2003 GMC Sierra Engine Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 2500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000.

MY VEHICLE BEGAN LOSING COOLANT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, WHO HAS TOLD ME THAT THE CYLINDER HEAD IS CRACKED AND LEAKING. THIS IS DUE TO FAULTY CASTING ON THE CYLINDER HEAD.THE COOLANT IS LEAKING INTO THE HEADS, AND CAUSING THE OIL TO LOSE IT'S ABILITY TO PROTECT THE ENGINE FROM WEAR. I HAVE SEEN THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH THIS ISSUE, AND IT IS A VERY COSTLY REPAIR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, A FIRE ERUPTED FROM THE UNDERCARRIAGE AREA. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE INCIDENT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TRUCK SORTA HESITATED AND LOST ALL ENGINE POWER AT WHICH POINT I NOTICED THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER WARNING CAME ON AND I TRIED ACCELERATING TO TRY AND MAYBE TRAVEL ALONG TO PULL OVER AT A SAFE PLACE AND COME TO FIND I COULD NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL, I HAD TO COAST TO THE SIDE ONTO THE GRASS ALONGSIDE THE ROAD BUT MY FEAR IS THAT I LIVE CLOSE TO ORLANDO, FL AND TRAVEL THERE AT TIMES LUCKILY THIS HAS NOT OCCURRED WHILE THERE AS THERE ARE 3-4 LANE HIGHWAYS POTENTIALLY PUTTING ME & OTHERS IN A FATAL POSITION IF I AM CAUGHT IN A CENTER LANE BUT I TRY TO AVOID THIS FOR THE MOST PART, I EITHER TRAVEL ON THE FAR LEFT OR FAR RIGHT GIVING ME ACCESS TO THE EMERGENCY SHOULDER IF NEEDED, BUT NOT SURE WHAT TO DO IN REGARDS TO THIS PROBLEM AS I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE USED AND NOT SURE HOW TO GO ABOUT CHECKING IF THIS IS A SAFETY RECALL ISSUE OR NOT AS I AM NOT ABLE TO AFFORD A PROBLEM LIKE THIS RIGHT NOW FINANCIALLY...AND THIS HAS OCCURRED LIKE AFTER I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE LIKE IN THREE MONTHS FOLLOWING THE PURCHASE AND CONTINUED LIKE EVERY OTHER WEEK FOR LIKE THREE MONTHS STRAIGHT IT HAS NOW CUT DOWN TO LIKE ONCE EVERY THREE MONTHS OR SO, THE LATEST OCCURRING NOV 21, 2014. *TR

MY 2003 GMC SIERRA 1500 PRESENTLY HAS 67,631 MILES ON IT. WITH ABOUT 46,000 MILES ON MY TRUCK AT THE END OF 2011, I NOTICED LOW COOLANT, BUT COULD NOT FIND A NOTICEABLE LEAK. I CONTINUED TO ADD COOLANT, BUT COULD NEVER FIND THE LEAK. WHILE HAVING MY OIL CHANGED IN JUNE 2016, THE DEALER (WHERE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PURCHASED AND SERVICED) SAID COOLANT HAD LEAKED INTO THE OIL DUE TO A CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD, AND ESTIMATED APPROX $3500 TO FIX IT. IN DEC 2016, THEY RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE ENGINE AT $6600. IN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM, I FOUND GM SERVICE BULLETIN #06-06-01-019B, 12 JUNE 2007, SUBJECT INFORMATION ON GRADUAL COOLANT LOSS OVER TIME WITH NO EVIDENCE OF LEAK FOUND. IT DISCUSSES A KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH CASTECH HEADS USED IN THE 5.3L VORTEC ENGINE AS I HAVE IN MY TRUCK. SUBSEQUENT ONLINE SEARCHES INDICATED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG SUCH GM ENGINES. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER WITH THE SERVICE BULLETIN AND ASKED WHAT GM WOULD DO TO ASSIST IN THE REPAIR OF THIS KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE DEALER SAID THE VEHICLE WASN'T UNDER WARRANTY SO THEY WOULDN'T DO HELP. I REQUESTED ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE GM REGIONAL REP, AND WAS ALSO TOLD THEY WOULD DO NOTHING. IN MARCH 2017, I WROTE A LETTER TO GM CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER REQUESTING ASSISTANCE. GM RESPONDED WITH A LETTER TWO WEEKS LATER STATING THAT FOR SERVICE REQUEST NUMBER 8-2815264552, THEY "CANNOT PROVIDE ANY COST ASSISTANCE ON THE ENGINE ISSUE ON THE VEHICLE." FURTHER THEY STATED THERE IS NO RECALL OR SPECIAL COVERAGE FOR THE ISSUE. THE FAULTY CASTING OF THE CASTECH CYLINDER HEAD IN THE 5.3L VORTEC ENGINE IS A KNOWN DEFECT IN ABOUT 5 YEARS OF GM VEHICLES WHICH GM REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE TO CUSTOMERS, BUT CLEARLY ACKNOWLEDGES THROUGH ITS SERVICE BULLETIN. GM SHOULD PROVIDE A RECALL OR AT LEAST FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO CORRECT THIS KNOWN DEFECT.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, MY 2003 GMC SIERRA 2500 DISPLAYED A "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" WARNING ON MY DASHBOARD. MY VEHICLE LOST ALL SPEED CONTROL, DECELERATING FROM 65 MPH TO 20 MPH IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND SHUT MY TRUCK OFF. ONCE I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, THE MESSAGE WAS GONE AND MY TRUCK WAS FINE. IT WAS A VERY SCARY INCIDENT NOT BEING ABLE KEEP THE RIGHT SPEED FOR THE CONDITIONS ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 1500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BOLTS ON THE MANIFOLD WERE FRACTURED AND CAUSED LEAKAGE THROUGH THE EXHAUST EMISSION BEFORE GOING TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED WHO ADVISED REPLACING THE BOLTS AND MANIFOLD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO STATED THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,500. THE CONSUMER STATED HE FIRST HEARD A TICKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. HE EVENTUALLY FOUND THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD HEADS BROKEN OFF THE BOLT SHANKS. HE THEN FOUND EVIDENCE DUE TO LEAKING OF THE EXHAUST, GAS CARBON DEPOSITS ON THE ENGINE BY THE MANIFOLD'S BROKEN BOLTS. UPDATED 10/14/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 1500. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, EXHAUST FUMES ENTERED THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JOHN PAUL'S BUICK GMC (3615 S 108TH ST, GREENFIELD, WI 53228 (414) 482-6246) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A FRACTURED EXHAUST MANIFOLD GASKET. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST THE CONTACT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO RECALL ISSUED FOR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. .*BF CONSUMER STATED WIFE SMELLED EXHAUST FUMES, CONSUMER CANNOT SMELL AND WAS GETTING HEADACHES AFTER DRIVING. PROBLEM IS FROM THE EXHAUST FUMES. UPDATED 8/15/18*JB

I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK AND I SMELLED A WEIRD SMELL. I THOUGHT MY AIR CONDITIONING MAY BE MESSING UP SO I TURNED OFF MY AIR AND OPENED MY WINDOW. I STILL SMELLED THE WEIRD SMELL WITH THE WINDOW DOWN SO I ASSUMED IT WAS AN ODOR FROM THE CAR IN FRONT OR JUST GENERALLY OUTSIDE. I NOTICED IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS FLAGGING ME DOWN. I PULLED OVER AND SHE TOLD ME MY TRUCK WAS SMOKING AND SHE THOUGHT SHE SAW A FLAME OUT THE BACK. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD BETTER AND GOT OUT TO LOOK. I LOOKED IN THE AREA BETWEEN THE CAB AND THE BED AND I SAW FLAMES. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS THE FLAMES GOT BIGGER AND FLARED UP OVER THE BED OF THE TRUCK. A PASSING MOTORIST STOPPED AND HAD A COOLER OF WATER AND POURED IT ON THE AREA AND PUT THE FIRE OUT. I HAD CALLED 911 AND THE FIRE TRUCK ARRIVED AFTER THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT. THE POLICE DID NOT ACCOMPANY THE FIRE TRUCK. AN INSURANCE ADJUSTOR HAS NOT BEEN TO THE MECHANIC TO LOOK AT THE TRUCK YET SO I DO NOT KNOW THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. *NM

I OWN A 2003 GMC SIERRA WITH A DIESEL ENGINE. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BLOCK HEATER 5X IN THE LAST 3 YEARS. IT QUITS ABOUT EVERY 4 MONTHS DURING THE "WINTER MONTHS" OR THE FIRST TIME I PLUG IT IN AFTER THE SUMMER IT FAILS TO WORK. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT MANY DEFECTS WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE SPEEDOMETER CONTINUALLY HAD AN INACCURATE READ OUT WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALERSHIP BELIEVED THIS FAILURE COULD BE RELATED TO THE WIRING HARNESS. SINCE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM NO REPAIRS WERE DONE. ALSO, THE VEHICLE STALLED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WITHOUT WARNING. WHILE THE STALLING OCCURRED THE CONTACT PRESSED HARD ON THE BRAKES TO ELEVATE THE STALLING. HE BELIEVED THIS WAS DUE TO THE POWER BRAKES. THE VEHICLE STALLED ON OCCASION AND WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY RESTART. THE DEALERSHIP MADE NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM W AND ALL ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. THIS INCLUDED REPLACING THE FUEL PUMP AND ELECTRICAL CONTROL MODULE. *AK

OIL LEAK AT REAR OF THE ENGINE. THE DEALEARSHIP REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIGOLD GASGETTWICE, AND REPLACED THE VALVE COVER GASGET, TWICE. THE TRUCK HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP FIVE TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM.*AK

WHEN AT A STOP, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED AND MADE NOISES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS NORMAL. *AK THE VEHICLE HAD A ROUGH IDLE AND MADE LOUD NOISES WHEN AIR CONDITIONER WAS ON. WHEN TURNED OFF, IT MADE A LOUDER NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER A TOTAL OF FIVE TIMES SINCE THEN. *PH *JB

4 BROKEN EXHAUST BOLTS ON MY 2003 SERRA 2500HD (PICKUP) V8 ENGINE. PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE SAME PROBLEM I HAVE. WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=0YG6WLBNZGI. *TR

ON FEBRUARY 18, 2003 I PURCHASED A NEW 2003 TRUCK THE TRUCK CAME WITH THE SERVICE LIGHT ON. WHEN DRIVING THE 4X4 WHEEL LIGHT WOULD COME ON AS IF THE TRUCK WAS IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE. THE LIGHT WOULD GO OFF AFTER STOPPING AND SHUTING THE TRUCK OFF FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO FIX AT THIS TIME AND THEY GAVE ME A SERVICE BULLETIN, FILE IN SECTION:4-DRIVELINE AXLE BULLETIN NO:03-04-21-001 DATE: FEBRUARY, 2003. I WAS TOLD THAT IF I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE 4X4 ENGAGING ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING THE ONLY THING THEY COULD DO WAS TO DISENGAGE THE 4X4 WHEEL DRIVE AT THIS TIME.I NEED TO HAVE THE USE OF THE 4X4 WHEEL DRIVE AS I OWN A LARGE CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY AND USE MY TRUCK ALL DAY LONG ON JOBSITES. I LEFT THE DEALER NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO. I WAS WORRIED ABOUT DAMAGING THE 4X4 UNIT EVEN MORE ON MY NEW TRUCK. SO TWO WEEKS LATER I WAS TIRED OF WORRYING, SO I TOOK THE TRUCK BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY DISENGAGED THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE. THE SERVICE 4X4 WHEEEL LIGHT IS STILL ON AT THIS TIME. I ALSO FILED A COMPLAINT WITH GMC ON 3/27/03 #1-85090755. I HAVE NOT HEARD FRON THE DEALER IN ONE MONTH.

THE VEHICLE LEAKED DIESEL FUEL FROM THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE RAN HOT, WHICH COMBINED WITH THE FUEL LEAK, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. *NLM

EXCESSIVE ENGINE NOISE ON MY NEW GMC SIERRA 1500 SERIES 4X4 PICKUP TRUCK. I WAS TOLD AT 5000 MILES ON MY FIRST OIL CHANGE THAT THE ENGINE SOUND WAS "NORMAL" AND THEY ALL SOUND LIKE THAT. THE DEALER, MARTIN GMC IN FENTON, MICHIGAN MADE THAT ASSERTION. *LA

INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER COMPONENTS FAILED THUS ALL GAUGES ON DASH BOARD WENT "FLAT"/BACK TO -0-; VEHICLE DID OPERATE HOWEVER COULD NOT EVEN READ HOW MUCH GAS WAS IN TANK. ALSO AS OF MILEAGE OF 13312 NOTICE VEHICLE BEGAN TO USE OIL, AS OF 26300 AFTER WATCHING THE VEHICLE NOTICED THAT IT WAS EXTREMELY LOW; APPARENTLY THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN LEAKING OIL ON THE INTAKE - LOOSING ALMOST 2 QUARTS OF OIL - ON A NEWER VEHICLE IT SHOULD NOT BE USING THIS MUCH OIL. *LA

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. THE EGR VALVE WAS STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION AND WILL NOT CLOSE. CONSUMER WAS TOLD NOT TO PANIC, AND TO DRIVE WITH THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY ON.*AK