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GMC Sierra 3500Model year report

2003 GMC Sierra 3500 Problems

Complaints
7filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
60,500miles, 6 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2003 GMC Sierra 3500 (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

NHTSA recorded 7 consumer complaints for the 2003 GMC Sierra 3500. The part named most often is brakes, with 3 complaints (43% of the total), followed by air bags (1) and electrical system (1). 6 of the complaints include a mileage, and 33% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 60,500 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, 1 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 165 technical service bulletins for this model year. Brakes complaints overlap with 6 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 only had 27050 miles when brake lines, burst luckily traveling only 5 MPH. I had to replace all brake lines, rear brake calipers. Then at 28,640 miles I had to replace the master cylinder. What in the world is GM doing? What happened to the quality of GM?”

NHTSA complaint #10491894, filed 2013-01, 27,050 miles

Air bags: “The contact stated while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle was involved in a crash. The vehicle was hit on the driver's side rear quarter panel by another vehicle. After the vehicle was struck, it flipped upside down. The contact was buckled in the driver's seat. However, the seat belt did not retract and hold the contact in the seat and the air bags did not deploy. The contact's head hit the passenger door window at such force the window shattered and broke. The contact's head was lying outside the vehicle on the asphalt. …”

NHTSA complaint #10150304, filed 2006-02, 71,000 miles

Fuel system: “The contact owns a 2003 Gmc 3500 duramax . The contact stated that the vehicle would stall without warning. The fuel injectors were replaced but the failure recurred and caused damage to the engine. The vehicle was not further repaired. The failure mileage was 80,000 updated 9/20/11 updated 2/23/12”

NHTSA complaint #10421632, filed 2011-08, 80,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

33% of the 6 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 27,050 and 80,000 miles.

0%0–1017%10–2517%25–5033%50–7517%75–10017%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (6 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 60,500 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

2006200720112201220132014
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 GMC Sierra 3500 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. 165 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 165 bulletins →

Other model years of the GMC Sierra 3500

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
202652,2502———Too new
20251740,0001———Too new
20245036,0003——Too new to compareToo new
20232833,8001——47 · TypicalToo new
20223231,1543——54 · TypicalRising
202120101,5005———Rising
20205128,7008——95 · MoreRising
20191353,0047———Not enough data
20181453,8006———Not enough data
20171321,0007———Not enough data
20161927,5007———Rising
20153138,5007——50 · TypicalFalling
2014768,0003———Not enough data
20131449,2184———Not enough data
2012931,2004———Not enough data
20112077,2505———Falling
2009536,6005———Not enough data
20082559,0003——0 · FewerFalling
20071636,0003———Rising
20061149,9740———Not enough data
20052450,5000———Rising
20042484,0000———Rising
2003760,5000———Not enough data
20022079,0002———Stable
20013663,5402——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20002657,0072——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
19991959,5001———Stable
199812128,0002———Not enough data
19971095,0001———Not enough data

All GMC Sierra 3500 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2003 GMC Sierra 3500 have?

NHTSA recorded 7 consumer complaints for the 2003 GMC Sierra 3500 as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2003 GMC Sierra 3500 is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 3 complaints (43% of the total), followed by air bags with 1.

Has the 2003 GMC Sierra 3500 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 GMC Sierra 3500 reported?

Among the 6 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 60,500 miles and the middle half falls between 27,050 and 80,000 miles; 33% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 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.