General Motors Corp.: Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
General Motors Corp. reported this defect to federal regulators on Jan 27, 2003 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 5,734. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, VEHICLES, DURING A 30 DEGREE LEFT ANGLE FRONTAL IMPACT OF SUFFICIENT SEVERITY, A TEAR COULD DEVELOP IN THE MID-FRAME CROSS MEMBER AT ITS ATTACHMENT TO THE LEFT FRAME RAIL. IF THE MID-FRAME CROSS MEMBER TEARS DURING FRONTAL IMPACT AND PRODUCES A SHARP EDGE, CONTACT OF THE SHARP EDGE WITH THE FUEL TANK COULD RESULT IN A PUNCTURE OF THE FUEL TANK AND POSSIBLE FUEL LEAKAGE.
The risk
FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUEL TANK SHIELD. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 20, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020 OR GMC AT 1-800-462-8782.
3 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche | 204 | 6 | 2 | 10 |
| 2003 Chevrolet Suburban | 301 | 7 | 4 | 23 |
| 2003 GMC Yukon XL | 102 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 03V019000.
Full record for the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →