NHTSA vehicle safety data

2003 GMC Sierra 2500 HD Recalls & Complaints

We couldn't confirm the NHTSA recall list for the 2003 GMC Sierra 2500 HD right now, so this page doesn't state a recall count — check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls for current campaigns. 126 owner complaints are on file.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2003 GMC Sierra 2500 HD.

Pre-purchase inspection checklist → Reliability & 5-year cost forecast →

2003 GMC Sierra 2500 HD owner complaints

Owners have filed 126 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 GMC Sierra 2500 HD, describing incidents dated January 24, 2003 to January 9, 2020.

Most-cited components

Service Brakes 55 complaints
Electrical System 30 complaints
Power Train 11 complaints
Fuel/Propulsion System 10 complaints
Steering 9 complaints
Engine 8 complaints

Of the 126 complaints on file, 5 report a crash and 2 a fire; across all 126 complaints, owners report 3 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11308791 · Filed February 12, 2020
HAD INJECTORS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AT 50000 MILES AFTER NOTICING EXCESS EXHAUST SMOKE ON STARTUP AND ALSO POWER STEERING HOSES WERE LEAKING, AGAIN AT 105000 MILES THEY TOTALLY FAILED AS I WAS BRINGING MY WIFE HOME FROM HOSPITAL ON I-15 IN CA. UP CAJON PASS AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER, BUT GM…
ODI #11193104 · Filed April 1, 2019
BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR DOES NOT OPERATE. UPON INSPECTION, HARNESS AND FINAL STAGE ARE DAMAGED DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT. I NEED TO REPLACE BOTH COMPONENTS BECAUSE I FEAR IT WILL CAUSE A FIRE. MANY POSTS ON THE SAME THING. WHY IS THERE NOTHING DONE ABOUT THIS? MY BMW HAD SAME ISSUE BUT IT WAS A RECALL ON…
ODI #11175902 · Filed February 9, 2019
THE HORN QUITS WORKING AND THIS CREATES A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. ONLINE SEARCH SHOWS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THE DEALER IS UNABLE TO FIX IT.

Read all 126 complaints

Owner-reported

2003 GMC Sierra 2500 HD mileage at failure

113 of the 126 complaints on file for the 2003 GMC Sierra 2500 HD give the vehicle's mileage when the problem happened.

Mileage at failure by component, from owners' complaints to NHTSA
Component	Median	Middle half	Based on
Service Brakes	Median 70,000 miles	Middle half 50,000–100,000 miles	Based on 52 complaints

A component's median is its 50th percentile, and its middle half runs from its 25th to its 75th percentile.

Owners give the mileage themselves, often as a round number, and NHTSA doesn't check it. A complaint that names several components counts under each one, and mileages that can't be right, such as 999,999, or 50 miles on a five-year-old car, are left out.

These figures describe the complaints owners filed. They don't predict when a particular vehicle will have a problem, and vehicles that never had one aren't counted.

Mileage from NHTSA's complaints file of October 31, 2026. How these figures are worked out

We couldn't confirm the NHTSA recall list for the 2003 GMC Sierra 2500 HD right now — this is not a confirmed "no recalls". Check the VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls for the official status.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 2003 GMC Sierra 2500 HD. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

126 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2003 GMC Sierra 2500 HD.

Steering; Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #11308791

Incident: January 9, 2020 · Filed: February 12, 2020

HAD INJECTORS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AT 50000 MILES AFTER NOTICING EXCESS EXHAUST SMOKE ON STARTUP AND ALSO POWER STEERING HOSES WERE LEAKING, AGAIN AT 105000 MILES THEY TOTALLY FAILED AS I WAS BRINGING MY WIFE HOME FROM HOSPITAL ON I-15 IN CA. UP CAJON PASS AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER, BUT GM DEALER WOULD NOT COVER INJECTORS UNDER WARRANTY AS TRUCK WAS11 YEARS OLD AND THEIR COVERAGE WAS FOR 7 YEARS ONLY, NOW AGAIN HAD TO HAVE THEM REPLACED AT 147000 MILES BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE SMOKE ON STARTUP. THIS TIME I WENT TO AN INDEPENDENT SHOP AS THEY WERE $1000 CHEAPER AND STATED THESE UPGRADED INJECTORS SHOULD LAST 150000 MILES NOT 50000. HAD TO HAVE POWER STEERING HOSES REPLACED AGAIN ALSO ALONG WITH POWER BRAKE SERVO BECAUSE THEY WERE LEAKING AGAIN AT 157000 MILES. I HAVE ALL OF THIS DOCUMENTED IN WRITING BY SERVICE DEPTS.

Electrical System

ODI #11193104

Incident: March 28, 2019 · Filed: April 1, 2019

BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR DOES NOT OPERATE. UPON INSPECTION, HARNESS AND FINAL STAGE ARE DAMAGED DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT. I NEED TO REPLACE BOTH COMPONENTS BECAUSE I FEAR IT WILL CAUSE A FIRE. MANY POSTS ON THE SAME THING. WHY IS THERE NOTHING DONE ABOUT THIS? MY BMW HAD SAME ISSUE BUT IT WAS A RECALL ON THEIR CARS. WHY IS IT NOT A RECALL ON GM? IS IT BECAUSE THEY ARE AN AMERICAN CAR COMPANY?

Unknown or Other

ODI #11175902

Incident: January 1, 2019 · Filed: February 9, 2019

THE HORN QUITS WORKING AND THIS CREATES A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. ONLINE SEARCH SHOWS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THE DEALER IS UNABLE TO FIX IT.

Structure

ODI #11119742

Incident: January 1, 2006 · Filed: August 13, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 2500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENTIRE BOTTOM OF THE TRUCK BED WAS RUSTED, INCLUDING THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER (FREEDOM CHEVROLET, 7052 W 48TH ST, FREMONT, MI 49412, 321-403-0016) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT CHEAP METAL WAS USED ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000.

Service Brakes

ODI #10731294

Incident: June 27, 2015 · Filed: June 30, 2015

I WAS MOVING THE VEHICLE IN THE DRIVEWAY WHEN THE BREAK PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE TRUCK STOPPED SO I GOT OUT AND LOOKED UNDER IT AND SAW BREAK FLUID POURING OUT OF A BREAK LINE THAT HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. THE FORMER OWNER HAD ALREADY HAD ANOTHER BREAK LINE REPLACED BECAUSE HIS BREAKS HAD RUPTURED DUE TO THE LINES RUSTING THROUGH WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND TOWING A FIFTH WHEEL CAMPER. HE WAS ABLE TO AVOID WRECKING AND CAME TO A STOP. THIS TRUCK HAS LOW MILES AND ABOUT 90% OF ITS USE HAS BEEN DURING THE SUMMER SO IT HAS HAD LIMITED CONTACT WITH SALTED ROADS YET THE ENTIRE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE IS RUSTING AT AN INCREDIBLE RATE. I AM FORTUNATE THAT I WAS SIMPLY MOVING THE TRUCK RATHER THAN HAULING MY CAMPER ON THE HIGHWAY WHICH IS IT'S TYPICAL USE; I AND/OR OTHERS COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED OR KILLED. THE RUSTING THROUGH OF THE BREAK LINES IS A SAFETY ISSUE!

Service Brakes

ODI #10681397

Incident: February 3, 2015 · Filed: February 5, 2015

CAME TO INTERSECTION FOR TURN, BROKE AND PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. *TR

Structure

ODI #10650937

Incident: October 29, 2014 · Filed: October 29, 2014

THE FRONT AND REAR BUMPERS HAVE RUSTED SO BAD THAT THEY HAVE BIG HOLES IN THEM. I WAS TOLD I HAVE TO REPLACE THEM BOTH BEFORE I CAN GET AN INSPECTION STICKER ON THE PICK UP, AT THE COST OF OVER $1000.00 FOR PARTS AND LABOR. I HAVE SEEN MANY MORE PICK UPS WITH THE SAME RUSTED BUMPERS. IS THERE A RECALL FOR BUMPER REPLACEMENT ON THESE PICKUPS?? *TR

Fuel System, Gasoline; Power Train; Service Brakes

ODI #10650027

Incident: August 15, 2014 · Filed: October 26, 2014

BRAKE LINE LEAKS, BRAKE STOPPED WORKING BECAUSE OF RUSTED BRAKE LINES. ALSO FUEL AND TRANSMISSION LINES ARE RUSTED BADLY. *TR

Service Brakes

ODI #10639142

Incident: September 18, 2014 · Filed: September 25, 2014

COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE WHILE PULLING A 10000 POUND TRAILER IN CAMP GROUND. THE BRAKE LINES UNDER THE DRIVERS SIDE BROKE APPEARED TO BE CORROSION. TRUCK WAS TOWED TO REPAIR LOCATION. ALL BRAKE LINES WERE REPLACED, COST $ 950 DOLLARS. *TR

Fuel System, Diesel; Engine

ODI #10597728

Incident: March 3, 2014 · Filed: June 11, 2014

I OWN A 2003 GMC DURAMAX 167000 MILES, IT HAS BEEN A GREAT TRUCK UNTIL RECENTLY, AFTER ENGINE GETS HOT IT WILL NOT START BACK UP UNTIL IT HAS COOLED OFF! HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM YET, BUT FOUND A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE FROM PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, [INJECTORS], VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR!!! THIS PROBLEM IS VERY FRUSTRATING, WOULD BE GREAT IF GENERAL MOTORS WOULD CORRECT THIS PROBLEM!!!! *TR

Check your 2003 GMC Sierra 2500 HD VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your GMC Sierra 2500 HD at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

Check a GMC VIN