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Chevrolet Suburban 2500Model year report

2003 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 Problems

Complaints
21filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
84,454miles, 18 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

NHTSA recorded 21 consumer complaints for the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 2500. The part named most often is brakes, with 14 complaints (67% of the total), followed by electrical system (3) and fuel system (2). 18 of the complaints include a mileage, and 11% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 84,454 miles. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 93 technical service bulletins for this model year. Brakes complaints overlap with 1 technical service bulletin filed under the same part. Electrical system complaints overlap with 17 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Brakes: “I was slowly backing up at a flat launch ramp to put our boat into the water. As the trailer reached the water, I pressed harder on the brake pedal. When I did that, the brake pedal went to the floor and the vehicle continued to roll backwards until the boat reached the water. Fortunately that stopped the vehicle from moving and allowed me to apply the parking brake. One of my brake lines had burst. The repair shop said the brake lines were all rusted and not in very good shape. …”

NHTSA complaint #10648287, filed 2014-10, 101,000 miles

Electrical system: “2003 chevy SUBURBAN 2500 (3/4 ton) - the instrument clusters are junk and dangerously unreliable - faulty. It is absolutely criminal that GM and NHTSA not issue a formal recall on GM 2003-2006 instrument clusters. Mine began failing at 40,000 miles in 2005 (fuel gauge reading wrong or empty if idling more than 30 seconds, speedometer pegging or reading wrong intermittently). I mentioned this to the dealer but they lied and said that had no other reports of such. …”

NHTSA complaint #10218121, filed 2008-02, 40,000 miles

Fuel system: “I will be driving down the road both hwy and city. The suburban will go into reduced engin and lose all its power and speed. I have to pull over and cut the car off and restart it and it's fine to go for maybe a mile and it does it again. They can not pin point what the problem is . It's very dangerous.”

NHTSA complaint #10823383, filed 2016-02, 190,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “One of the metal brake lines between the master cylinder and the ABS modulator valve ruptured during a stop due to corrosion. All brake lines in the vehicle have similar levels of corrosion near the area the aforementioned line ruptured, and at various other locations on the vehicle. The transmission cooler lines had failed approximately 18 months previously due to corrosion. The corrosion and rust on many components beneath the vehicle and in the engine compartment is becoming rather concerning.”

NHTSA complaint #10629913, filed 2014-09, 137,096 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

11% of the 18 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 67,000 and 130,000 miles.

0%0–100%10–2511%25–5033%50–7517%75–10028%100–15011%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (18 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 84,454 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

20074200920112013420152017
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 93 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 93 bulletins →

Other model years of the Chevrolet Suburban 2500

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20117108,5000—12—Not enough data
2010553,0000———Not enough data
2008714,0000———Not enough data
2005676,0000———Not enough data
20042076,5990———Stable
20032184,4540———Stable
20023378,0000——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20013488,0000——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
2000795,0000———Not enough data
199912102,5000———Not enough data
19945144,5970———Not enough data

All Chevrolet Suburban 2500 model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 have?

NHTSA recorded 21 consumer complaints for the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 14 complaints (67% of the total), followed by electrical system with 3.

Has the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 reported?

Among the 18 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 84,454 miles and the middle half falls between 67,000 and 130,000 miles; 11% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.