NHTSA Recall 03V217000: Exterior lighting
GENERAL MOTORS CORP. reported this safety recall to NHTSA on , covering an estimated 50,225 vehicles. It affects 2 models including the Chevrolet Express.
| NHTSA campaign | 03V217000 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer campaign | 03031 |
| Component | EXTERIOR LIGHTING |
| Report received | June 10, 2003 |
| Owner notification | July 21, 2003 |
| Initiated by | Manufacturer |
Defect
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 that it may begin to soften and melt.
Safety risk
If the socket assembly were to reach the point of melting, the occupants of the vehicle may notice an odor and smoke at the rear doors of the vehicle. If this odor and smoke were ignored, the plastic could ignite and a fire could occur.
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.
Notes
GM recall no. 03031.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
Vehicles covered by recall 03V217000
Being listed here means the campaign covers the model year, not that every car was built with the defect or is still unrepaired. Enter your VIN above to check your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free at authorised dealers. Source: NHTSA, October 2026.