The Lemon IndexAll cars · Chevrolet · Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD
2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD problems, engines and recalls.
Owners filed 491 complaints with the government about the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD, most often about brakes (55%).
Which engine is in it
417 of the 491 complaints have a VIN we could decode, which tells us the engine.
| Engine | Share | Complaints | What they name most |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0 V8 gas | 52% | 215 | too few to split |
| 6.6 Duramax LB7 diesel | 43% | 178 | brakes 51%, electrical 17%, fuel system 12% |
| 8.1 V8 gas | 6% | 24 | too few to split |
Each diesel's page: Duramax LB7.
Nearby model years
What owners complain about
Share of this year's complaints that name each area.
When problems show up
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 54,385 and 116,600 miles; the middle report was at 84,498 miles (448 complaints with a mileage).
How serious
| Crashes | Fires | Injury reports | Death reports | Towed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA, not verified.
In owners' words
When starting vehicle , after initial dash lights times out, I now get an AIRBAG 9malfunction light). Tried resetting, did not work. Now, every time I start the engine, the comes on and stays on.
2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD owner · NHTSA complaint 11529895
Vehicle brake pedal failed to stop vehicle. had to apply emergency brakes to stop vehicle. vehicle was in motion going about 30 mph. vehicle was on a state hwy. vehicle was going straight.
2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD owner · NHTSA complaint 11170365
Rear brakes rusted out fluid burst out no brakes two yrs ago. fast foreword saturday 12/22/2018 brakes pedal went to floor ,line from brake booster to proportioning valve blew out rusted completely through.
2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD owner · NHTSA complaint 11163352
Recalls
NHTSA lists no recalls for this model year under these names.
Quick answers
Is the 2003 Silverado HD reliable?
We can't score it per truck (heavy-duty sales aren't reported apart from the half-ton). Owners filed 491 complaints about it, most often about brakes (55% of them). Compare the diesel generations on their engine pages.
What engine does the 2003 Silverado HD have?
By the VINs in owner complaints: 6.0 V8 gas (52%), 6.6 Duramax LB7 diesel (43%), 8.1 V8 gas (6%).
How many recalls does the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD have?
0. Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check the truck's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
The whole-line score for 2003, mostly half-tons: 2003 Chevrolet Silverado.
No Lemon Index score: automakers report heavy-duty pickup sales together with the half-ton (one F-Series, Ram or Silverado number), so there is no honest per-truck denominator. These are counts and shares of owner complaints, not failure rates. Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints filed under the truck's 2500/3500 (F-250/F-350) names, all years filed, one per complaint number. Engine: decoded from the complaint's VIN (position 8 is the engine code) with NHTSA's vPIC decoder. Complaints filed as just “Silverado” or “Sierra” are left out (they mix 1500s and HDs). Older trucks have had more years to collect complaints, and popular years draw more because more were sold.
Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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