2003 GMC Savana Recalls, Complaints & Specs
11 safety recalls list the 2003 GMC Savana, and owners have filed 22 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
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11 safety recalls for the 2003 GMC Savana
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Electrical system: wiring
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2003-2023 Chevrolet Express Cutaway and GMC Savana Cutaway incomplete vehicles equipped with wiring for an optional rear heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. When the HVAC blower motor circuit is left unused with exposed connectors and wiring, the circuit can corrode and…
Remedy: Dealers will properly seal the rear HVAC blower motor circuits at the left side B-pillar, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 2, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at…
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Filler pipe and cap (fuel system)
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with a left side cargo door, and originally sold or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a new fuel filler neck, free of charge. The safety recall began on October 1, 2012. Owners may contact the Chevrolet owner center at 1-866-694-6546 and GMC at…
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Seat belts
On certain full-size passenger, cargo, or cutaway vans, the front and rear seat belt buckles will not latch or will not unlatch.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the buckles and, if found to be inoperative, the entire buckle assembly would be replaced. For buckles found to be operative, dealer will replace only the upper buckle cover. The recall will be…
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Anchorage (seat belts)
Certain extended and regular cab pickup trucks and cargo vans converted to compressed natural gas (cng) fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, 'child restraint anchorage systems.' these vehicles have one seating position, the center rear seat, equipped with child restraint lower anchorages.
Remedy: To bring the standard cab and cargo van vehicles into compliance, dealers will inject epoxy into the air bag off switch to prevent air bag activation, relocate the switch behind the instrument panel and then install a…
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Service brakes, hydraulic
Certain sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and passenger vans fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 135, ?passenger car brake systems.? Some of these vehicles were produced with an out-of-specification brake hydro-boost housing relief valve bore.
Remedy: Dealers are to replace the hydro-boost relief valve. The recall began on june 18, 2004. Owners should contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; GMC at 1-866-996-9463; or hummer at 1-866-486-6376.
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Owners/service/other manual (equipment)
Certain minivans, passenger and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage system." the owner's manual does not explain the meaning of the location symbols for the child restraint lower universal anchorage system.
Remedy: Owners will be provided with a supplement for their owner's manual. This supplement describes and shows the location symbols for the child restraint anchors that are located in the vehicle and on the child restraint or…
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Exterior lighting
Certain vans have a condition in which water may enter and corrode the rear license plate lamp socket. If the lamp socket were to corrode, the rear license plate lamp may operate intermittently or not at all, and the left rear tail lamp may become inoperative. The temperature of the license plate lamp socket could increase to the point…
Remedy: Dealers will install a new sealed rear license plate lamp socket assembly. Owner notification began july 21, 2003. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC at 1-800-462-8782.
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Buckle assembly (seat belts)
On certain vans with a gross vehicle weight of less than 8,500 pounds, during a vehicle crash sufficient enough to deploy the safety belt pretensioner, the front safety belt buckles may not release after the vehicle crash, or alternately may eject the safety belt latch during the vehicle crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front driver and passenger side safety belt buckle. Owner notification began june 3, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not…
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Linkages (steering)
On certain vans with an 8,500 lb. Or 8,600 lb. Gross vehicle weight rating, the nut attaching the pitman arm to the steering linkage may not be tightened adequately resulting in a possible separation.
Remedy: Dealers will tighten the pitman arm nut to the proper specification. If the nut is missing, the dealer will install a new nut and tighten it correctly. Owner notification began december 10, 2002. Owners who take their…
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Tie rod assembly (steering)
On certain vans, the right-hand tie rod end nut may not be tightened adequately. The nut can loosen resulting in separation of the tie rod from the steering knuckle.
Remedy: Dealers will tighten the tie rod end nut and, if necessary, replace the tie rod end. Owner notification began november 27, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and…
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Lugs/nuts/bolts/studs (wheels)
Certain vans were built without a wheel bearing assembly retaining nut, which could lead to a possible bearing separation.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the wheel bearing assembly. If the inspection reveals a missing retaining nut, the wheel bearing assembly will be replaced. Owner notification began november 13, 2002. Owners who take their…
22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2003 GMC Savana have filed 22 complaints with NHTSA; 2 describe a crash and 1 describe a fire. Reports cite 3 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 47,822 miles. Complaints peaked in 2003 with 5 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Tl* the contact owns a 2003 GMC savana. While operating the vehicle, the steering wheel and brake pedal malfunctioned and did not properly operate. While depressing the brake pedal, the steering wheel”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, May 17, 2019 · Service brakes
“Tl* the contact owns a 2003 GMC savana. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the check engine light illuminated. Also, the contact smelled fuel inside the vehicle and fuel leaked out of the fuel t”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, March 28, 2013 · Fuel/propulsion system
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2003 GMC Savana Passenger (Savana 1500 AWD (Passenger), Savana 1500/2500 2WD (Passenger)). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 13–15 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 12–13 / 16–18 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Vans, Passenger Type |
| Engine | 6/8 cyl, 4.3/5.3 L |
| Transmission | Automatic 4-spd |
Compare GMC Savana model years
Recall and complaint counts for every GMC Savana model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 GMC Savana | 0 | 1 |
| 1995 GMC Savana | 0 | 2 |
| 1996 GMC Savana | 2 | 35 |
| 1997 GMC Savana | 1 | 46 |
| 1998 GMC Savana | 1 | 33 |
| 1999 GMC Savana | 1 | 49 |
| 2000 GMC Savana | 2 | 49 |
| 2001 GMC Savana | 0 | 19 |
| 2002 GMC Savana | 0 | 12 |
| 2003 GMC Savana | 11 | 22 |
| 2004 GMC Savana | 7 | 12 |
| 2005 GMC Savana | 5 | 12 |
| 2006 GMC Savana | 7 | 7 |
| 2007 GMC Savana | 3 | 6 |
| 2008 GMC Savana | 7 | 3 |
| 2009 GMC Savana | 8 | 2 |
| 2010 GMC Savana | 4 | 3 |
| 2011 GMC Savana | 5 | 1 |
| 2012 GMC Savana | 7 | 3 |
| 2013 GMC Savana | 9 | 2 |
| 2014 GMC Savana | 7 | 1 |
| 2015 GMC Savana | 4 | 2 |
| 2016 GMC Savana | 7 | 6 |
| 2017 GMC Savana | 6 | 7 |
| 2018 GMC Savana | 7 | 3 |
| 2019 GMC Savana | 5 | 5 |
| 2020 GMC Savana | 2 | 0 |
| 2021 GMC Savana | 3 | 2 |
| 2022 GMC Savana | 2 | 2 |
| 2023 GMC Savana | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 GMC Savana | 4 | 0 |
| 2026 GMC Savana | 3 | 0 |
Checking a specific 2003 GMC Savana
How do I know if my 2003 GMC Savana has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 11 campaigns currently list the 2003 GMC Savana; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised GMC dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 02V305000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other GMC models
- Sierra 15008,930 complaints
- Acadia5,569 complaints
- Yukon4,989 complaints
- Sierra3,937 complaints
- Terrain3,124 complaints
- Jimmy2,720 complaints
- Envoy2,459 complaints
- Yukon XL2,417 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.