- The problem
- General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with a left side cargo door, and originally sold or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Water and road contaminants may become trapped in the protective conduit that covers the fuel filler pipe and may cause the pipe to corrode.
- The risk
- Significant corrosion may allow fuel to leak during refueling, and in the presence of an ignition source; there is an increased risk of fire.
- The fix
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a new fuel filler neck, free of charge. The safety recall began on October 1, 2012. Owners may contact the Chevrolet owner center at 1-866-694-6546 and GMC at 1-866-996-9463.
Vehicle safety record
2003 Chevrolet Express Problems, complaints & recalls
No owner complaints about the 2003 Chevrolet Express have been filed with NHTSA. It is covered by 11 recalls, the latest in August 2012 for the filler pipe and cap.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical Express year, for its age
- Complaints
- 0
- Recalls
- 11
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
2003 Chevrolet Express recalls 11
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." These lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors.
- The risk
- Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
- The fix
- Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on may 11, 2009. Owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589.
- The problem
- On certain full-size passenger, cargo, or cutaway vans, the front and rear seat belt buckles will not latch or will not unlatch.
- The risk
- In the event of a crash, a seat occupant may not be properly restrained increasing the risk of personal injury.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect the buckles and, if found to be inoperative, the entire buckle assembly would be replaced. For buckles found to be operative, dealer will replace only the upper buckle cover. The recall will be conducted in phases. The first phase mailing began during march 2006. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
- The problem
- Certain extended and regular cab pickup trucks and cargo vans converted to compressed natural gas (cng) fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, 'Child restraint anchorage systems.' These vehicles have one seating position, the center rear seat, equipped with child restraint lower anchorages.
- The risk
- The standard requires child seat lower anchorages in two seating positions for vehicles with three rear seating positions. The standard cab and cargo van vehicles, which only have front seating positions, have an air bag off switch to disable the front passenger air bag and do not have child restraint lower anchorages in the passenger seat. The standard requires passenger seat child seat lower anchorages in vehicles with an air bag off switch. However, the standard does not require vehicles with only front seating positions to have lower anchorage provisions if the vehicle is not equipped with an air bag off switch.
- The fix
- To bring the standard cab and cargo van vehicles into compliance, dealers will inject epoxy into the air bag off switch to prevent air bag activation, relocate the switch behind the instrument panel and then install a cover over the resulting opening. The sun visor label and owner's manual will also be changed. The correction for the extended cab vehicle will consist of changing the front passenger seat to a seat that has child restraint lower anchorages. The recall began on september 9, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
- The problem
- Certain sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and passenger vans fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 135, ?Passenger car brake systems.? Some of these vehicles were produced with an out-of-specification brake hydro-boost housing relief valve bore.
- The risk
- Consequently, the valve o-ring seal may fracture. Steering efforts may be slightly increased while braking or parking. Under certain driving conditions, a fractured seal may require a slight increase in the applied brake pedal effort to achieve the same vehicle deceleration rate as prior to the seat fracture.
- The fix
- Dealers are to replace the hydro-boost relief valve. The recall began on june 18, 2004. Owners should contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; gmc at 1-866-996-9463; or hummer at 1-866-486-6376.
- The problem
- Certain minivans, passenger and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "Child restraint anchorage system." The owner's manual does not explain the meaning of the location symbols for the child restraint lower universal anchorage system.
- The risk
- This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
- The fix
- Owners will be provided with a supplement for their owner's manual. This supplement describes and shows the location symbols for the child restraint anchors that are located in the vehicle and on the child restraint or booster cushion. Owner notification began august 18, 2003. Owners should contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, or oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.
- The problem
- Certain vans have a condition in which water may enter and corrode the rear license plate lamp socket. If the lamp socket were to corrode, the rear license plate lamp may operate intermittently or not at all, and the left rear tail lamp may become inoperative. The temperature of the license plate lamp socket could increase to the point that it may begin to soften and melt.
- The risk
- If the socket assembly were to reach the point of melting, the occupants of the vehicle may notice an odor and smoke at the rear doors of the vehicle. If this odor and smoke were ignored, the plastic could ignite and a fire could occur.
- The fix
- Dealers will install a new sealed rear license plate lamp socket assembly. Owner notification began july 21, 2003. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or gmc at 1-800-462-8782.
- The problem
- On certain vans with a gross vehicle weight of less than 8,500 pounds, during a vehicle crash sufficient enough to deploy the safety belt pretensioner, the front safety belt buckles may not release after the vehicle crash, or alternately may eject the safety belt latch during the vehicle crash.
- The risk
- This could result in increased risk of personal injury.
- The fix
- Dealers will replace the front driver and passenger side safety belt buckle. Owner notification began june 3, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or gmc at 1-800-462-8782.
- The problem
- On certain vans with an 8,500 lb. Or 8,600 lb. Gross vehicle weight rating, the nut attaching the pitman arm to the steering linkage may not be tightened adequately resulting in a possible separation.
- The risk
- A separation could result in loss of vehicle control, and a crash could occur with prior warning.
- The fix
- Dealers will tighten the pitman arm nut to the proper specification. If the nut is missing, the dealer will install a new nut and tighten it correctly. Owner notification began december 10, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or gmc at 1-800-462-8782.
- The problem
- On certain vans, the right-hand tie rod end nut may not be tightened adequately. The nut can loosen resulting in separation of the tie rod from the steering knuckle.
- The risk
- Separation of a tie rod can cause unexpected vehicle steering in some maneuvers and could cause a crash without prior warning.
- The fix
- Dealers will tighten the tie rod end nut and, if necessary, replace the tie rod end. Owner notification began november 27, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or gmc at 1-800-462-8782.
- The problem
- Certain vans were built without a wheel bearing assembly retaining nut, which could lead to a possible bearing separation.
- The risk
- If this were to occur, the amber-colored abs tell-tale lamp in the instrument panel would illuminate and the abs system would be disabled. The driver would also notice a grinding noise, a decrease in the vehicle speed, and the steering will pull in the direction of the affected brake assembly. This could result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect the wheel bearing assembly. If the inspection reveals a missing retaining nut, the wheel bearing assembly will be replaced. Owner notification began november 13, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or gmc at 1-800-462-8782.
What owners say
Be the first Express owner to share.
Problems or none - your experience is exactly what the next buyer is looking for. Write it now
No complaints about the 2003 Chevrolet Express yet
No owner has filed a complaint about this vehicle with NHTSA. If yours has a problem, share it here and report it to NHTSA.
Chevrolet Express: every year compared
All Express years2003 Chevrolet Express vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 Chevrolet Express | 0 | 11 | F | |
| 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche | 422 | 6 | F | Compare |
| 2003 Chevrolet Blazer | 104 | 1 | D | Compare |
| 2003 Chevrolet Astro | 89 | 3 | C | Compare |
| 2003 Chevrolet C/K Series | 7 | 0 | F | Compare |
| 2003 Chevrolet C4500 | 5 | 1 | C | Compare |
| 2003 Chevrolet C5500 | 3 | 0 | A | Compare |
| 2003 Chevrolet Caprice | 1 | 0 | A | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2003 Chevrolet Express
Does the 2003 Chevrolet Express have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 11 recalls for the 2003 Chevrolet Express: filler pipe and cap (August 2012); exterior lighting (April 2009); seat belts (December 2005); anchorage (May 2004) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
How many complaints has the 2003 Chevrolet Express had?
None have been filed with NHTSA so far.
Is the 2003 Chevrolet Express a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 23 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Chevrolet Express year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
What should I do if my 2003 Chevrolet Express has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data