SOMETHING WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ACCEPTABLE TO ME HAD I BEEN TOLD). UPON POSSESSION THE WINDSHIELD MOLDING CAME OFF ON THE RIDE HOME. THE DRIVER SIDE TIEROD END WENT AT 12,000 MILES AND AGAIN AT 24,000 MILES BECAUSE UPON INSPECTION THE BALL JOINTS WERE NEVER PROPERLY TIGHTENED. THE BOLTS ON THE TRANSMISSION WERE FOUND BY THE DEALER TO HAVE BEEN NEVER PROPERLY TIGHTENED. THE SIDEDOOR HINGE HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $600 BECAUSE IT FROZE UP AND COULD NOT BE OPENED. THE POWER STEERING UNIT RUSTED OUT AT 12,000 MILES AND STARTED LEAKING FLUID AND, WHAT I FIND MOST IMPORTANT, I AM NOT SURE IF I HAVE AIRBAGS BECAUSE THE AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON BUT IS NOTED TO GO OFF WHEN THE KEY IS PARTIALLY TURNED HOWEVER THE KEY CANNOT STAY IN THIS POSITION AND MUST BE TURNED TO START THE VEHICLE. FUEL EXPECTATION WAS NEVER NEAR WHAT I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE AND TAILPIPE CONSISTENTLY SHOWED EVIDENCE OF BEING BLACKENED DUE TO INSUFFICIENT FUEL BURNING. THE POOR BACKDOOR DESIGN MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO SEE OUT THE BACK WINDOW AND IT IS CLEARLY EVIDENT BY ALMOST EVERY VAN OF THIS TYPE HAVING A DENTED BUMPER DUE TO THIS BLINDSPOT IN DESIGN. I HAVE NOT BEGUN TO LIST ALL THE THINGS NOT RIGHT WITH THIS VEHICLE BUT I WILL CHALK THEM UP TO DOWNRIGHT LYING AND JUST INFERIOR PARTS AND CRAFTSMENSHIP. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE. *TR