Chevrolet Tahoe / 2003
2003 Chevrolet Tahoe problems
Owners have filed 628 complaints about the 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe with NHTSA. Electrical system accounts for 30.7% of them — the clear leader, ahead of service brakes at 13.4%.
Complaints628
Crashes26
Fires11
Injuries19
Deaths1
What owners report breaking
Electrical system 30.7% · 193
Service brakes 13.4% · 84
Steering 8.3% · 52
Fuel system, gasoline 4.8% · 30
Service brakes, hydraulic 4.6% · 29
Vehicle speed control 4.3% · 27
Power train 3.2% · 20
Engine and engine cooling 3.2% · 20
Severity
Of those complaints, 26 describe a crash, 11 describe a fire, 19 report an injury and 1 report a death.
Reading the numbers
Across the 28 model years of the Chevrolet Tahoe in this data, 2003 sits 5th by complaint volume. 2007 draws the most.
Filings have fallen off, 8 in the last three years against 15 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 72,518 miles.
In owners' own words
I bought a 2003 Tahoe with 69,000 miles on it and about 20,000 miles later the speedometer stops working it is hard to drive this way. I found out that there was an issue with this on other g.M vehicles and was covered if the miles were under 70,000 miles. Now I am struck with the repair costs. If there was some sort of recall then my truck should have been fixed before I bought it, but nothing was said about it. Electrical system · reported at 89,000 miles
Around mid october of 2008 I financed the vehicle through a lot called auto concepts in jacksonville north carolina and the speedometer started raising to 30 mph sitting still around late january of 2009 and it will go all over the meter accept where it is supposed to. I will refuse to make any payments for speeding tickets as long as I am following with surrounding vehicles until my speedometer gets fixed. Electrical system · reported at 127,198 miles
Very well documented via internet: speedometer and fuel gauges failed to work. The speedometer will stick at a random point and then add the speed traveling , and this results in the speed not being accurately displayed. The problem has been ongoing for over 2 years starting with the gas gauge showing fuel remaining but the tank being empty. Very unsafe and costly known problem by gm and most owners. Electrical system · reported at 30,000 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…