Problems with 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Instrument cluster panel of all gauges including speedometer and gear selection ' gauges can quit working with no warning , leaving the driver unaware of speed or distance traveled. also not knowing what position the gear selector is in . ( park, neutral , drive etc. ) could allow the vehicle to drift away on it own with no one behind the wheel when not being driven . can happen at any moment , any place !

Been having problems slowly with the battery running out because something is still running in the vehicle but everything is off. the gas gauge gear control lighting on the panel door on the passenger side will not lock speedometer is not working gas gauge is not working was checked by a mechanic and he address that something is not constant running even though everything is turned off that cause the battery to run down when it is off. also the lights don't light on the right side stays on and never goes off when running the vehicle. i noticed this on a lot of 2500 chevy trucks. we have taken this vehicle in to be check. please help us to resolve this problem as soon as possible. thank you for your time. looking forward to hearing back from you sun.

Traveling on highway when smoke started coming from the dashboard. pulled over and within several minutes the whole truck was on fire.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500. the contact stated that the blower motor malfunctioned and would not operate using the first three settings. the blower would only operate in the number four and five settings due to an electrical shortage. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 65,500.

Instrument cluster just quit working altogether. this will be the third time the cluster will have been replaced. the first two were on gm; this one is going to be on me. what in the world is wrong with gm or the manufacturer of this part. why do they keep producing crap? until the cluster is replaced, i have no idea of engine functions and if it weren't for my gps, i'd have no idea of my speed. *tr

I was traveling on the interstate with my family aboard at the speed around 75+ mph and suddenly the vehicle looses speed while traveling among others at around the same speed or higher when suddenly the speed decreases to no speed, and a this warning comes across the dash panel, that says reduced speed and all these 18 wheelers are behind me and around me. the more i press the accelerator it would do nothing but almost cost my wife a heart attack from the big trucks blowing there horn and fearing the day lights out of my family. then a week later the cluster starts acting all crazy with the lights going out and on, and now they aren't working at all. the gauges stopped working the speed along with gas gauges etc... while i have never owned anything other than "chevy's", trucks and cars i have seriously been considering another name & make in my next choice of purchase.... so a loyal friend advised me to send gm a e-mail explaining my issues... *tr

A friend was driving my truck in a residential neighborhood. he was only going 20 mph when the gas light came on but the needle said it had half a tank. all of a sudden the radio locked up and all the needles on the dash started going crazy all the emblems on the dash lite up. we parked and turned off the truck. as soon as we went to turn back we had just started it not even 3 minutes later all of the gauges and lights on the truck it started freaking out again and now the driver side mirror and window control would no longer work. earlier that day i had taken it in a reputable shop to get the truck smogged and get it checked out. the truck passed smog and they said the truck had no problems. this was the first time it had ever done anything like this. *tr

Started the truck and put into reverse. there was no brake and no steering control. i had to use the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. all fluids were topped off as normal and i regularly maintain this vehicle. after reviewing this issue in the diesel forum numerous duramax owners have endured the same problem with some ending in crashes. this is a major safety issue!!!!!!!!!!!! simultaneous brake and steering failure. are you kidding me? wow! i tried chatting with gm and was dumped during the chat. no help there! i'll try again! *tr

When driving the truck whether on a regular street or at high speeds on the highway, the engine suddenly either dies, reduces down to idle speed or idles very roughly. the reduced power signal comes on, along with the engine light. this has happened to us, several times while driving on the highway and on regular streets. we were extremely lucky not to have been killed. i researched this and found that many owners of the 2003 chevy silverado 2500hd had the same problem. we spent a lot of money at penske chevrolet, and according to them, they don't know how to fix it. we bought the truck in 8/2013, without any warranty and this problem was not disclosed to us. since 12/2013, the problem has become more frequent and now we don't drive the vehicle because it is just too dangerous. there has to be some way to fix this problem and the chevrolet company has to know about this because there are so many complaints out there. *tr

While returning home from a 2 week vacation (30 miles from home) slowed down to make a right turn on a city street in woodland, ca, the truck just shut down, no steering, no brakes, no engine, total electrical shutdown. it was everything i could do to make the turn and pull to the right. at the time i was pulling my 2009 bighorn fifth wheel trailer. it was a scary time. i finally stopped, lucky there was no cars parked on the right near the curb. i put the transmission in neutral and restarted the engine. then we continued the trip home to winters, ca. i took the truck to imler diesel in sacramento to check the engine out. they replaced the injectors which we had agreed to do prior to making the two week trip. the next trip was to bodega bay on january 14, 2014. we traveled about 100 miles. again we were pulling our fifth wheel trailer. slowing down from 55 mph to 15 mph, preparing to make a left turn in doran beach park at bodega bay, the truck shut down again.i came so close to hitting a tree. oncoming traffic stopped just in time as the speed limit at 55 mph seemed to see what was happening giving me time to restart and move off the highway. my wife and i were both shaken up a bit, but also feeling very lucky not having a crash. we continued home 4 days later. we parked the truck.the mileage was 143579 at the start of the trip and 143819 at end. i have not used the truck since. i do not feel it is safe to drive. i was lucky twice, don't know if i want to risk a third try. looking back, the shutdown did happen two other times but i was not pulling the fifth wheel trailer, i can't remember the dates. chevrolet lt 2500 hd 4x4 diesel 2003 truck. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500. while driving 40 mph, the reduced engine power light illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle stalled in the middle of the highway, but the contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed, but not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 195,000.

My speedometer never goes below 20mph even setting still and when i'm moving it reads 90 plus even if i'm going 40 mph. when the truck is turned off it still reads 20 mph. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd. the contact stated that the entire instrument panel and gauges failed to operate. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for a diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the instrument panel cluster would need to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 171,000.

Needle on speedometer freezes in winter. i do not know my speed! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd. the contact was driving 45 mph and applied the brakes but the vehicle failed to immediately decelerate, increasing stopping distance and time. the abs warning light was illuminated sporadically prior to the failure. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the instrument panel was replaced. the brake line was also repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 26,000 and the current mileage was 41,500.

Speedometer randomly increases, decrease or will not work at all. oil gauge fluctuates also the heater resistors burned up. *tr

Gauge cluster malfunction reduced engine power

Instrument cluster suddenly losing power and going off and on. research on recall states recall is only good up to 70,000 miles and 2003 chevy 2500hd has 82,000 miles on it. *tr

Engine does not idle and shuts off. according to internet sites, its a wire failure in the throttle body connector. can be a major issue when you come to a stop. some times will not restart right away. *tr

The 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd "reduced engine power" displays on the dash. this causes the vehicle to lose power at any time. this happened back in february, took it into the dealership for service, and they replaced the throttle body housing. i was driving the vehicle after the housing was replaced, and lost power 2 more times before i could get it in for service. took it back to the dealer, and they replaced the electronic throttle component. i received the message 2 more times. took the truck back, and they replaced the computer. same problem. the truck is at the dealer now. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd. while driving approximately 65 mph, the driver's side air bag suddenly deployed. the sudden deployment hindered the contact's visibility, along with the smoke and powder that emitted from the air bag. he attempted to open the windows and noticed that all electricity in the vehicle was lost. he could not unlock the doors or roll down the windows. the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure and stated that it was not covered under warranty. the contact would be responsible for the repair costs. the manufacturer has not been notified. the current and failure mileages were 162,462.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500. the contact stated that he must disconnect his battery in order for the speedometer to work. the speedometer is stuck on 45 mph and does not move up or down. the dealer stated that there was no recall; however, a tsb stated that within seven years or 70,000 miles the gauge clusters could be replaced. the vehicle was not included in the tsb. the failure mileage was 97,400. updated 03/23/09. *lj the consumer stated he never knows how fast he is driving. updated 03/24/09*jb

Drove vehicle and noticed fan blower was not working, located fuse for blower, pulled and verified fuse is ok. put fuse back in checked blower and fan was working. the next day my husband drove the vehicle for approx.10 min and smoke started billowing out from under the dash (pass. side). he turned around, came home and we used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire under the glove box and also covered by a plastic covering not quickly able to be removed. disconnected the batteries and removed the cover exposing the wiring. we can see the wiring and relay that have melted. called gm (11/3, 9 - 10 bus. days to respond), the vehicle is over warranty coverage, because i don't feel that a 5yr vehicle should just catch on fire. gm responded with a denial because of ma laws but i live in me so they are looking into it again with the cs rep that handles me. meanwhile i do not have a vehicle to drive. have an issue with taillight burning housing and daytime running light comes on and off. socket looks burnt, light bulb is fine but does not consistently work. have also had the speedo issue - gm fixed, replaced front hubs my cost, & replaced glow plugs. now trying to determine if i'm having same tranny issues others have reported. so far not so impressed. have reported fire issue to my insurance co. to document problem. until truck is plugged in it is impossible to determine extent of damage. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500. the contact stated that the transfer case was designed with a defect. as a result, the pump in the transfer case wore a hole from the inside to the outside of the transfer case. this allowed the oil in the transfer case to pump out the hole and caused the transfer case to run drive. the dealer stated that the vehicle was out of warranty and the contact would have to pay for the repair. the failure mileage was 130,000. updated 3/16/09 *cn the power steering started leaking fluid. the dealer informed the consumer the power steering fluid leak was coming from the hydro booster onto the power steering gear. the consumer lost his brakes. it was discovered the booster rod was missing. the parking brake did not work and the instrument cluster failed as well. the speedometer did not work it was reading 60 mph even when the vehicle was parked. updated 03/18/09. *jb

2003 chevy 2500hd speedometer failure. *tr

Intermittent failure of instrument/gauges cluster causing unknown driving speeds and unable identify possible engine problems and un able identify fuel level. intermittent failure occurred for two years until totally failure occurred. *tr

Speedometer is malfunctioning. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd. while driving 70 mph, the speedometer increased to 115 mph and remained in that position. as of february 8, 2008, the dealer had not inspected the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 71,236.

I have had speedo problems for over a 1 year. now it has become regular. this is a safety issue. chevy told me to go away because i am over mileage requirements. i see i am not alone. there are thousands of wacky speedometers out there. this kind of service has convinced me that chevy doesn't deserve to be in business anymore. the jokes will no longer be about fix or repair daily (ford). *tr

My speedo went out on my 2003 shevy 2500hd at 116000 miles.i went to start it on a cold day and it was reading 20mph in park.today it reads 70 mph in park and is reading over 70 mph over the speed that i am driving.*cn

I bought the truck in november in 2007, i had the truck approximately a month and the speedometer started bouncing around and in about a week later it stuck at 117 mph and has not moved since. then at about 110,000 miles the entire instrument panel would go out, all the gauges and the odometer, the signal lights and the back lighting still works, but nothing else the fuel gauge, oil gauge, transmission temp gauge, tachometer none of these will work now. i would just like to know how it is that this is a huge over all problem of the vehicles in the certain year, and model. but the vehicle does not have less than 70,000 miles the manufacturer will not stand up to the mistake and fix it, i understand that i bought it used but its and on going problem in the cluster for hundreds of thousands of vehicles, i think it should be handled by gmc. i have owned 8 gmc vehicles and use to think i would not by anything else, but my mind is about to change over this issue. because of the attitude i have gotten from the dealerships and employees about the issue. *tr

All gauges stopped working on my 2007 chevy silverado. *tr

Speedometer does not indicate proper speed. can be at 0mph when traveling at 55mph. or can be at 30mph when traveling at 55mph. *tr

We were driving home from a football game when we noticed we were apparently driving faster than the speedometer stated, it read 65mph,but the rpm's did not match and we were blowing past other vehicles on the highway and from that point had to guess how fast we were traveling. this has happen a few times and now the speedometer does not work at all. gm sent out letters stating a possible instrument panel gauge needles may stick,flutter or become inoperative & may cause inaccurate readings. gm refuses to recall or fix our vehicle/truck for free-they claim too many miles, i have proof this has happen to other trucks with miles at on or about 40,000, 90,000 and our vehicle at or about 147,000 at the time it malfunctioned. it is apparent that this is a safety issue and the malfunctions occur at various mileages on these trucks and gm will not repair our vehicle at their cost. the trucks in question are year(s) 2003,2004 & 2002 chevy silverado. it is very dangerous to drive our truck and not know how fast we are traveling. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd. when the contact started the vehicle, she noticed that the abs warning indicator was illuminated on the instrument panel. the instrument panel became inoperable and she could not read the speedometer and other gauges. the dealer replaced the instrument cluster panel at the cost of $1,383. on a separate occasion, the instrument panel failed again, including the fuel gauge, speedometer, and warning lights. the dealer stated that the instrument cluster panel failed a second time. the repair would cost over $1,800. no repairs have been performed on the vehicle. the failure mileage was 74,417 and current mileage was 128,880.

Speedometer in my 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd is erratic. sometime it works fine, other times it will register 30 mph at a stop. other times it shows 120 mph when driving 65 mph. some times it doesn't work at all. *jb

2003 chevrolet silverado 2500hd speedometer doesn't return to zero when stopped. registers inaccurate readings as much as 60 mph off. *jb

During normal highway and or city driving, the speedometer will register a rate of speed higher then actual. this speed has been recorded as anywhere from 5 to 50 mph high. when the speedometer is reading high, upon stopping, the speedometer will remain at the amount of speed that it is registering high. for example, if traveling at 30 mph and the speedometer reads 50 mph, when the vehicle is stopped, the speedometer will still read 20 mph. once this problem starts, it is very consistent on its regularity. a simple solution is to repeatedly turn the vehicle off and restart it. the speedometer will drop 5 mph with each cycle until it reaches 0 mph. however, the problem will likely reoccur on the trip that i am about to make. my coworker is having the exact same problem in a very similar vehicle. upon contacting the service department at my local dealership, i was told this problem had been seen on other occasions and the solution is to replace the instrument cluster at an approximate cost of $600.00. *jb

The speedometer in my 2003 silverado hd crewcab 4x4 has broke. the indicator (needle) is now on the extreme right of the gauge. after doing some research i have found that this issue is common and the stepper motor will need to be replaced. to do this the entire instrument cluster may have to be replaced. *nm

I filed the formal request below to chevrolet / gm regarding a defective speedometer in my 2003 chevrolet silverado. this is a well known and a well documented problem, and i believe it to be a severe nationwide safety issue which needs to be addressed to avoid possible injury or death. general motors will not repair the problem. some information is removed to meet the word limit of this complaint form. gm service request: 71-482347989 silverado safety hazard - a problem i am experiencing with my wife's 2003 silverado 2500 hd is extensive and dangerous. the speedometer is often stuck at random speeds when at rest, and when in motion is unreliable. information that i have reviewed on several sites indicates that there is a known problem with the stepper motors in the instrument cluster that handle all gauges on this vehicle, and that there are several tsbs that are related to this problem in several gm vehicles. nhtsa also has several dozen, if not hundreds of reports of this problem. there are also several petitions in progress to demand recalls and / or media investigations. although my vehicle is out of warranty, this appears to be a defect worthy of a recall. we specifically traded up to this vehicle because wife hauls a horse trailer with two or three horses through mountainous terrain to horse events for her, my daughter, and my daughter's friends. the safety implications of unreliable gauges are many-fold, whether it is gathering too much downhill speed because of an incorrect speedometer, running out of gas while towing a loaded horse trailer down a steep slope because of an incorrect gauge, overheating the transmission or engine because of an incorrect temperature reading, etc. there are several sources of information documenting this issue. a few examples are as follows: (most examples removed to meet word limit): http://www.topix.net/forum/autos/chevrolet-silverado-1500/tr5qab2mn19bl1d2j/p4 *jb

I have a 2003 chev. 2500 4x4 est. cab long box. it has 18000 miles on it. i had to replace the rear brakes and rotors at 18000 miles. this is unacceptable for a truck of this type. (heavy duty). i also had a dim brake light on the dash, which i had checked out at the dealer. they said it was in the dash board and would cost 400.00+ to fix. the dealer also said the steering was loose and this was caused by the factory when installed, 250.00+ to fix. what kind of product are they making? *nm

Speedometer reads 42 mph in the driveway. 120+mph on the highway. 2003 2500 hd silverado 47,000 miles. *jb

2003 chevrolet silverado gauge cluster hang ups speedo gets hung up and gives faulty readings. *nm

1. city and highway driving. 2. speedo sticks almost always now. 3. gm wants $700 to fix the problem, but others on web say it is temporary fix. *nm

Speedometer displays erroneous speeds, usually too fast. *jb

Normal 55-60 mph drive on interstate to work. speedometer began to stick at 45 mph even though vehicle was going faster. speedometer needle now moves in a jerky fashion slowly up & slowly back down. noticed online that seems to be a re-occurring problem with 2003 chevrolet vehicles and still no recall. i will not pay $1000 to have this problem fixed. chevrolet needs to step up and acknowledge their problem and have a recall. my vehicle is a 2003 chevrolet 2500hd crew cab 4x4. *nm

Engine will fail to start. second time with problem 10/21/06. replaced fuse to crank relay fuse blows immediately. made the truck useless for several days making travel to work hectic. same fuse controls turn signals as well. *nm

Speedometer sticks, displays incorrect speed. unable to determine correct speed. have not fixed yet. happened 1 week after warranty expired. *jb

I own a 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd. in august 2006 my oil pressure gage started to malfunction. it would intermittently read no oil pressure even though the oil level was adequate. i took the vehicle for a fuel system servicing to a gm dealer in san antonio tx and asked them to check the oil pressure problem. the service manager stated the problem was a pressure switch. i asked it to be repaired along with the fuel system servicing. at the time my vehicle had approximately 65,000 miles. the service department failed to attempt a repair on the oil pressure gage even though the other items were repaired. i elected not to let them keep my vehicle longer to affect the repair. approximately 2 months later i took the vehicle to another dealer and asked it to be repaired. the service manager informed me the actual problem was the instrument panel. it would cost approximately $700 to replace. i elected not to have it replaced due to the cost. at this time my vehicle had 71,000 miles. in the summer of 2007 my speedometer started to malfunction by displaying the wrong speed or sticking at zero. i again took the vehicle to the dealer who again said it was the instrument cluster. shortly after, i received a letter from gm stating this was a known issue and it would replace or repair the malfunction free of charge on any vehicle with less than 70,000 miles. i contacted my local gm dealer to see if my vehicle could be repaired under this since it originally malfunctioned when there was less than 70,000 miles on the vehicle. the service manager contacted gm and then told me they would not since my vehicle has more than 70,000 miles and gm does not consider this a safety issue. my vehicle currently will not pass a state of texas safety inspection because the speedometer does not work. i am making a complaint because i believe this is a safety issue and should be a full recall. *tr

Dt: 2003 chevrolet 2500 hd truck experienced an engine power reduction. the vehicle operated at a reduced speed. it goes at a crawl. this occurred at speeds of 40-50 mph in the middle of traffic. has to coast over to the side of the road, on average about 10-15 seconds after cutting off then the engine restarted. this usually happened after vehicle has not run for an extended period of time such as being parked overnight. took to a dealer, who replaced the accelerator pedal that ran by wire not cable. this was electric and computerized and some sort of signal went through the accelerator pedal and caused this failure. the vehicle will idle, but lost power. this has been a problem for the last 3 months. the problem recurred even after the replacement of 2 accelerator pedals. *ak