2003 GMC Envoy Problems, Recalls & Reliability
807 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2003 GMC Envoy, alongside 8 recall campaigns and 8 defect investigations. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 82,500 miles.
Below average
Where 2003 sits among all Envoy years
What owners report
“The lights come on by themselves and drains the battery. Two batteries have been installed. The car has had road service jump starts 3 times in 2 wks. The lights come on themselves when they'r'e off. The alternator was checked and is good. The vehicle was parked in a garage when this occurred and 1…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Envoy
“Leaking fuel on tank at fuel neck...fuel fumes, fuel on ground may cause fire, not environmentally safe as fuel is dumping on the ground where ever you drive”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Envoy
“On a 2003 gmc envoy xl (vehicle mileage approx. 8900 miles), the windshield wipers were on when the switch was in the off position. The dealer replaced the wiper motor. This was the second time this problem had occurred; the first was in september 2002. At that time, the dealer also replaced the…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Envoy
“Our envoy service engine soon light came on and then our envoy would not go past second gear. We took to gmc and was told that the transmission had to be replaced. They stated that the upper coolant line had been touching catalytic converter and caused all fluid to leak out causing the transmission…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Envoy
“2003 gmc envoy... The rear passenger side door will not latch ... The door opened doing about 30 mph”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Envoy
“My car will shut off when i am either turning or slowing down without any warning, i put the car in neutral, turn the key off then on again and it starts like nothing happened. The engine doesn't show any warning lights it just shuts off. This has happened now about 6 times. I don't have the money…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Envoy
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 613 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 77,088 miles. Half of those reports fall between 47,489 and 120,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (8)
CERTAIN MAXZONE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES, DEPO BRAND, P/NO 335-1120L-AS, SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. DURING PRODUCTION THE LAMP HOUSING SHAPE DEFORMED DISTORTING THE ASSEMBLY ANGLE OF THE REFLECTOR AND…
Fix: MAXZONE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENT FOR ANY NONCOMPLIANT HEADLIGHTS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 16, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MAXZONE AT 909-822-3288.
ON CERTAIN TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE DRIVER WISHING TO SIGNAL A TURN BY MOVING THE DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL LEVER, (UP OR DOWN) MAY CAUSE THE FRONT MARKER/TURN LIGHTS AND REAR TURN LIGHTS TO FLASH IN A MANNER SIMILAR TO HAZARD WARNING, RATHER THAN…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SUSPECT FLASHER MODULES WITH A NEW FLASHER MODULE DESIGNED WITH SEALED RELAYS AND MORE DURABLE CONTACT MATERIAL INSIDE OF THE RELAYS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON…
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES HAVE WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEMS THAT WILL NOT TURN ON, CEASE OPERATION WHILE IN USE, FAIL TO TURN OFF/ON BY THEMSELVES (MOISTURE SENSITIVE WIPER SYSTEM), OR HAVE CONTINUOUS WINDSHIELD WASHER PUMP OPERATION BECAUSE THE PRESENCE OF…
Fix: DEALERS WILL COVER THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MODULE VENT HOLE WITH A PATCH. ALSO, THE WIPER MOTOR, CIRCUIT BOARD, AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WILL BE INSPECTED TO SIGNS OF WATER INTRUSION AND/OR CORROSION…
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…
Fix: 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…
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH A LEFT-FRONT BRAKE PIPE WITH A CIRCUMFERENTIAL SCORE AT A RANDOM LOCATION ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE PIPE AS THE RESULT OF THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. IF THE BRAKE PIPE PARTIALLY OR FULLY FRACTURED, BRAKE PEDAL…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LEFT-FRONT BRAKE PIPE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MAY 29, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE…
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 114, "THEFT PROTECTION." THESE VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH A MECHANICAL OVERRIDE THAT COULD ALLOW THE IGNITION KEY TO BE REMOVED WITH THE SHIFT…
Fix: DEALERS WILL ELIMINATE THESE CONDITIONS BY DISABLING THE OVERRIDES. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MAY 29, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE…
ON CERTAIN MINI VANS, PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG THAT MAY NOT DEPLOY AS DESIGNED. IN ADDITION, THE AIR BAG INFLATOR COULD RUPTURE.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT, AND IF NECESSARY, INSTALL A NEW DRIVER'S AIR BAG. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MARCH 11, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON…
CERTAIN PASSENGER, MINI VANS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES HAVE AN AIR BAG INFLATOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE THAT COULD FRACTURE AT A WELD DURING A DEPLOYMENT.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT, AND REPLACE, IF NECESSARY, THE AIR BAG MODULE ASSEMBLY ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 15, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 04V527000.
Led to recall campaign 04V046000.
Technical service bulletins
691 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2003 GMC Envoy. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2003 GMC Envoy reliable?
The 2003 GMC Envoy drew 807 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2003).
What are the most common 2003 GMC Envoy problems?
The top reported problems for the 2003 GMC Envoy are electrical (176 complaints), fuel system (156), and visibility & wipers (69).
At what mileage do 2003 GMC Envoy problems show up?
Owners most often report 2003 GMC Envoy problems around 77,088 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 47,489 and 120,000 miles.
Does the 2003 GMC Envoy have recalls?
8 recall campaigns apply to the 2003 GMC Envoy. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.