Skip to content
GMC SuburbanModel year report

2003 GMC Suburban Problems

Complaints
5filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
30,000miles, 3 complaints with mileage
Recalls
1campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

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

NHTSA recorded 5 consumer complaints for the 2003 GMC Suburban. The part named most often is brakes, with 2 complaints (40% of the total), followed by engine cooling (1) and equipment (1). 3 of the complaints include a mileage, and 100% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 30,000 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign and 85 technical service bulletins for this model year. Engine cooling 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

Engine cooling: “The contact owns a 2003 Gmc Suburban. The contact stated that he purchased his vehicle brand new and has currently spent over $5,000 in repairs. He has been to the dealer four different times concerning the steering wheel vibrating, shaking, and rocking while driving the vehicle. Each time he went to the dealer for the steering failure, they always found another failure to report. The dealer stated that the motor injection system was burned out and caused the steering failure. …”

NHTSA complaint #10199419, filed 2007-08, 30,000 miles

Equipment: “June 2006 the fuel pump stopped working when I was driving on the freeway, I was towed to the garage we normally use for maintenance. They replaced the fuel pump we did not pursue this under the original warranty on the vehicle - big mistake! In january 2009 the fuel gauge stopped working and again we stopped on the freeway and had to be towed. This time it was the fuel gauge. The fuel pump cannot be replaced under warranty as this was just for one year. We were advised to use the trip mileage to fill fuel tank. We have had two failures both at approximately 30mths.”

NHTSA complaint #10258477, filed 2009-02, 7,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

100% of the 3 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 7,000 and 38,000 miles.

33%0–100%10–2567%25–500%50–750%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (3 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 30,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

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

20042200520072009
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

Recall details for the 2003 GMC Suburban → · Check a 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. 85 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 85 bulletins →

Other model years of the GMC Suburban

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2003530,0001———Not enough data
2002772,0001———Not enough data
20015—2———Not enough data
20001547,0002———Stable
199928578,8001—14Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199810090,1962—14Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199720096,8002—14Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199617283,3323—14Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1995227125,0006—13Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1994411113,0003—13Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1993212114,0000—13Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199280170,1182—13Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199130206,0952—12Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199022—2—13—Stable
19891713,9822—12—Stable
19888—2———Not enough data
19878—0———Not enough data
19845—0———Not enough data

All GMC Suburban model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2003 GMC Suburban have?

NHTSA recorded 5 consumer complaints for the 2003 GMC Suburban as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2003 GMC Suburban is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 2 complaints (40% of the total), followed by engine cooling with 1.

Has the 2003 GMC Suburban been recalled?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2003 GMC Suburban reported?

Among the 3 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 30,000 miles and the middle half falls between 7,000 and 38,000 miles; 100% 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.