Model year record
2003 GMC Denali recalls & problems
The 2003 GMC Denali has no safety recalls on file with NHTSA, and 32 owner complaints. The most-reported problem area is electrical system (6 complaints).
Safety recalls
No safety recalls have been filed for the 2003 GMC Denali.
Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.
What owners report
| Problem area | Complaints | Typical mileage* |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemInstrument cluster/panel; Wiring | 6 | 75,000 mi |
| SteeringHydraulic power assist system; Column locking › Anti-theft device | 5 | 120,000 mi |
| Vehicle speed controlCruise control | 5 | 75,000 mi |
| Power trainAutomatic transmission | 3 | — |
| Service brakes, hydraulicFoundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings | 3 | 44,000 mi |
| Seat beltsFront › Retractor; Front | 2 | — |
| Engine and engine coolingExhaust system › Manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe; Engine › Gasoline › Belts and associated pulleys | 2 | — |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | — |
| Electronic stability control (esc) | 2 | — |
| Service brakes | 2 | — |
| SuspensionFront | 1 | — |
| Parking brakeConventional › Mechanical › Linkage and cable | 1 | — |
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
Recent owner complaints
- Service brakesCrash
I HAVE HAD THE BREAK/STEERING FLUID BOOSTER REPLACED 3 TIMES IN A 6 MONTH PERIOD. HOW GMC CAN CALL THIS A "PROBLEM" BUT NOT A SAFETY ISSUE IS BEYOND ME. I HAVE LOOKED IT UP AND THOUSANDS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS ALONG WITH ALIKE VEHICLES FROM THE SAME YEARS. THE BREAKS AND STEERING LOCK UP WHILE DRIVING ESPECIALLY AROUND TURNS. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!!!!! I GUESS NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE DIED....UUGGHHH .... SO FRUSTRATING!!!!
- Exterior lighting
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 (NA) GMC DENALI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING WAS DIM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEADLIGHT BULBS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 12,000.
- Tires › Sidewall
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC DENALI EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN LTX MS20 TIRES, SIZE: LT245/75R16. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES CRACKED ON THE SIDEWALL. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT ALL THE TIRES HAD TREAD SEPARATION AND LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE AND TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
- Service brakes
ON JUNE 4, 2014, DRIVING ON A CLEAR, DRY AND SUNNY DAY IN MY 2003 GMC SIERRA DENALI PICKUP TRUCK. ON VIRGINIA DRIVE HEADING EASTBOUND IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA, AT 32 MPH; WITH NORMAL BRAKING ACTION HEADING INTO A CURVE, THE BRAKE PEDAL SURPRISINGLY WENT TO THE FLOOR AND EXPERIENCED LOSS OF BRAKING. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO NEGOTIATE THE TURN, NARROWLY ESCAPING RUNNING OFF THE ROAD, ONLY BECAUSE IT WAS TWO LANE ROAD IN EACH DIRECTION AND THERE WAS NO NEARBY TRAFFIC AT THE TIME. BRAKE FUNCTIONALITY NEVER RETURNED EXCEPT FOR MINIMAL CAPABILITY NEAR THE END OF PEDAL TRAVEL. PRELIMINARY INSPECTION AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE INDICATES THE BRAKE LINES SHOWED RUSTING IN GENERAL ON THE VEHICLE (AND…
- Engine
AFTER JUST A FEW YEARS OF OWNERSHIP, MY 2003 DENALI, WHICH I PURCHASED BRAND NEW, STARTED TO HAVE "POWER DOWN" ISSUES. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE WOULD JUST LOOSE POWER AND I WOULD HAVE TO PULL OVER AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. GMC HAS ALWAYS ACTED AS IF IT WAS NOT A BIG DEAL AND HAVE OFFERED MANY EXPENSIVE SOLUTIONS. EARLY ON I TRIED THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AND IT WOULD HELP FOR A WHILE BUT THE PROBLEM ALWAYS COMES BACK. FURTHER, ALL OF MY GAUGES HAVE QUIT WORKING. AGAIN, GM OFFERS VERY EXPENSIVE SOLUTIONS, BUT WILL NEVER OWN UP TO THE FACT THAT THESE VEHICLES ARE DEFECTIVE. AFTER GOING THROUGH THIS FOR SEVERAL YEARS, I GOOGLED THESE ISSUES AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE PAGES AND PAGES OF…
- Electronic stability control (esc)
I AM FILING A COMPLAINT DUE TO A REDUCED ENGINE PROBLEM AND STABILITY CONTROL WHICH KEEPS ENABLING ME TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. ONCE THIS LIGHT AND POWER REDUCES I NEED TO PULL OVER FROM MY DESTINATION AND TURN ENGINE OFF COMPLETELY. I COUNT ABOUT TEN SECONDS IN ORDER TO RESTART THE VEHICLE... ONLY TO START IT AND HAVING IT REDUCE AGAIN. SEVERAL LIGHTS ON DASH BOARD REMAIN ON SUCH AS ENGINE. I HAVE TRIED FIXING THE PROBLEM BUT I GUESS NO ONE REALLY KNOWS HOW TO REPAIR AND THIS HAS BEEN COSTLY. I HAVE READ RESOURCES/CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME YEAR AND VEHICLE MAKE, AND HAVE FOUND THAT THEY HAVE OCCURRED THE SAME PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THE GMC CO. AND OR WHAT THE…
- Service brakes, air › Supply › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
WITHIN ABOUT 10 MILES OF A MODERATE BRAKING SITUATION AND REACHING HOME, BRAKE PEDAL BECAME PROGRESSIVELY SOFTER AT EACH SUCCESSIVE STOP UNTIL COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE OCCURRED NEAR HOME. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS USED TO SLOW AND STOP VEHICLE IN DRIVEWAY (HOME). RIGHT FRONT STEEL BRAKE LINE WAS FOUND TO HAVE BURST DUE TO EXTENSIVE RUST/CORROSION. EXTENSIVE CORROSION OF MOST BRAKE LINES WAS FOUND AND REPAIRED AT CONSIDERABLE COST AS A PREVENTIVE MEASURE TO HELP AVOID ACCIDENT OR INJURY. THE LOCAL GMC DEALER WAS NOT AWARE OF A RELATED RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE AND WOULD ONLY REPAIR THE SUV AT THE PREVAILING RATE SINCE A WARRANTY WAS NOT IN EFFECT. THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPAIRED BY…
- Fuel system, gasoline
I HAVE A 2003 YUKON DENALI AND WHEN IT HIT THE 65,000 MILES MARK THE FUEL GAUGE STOPPED WORKING LEAVING ME TO TELL HOW MUCH GAS I HAD LEFT USING THE AUTOMATIC COMPUTER TELLING YOU HOW MANY MILES TO EMPTY. NEXT THE OIL GAUGES STOPPED WORKING. FINALLY REACHING 80,000 MILES MY SPEED ODOMETER QUITE WORKING LEAVING ME TO NOT KNOWING THE SPEED I AM TRAVELING THIS QUITE WORKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE MY RPMS ARE STARTING TO GO GOOFY WHICH MEANS THAT TO IS GOING TO STOP WORKING AS WELL. I WAS TOLD THAT HAVING MY DASH TAKEN OFF AND FIXED COULD RUN ANYWHERE BETWEEN 1,000.00 NOT INCLUDING LABOR FEES. WHICH IS CRAZY THAT GMC DOESN'T STAND BEHIND ITS WORK. PEOPLE CANT…
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.
NHTSA defect investigations
- PARKING BRAKE FAILUREClosed
ODI'S REVIEW OF COMPLAINT DATA RECEIVED SINCE THE CLOSE OF EA04-011 REVEALED NO INDICATION THAT THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE RE-OPENED.MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE ENCLOSED IN THE DP05-009 PUBLIC FILE.ODI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION IN THE FUTURE SHOULD CONDITIONS WARRANT.
- PARKING BRAKE FAILUREClosedLed to recall 05V161000
IN A LETTER DATED APRIL 20, 2005, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT HAD DECIDED THAT DEFECTS THAT RELATE TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXIST IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999-2002 C/K 1500 SERIES (PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) AND MY 2001-2005 C/K 2500 AND 3500 SERIES (TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM) PICKUPS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS.ACCORDING TO GM, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE THE FRICTION LININGS TO WEAR TO AN EXTENT WHERE THE PARKING BRAKE CAN BECOME INEFFECTIVE IN IMMOBILIZING A PARKED VEHICLE.GM'S ACTION COVERS AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF 142,585 VEHICLES.DEALERS WILL INSTALL A LOW-FORCE SPRING CLIP RETAINER FOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM AND INSTALL A REDESIGNED PARKING BRAKE CABLE ASSEMBLY ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM. A TOTAL OF 58 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED BY ODI AND GM CONCERNING THE APPROXIMATELY 59,000 MY 1999-2002…