FaultScore

2003 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 airbag problems

12 of the 213 complaints about the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 are about the airbag system — 6% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 78,000 miles.

B

12

Complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

AIR Bags 12 100.0%

Airbags across every Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 year

2003 12 10.9%
2004 12 10.9%
2005 10 9.1%
2007 49 44.5%
2008 16 14.5%
2011 11 10.0%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 180,000 miles Albuquerque, NM Crash

AIR BAGS

MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AS I SLID INTO A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS IN NUMBER TO NUMBER TRAFFIC AND I TRIED CHANGING LANES. MY FRONT LEFT BUMPER TAPPED HIS REAR RIGHT BUMPER. THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS SCRATCHED.

NHTSA complaint #11160865 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 52,000 miles Humble, TX

AIR BAGS

THE DASHBOARD HAS DEVELOPED A CRACK IN THE PLASTIC ON THE PASSENGER SIDE RIGHT NEAR THE AIRBAG AREA.

NHTSA complaint #10916490 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 120,000 miles Cape Coral, FL

AIR BAGS

I HAVE COMPLAINED BEFORE, WANT TO KNOW WHY THIS HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. LIGHT CAME ON FOR NO REASON. WASN'T IN ANY KIND OF AN ACCIDENT. IT IS DEFECTIVE AND NO ONE WILL HELP GET IT FIXED. THERE ALREADY IS TSB FROM 2006. WE MOVED FROM PENNSYLVANIA TO FLORIDA AND AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS IT CAME ON AND STAYED ON.

NHTSA complaint #10725970 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 18,000 miles Warrensburg, MO

AIR BAGS

"SERVICE AIRBAG SYSTEM" DISPLAY ON VEHICLE INFORMATION READOUT FIRST APPEARED AROUND TEN YEARS AGO. BROUGHT TO DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND REPAIR (CODE B0026) BUT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT THIS SAFETY SYSTEM DEFECT. VEHICLE IS WAY OUT OF WARRANTY AND ATTEMPTING TO REPAIR ITEMS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE FIXED UNDER WARRANTY DOES NOT SEEM FINANCIALLY SOUND. AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT AND "SERVICE AIRBAG SYSTEM" DISPLAY HAVE BEEN CONSTANTLY ON SINCE 2008.

NHTSA complaint #10610117 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 78,000 miles Grandview, MO

AIR BAGS

KEY IGNITION SWITCH IS LOOSE AND CAR WILL SHUT OFF WHILE OPERATING, KEY CAN BE PULLED OUT OF IGNITION WHILE RUNNING. IF VEHICLE SHUTS OFF WHILE OPERATING THEN YOU LOOSE CONTROL OF BRAKES, STEERING, AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. GM IS DENYING THERE IS A PROBLEM. MY VEHICLE IS PROOF THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTS AND THE CHEVY AVALANCHE 2003 HAS A PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10575443 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Brentwood, TN

AIR BAGS

FREQUENTLY WHILE IN DRIVE THE SERVICE AIR BAG COMES ON. WHEN THIS LIGHT/INDICATOR COMES ON THIS DEACTIVATES THE ENTIRE AIR BAG SYSTEM WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE/DEFECT. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL BY GM/CHEVROLET TO HAVE THIS FIXED IMMEDIATELY.

NHTSA complaint #10505419 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 11,000 miles Katy, TX

AIR BAGS

AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON. WHILE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON, AIRBAGS DO NOT FUNCTION. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE BY CHEVROLET. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM. NEEDS A RECALL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD NOT COST THE CONSUMER TO REPAIR.

NHTSA complaint #10485413 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 107,000 miles Carefree, AZ

AIR BAGS

ON OCCASION THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WOULD COME ON, USUALLY WHILE DRIVING. ON SUBSEQUENT STARTS, NO LIGHT WAS DISPLAYED. EVENTUALLY THE LIGHT WOULD STAY ON FOR SEVERAL DAYS. I ASSUMED THIS WAS A MANUFACTURER INITIATED ALERT TO HAVE THE AIRBAGS CHECKED AFTER 100,000 MILES. WHEN I NEXT BROUGHT MY VEHICLE IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE SERVICE, I ASKED THE ADVISER TO HAVE THE AIRBAGS CHECKED BECAUSE OF THE WARNING LIGHT. HE TOLD ME THAT WHEN THE LIGHT WAS ON THE AIRBAGS WERE INOPERATIVE! I TOLD HIM TO GET IT CORRECTED. AFTER 90 MINUTES MY CAR WAS RETURNED WITH THE NOTICE THAT A PRELIMINARY CHECK DID NOT UNCOVER THE CAUSE, AND I WOULD HAVE TO RETURN THE VEHICLE AT ANOTHER TIME AND EXPECT TO INCUR SEVERAL HOURS OF TROUBLE SHOOTING TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. SINCE MY TRUCK WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO PARTS AND LABOR. I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY AN INOPERATIVE AIRBAG SYSTEM IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL ISSUE. PERHAPS IF GOVERNMENT MOTORS WAS PRIVATELY HELD, THE ACTUAL GOVERNMENT WOULD FORCE THE MANUFACTURER TO REPAIR ALL SUCH SAFETY RELATED ISSUES.

NHTSA complaint #10475513 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 94,000 miles Ravenna, OH

AIR BAGS

"SERVICE ABS LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY...DISABLING AIR BAGS!

NHTSA complaint #10404000 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Brooklyn, NY

AIR BAGS

I OWN A 2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, MY SPEEDOMETER IS STUCK AT 50 MPH, I CANNOT ACCURATELY GAUGE MY SPEED, I ALSO HAVE A SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT THAT WILL NOT GO OFF. THESE ARE SOME SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES AND A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED.

NHTSA complaint #10349079 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Ferndale, MI

AIR BAGS

AIRBAG SERVICE LIGHT.

NHTSA complaint #10297938 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 65,000 miles Clanton, AL

AIR BAGS

SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON BEEN THIS WAY FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS CHEVROLET KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT DO A RECALL.

NHTSA complaint #10297879 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 problems

← Full 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 report