2003 Chevrolet Tahoe Reviews, Ratings, Prices

Owner Reported Trouble Spots

The Reliability score is based on our latest subscriber survey of 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe owners. The owner comments describe problems respondents experienced with this vehicle.

Climate System

Blower (fan) motor, A/C compressor, condenser, evaporator, heater system, automatic climate control, refrigerant leakage, electrical failure.

What Owners Say

"Broke"

Anonymous, TX (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe Unsure Unsure)

Automatic climate control

"The rear blend door failed, which stuck the roof vents into the 'cold' position. When the car starts with the roof vents enabled it cycles them through there full range of motion. They overtravel, and then stays stuck. Replacing the blend door module (actually a motor) per the TSB, it didn't fix it. A battery pull did, however"

Anonymous, OH (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.2-L V8)

"devices used to direct air flow and temperature in rear section of car have stopped working"

Anonymous, NV (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.2-L V8)

Blower (fan) motor

"Blower stopped working"

Anonymous, WA (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe Unsure Unsure)

"had to replace the hvac blower motor resistor"

Arne H., AK (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LS 5.2-L V8)

"rear evaporator leaked and had to be replaced"

Anonymous, FL (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LS 5.2-L V8)

"Broke"

Anonymous, TX (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe Unsure Unsure)

Electric System

Alternator, starter, hybrid battery and related systems, regular battery, battery cables, engine harness, coil, ignition switch, electronic ignition, distributor or rotor failure, spark plugs and wires failure.

What Owners Say

"Alarm would go off when open button pushed. Back hatch door stopped working , would not unlock. Sometimes doors would not open keyless"

Anonymous, CA (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LS Unsure)

"We ended up replacing whole module! Total cost was over 900.00 dollars"

Anonymous, CA (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LS Unsure)

"Oil gauge sensor was replaced"

Anonymous, VA (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.2-L V8)

"first the temperature gauge broke, then the oil pressure, then the RPM"

Anonymous, OR (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.2-L V8)

"From the moment I owned this Tahoe, I have had to constantly replace exterior lights, head, tail, turn signal, brake, etc. The 3rd brake light module replaced cost almost $400. and was replaced for the 1st time at 10yrs old. The replacement only lasted for 18months. Don't understand why the original lasted for 10 years and the replacement only 18months and was not covered by any warranty. Not very good customer service"

Lorraine D., GA (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 4.7-L V8)

"They seem to burn out much more frequently than they did in the early years of the car"

Anonymous, OR (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe Unsure 5.2-L V8)

Fuel System

Check engine light, sensors (includes O2 or oxygen sensor), emission control devices (includes EGR), engine computer, engine computer, fuel cap, fuel gauge/sender, fuel injection system, fuel pump, fuel leaks, stalling or hesitation.

What Owners Say

"i had vacuum leak that caused rough idle. i guess it is to be expected with a truck that has almost 274000 with little maintenance"

Anonymous, TX (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LS 4.7-L V8)

"throttle body failure"

Bill B., GA (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe Unsure 5.2-L V8)

"My car would cut off while driving. The fuel injection system needed to be cleaned. After it was the issue was corrected"

Carol P., TN (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe Unsure Unsure)

"Fuel pressure started dropping. This was a few dozen tankfuls after switching to e85 (it is a VIN Z / flex fuel). E85 tends to wear valve seats, and fuel pumps more. Even though it is rated for e85, using that fuel will still cause premature wear"

Anonymous, OH (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.2-L V8)

"Warning light indicated a malfunction in O2 sensor and it was replaced"

Anonymous, MI (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.2-L V8)

"when the weather gets hot , the engine will stall.the O2 sensor was replaced and it solved the problem. Now another O2 sensor needs to be replaced. there was also a leak in the gasket at the valve covers"

Anonymous, TX (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LS 4.7-L V8)

Paint/Trim

Paint (fading, chalking, cracking, or peeling), loose interior and exterior trim or moldings, rust.

What Owners Say

"The interior door lamp covers fall off. The interior dashboard pealed and turned black"

Barbara C., TX (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LS 5.2-L V8)

"The roof, engine lid and side pannels paint faded"

Barbara C., TX (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LS 5.2-L V8)

"Clearcoat and color gradually fading away on roof and hood. Problem had started 5 years ago, and is getting worse. Seems like a defect, for which there should have been a recall"

Thomas A., WI (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.2-L V8)

Rust

"the body is rusting badly"

James W., NE (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.2-L V8)

"Vehicle had many rust areas, mainly hood and top"

Anonymous, TX (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe Unsure Unsure)

Suspension

Shocks or struts, ball joints, tie rods, wheel bearings, alignment, steering linkage (includes rack and pinion), power steering (pumps and hoses, leaks), wheel balance, springs or torsion bars, bushings, electronic or air suspension.

What Owners Say

Springs or torsion bars

"Torsion bars broke"

Anonymous, TX (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.2-L V8)

Steering linkage (includes rack and pinion)

"Steering "knocks" when car rolls over uneven ground or when turning"

Robert R., KY (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.2-L V8)

"steering is loose/sloppy but usable as is"

Anonymous, NV (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.2-L V8)

"Had to replace them three times in 5 years"

Anonymous, AK (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LS 5.2-L V8)

Brakes

Antilock system (ABS), parking brake, master cylinder, calipers, rotors, pulsation or vibration, squeaking, brake failure or wear.

What Owners Say

"I unit went out. I am not going to spend the money they want to fix it so I disconnected it"

T M., IL (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.2-L V8)

"grabbing"

Eve B., NC (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT Unsure)

Master cylinder

"Master cylinder seemed to have a leak so it was replaced"

Anonymous, TX (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.2-L V8)

Transmission Major

Transmission rebuild or replacement, torque converter, clutch replacement.

What Owners Say

Transmission rebuild or replacement

"The transmission hd to be replaced at 120,000 miles"

James W., NE (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.2-L V8)

"Had to replace transmission"

Tom K., PA (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe Unsure 4.7-L V8)

Engine Cooling

Radiator, cooling fan, antifreeze leaks, water pump, thermostat, overheating.

What Owners Say

Water pump

"Water leak at the water pump"

Samuel S., FL (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.2-L V8)

In-car Electronics

CD or DVD players, radio, speakers, GPS, communication system (e.g., OnStar), display screen freezes or goes blank, phone pairing (e.g. Bluetooth), voice control commands, steering wheel controls, portable music device interface (e.g., iPod/MP3 player), backup or other camera/sensors.

What Owners Say

CD player

"When first starting engine, the CD player just keeps cycling and making noises but it will not load or play a CD"

Robert R., KY (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.2-L V8)

Body Hardware

Power or manual windows, locks and latches, tailgate, hatch or trunk, doors or sliding doors, mirrors, seat controls, safety belts, sunroof, convertible top.

What Owners Say

Locks and latches

"When the passenger front window would not close and the door would not lock with the key remote, I was told it was the door module. The cost to replace was $438.12. plus tax for a total of $463.73!! Dealers are ripoff artists"

Lorraine D., GA (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 4.7-L V8)

Drive System

Driveshaft or axle, CV joint, differential, transfer case, 4WD/AWD components, driveline vibration, traction control, electronic stability control (ESC), electrical failure.

What Owners Say

Electrical failure

"Complete electrical failure that was caused by a faulty alternator"

Anonymous, AK (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LS 5.2-L V8)

Engine Minor

Accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, oil leaks.

What Owners Say

Oil leaks

"Constant oil leaks requiring several quarts of additional oil in between oil changes"

Kurt H., VA (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe Unsure 5.2-L V8)

Exhaust

Muffler, pipes, catalytic converter, exhaust manifold, leaks.

What Owners Say

Muffler

"Keeps rusting in two"

Anonymous, TX (2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.2-L V8)

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