General Motors Corp.: Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and Attachments
General Motors Corp. reported this defect to federal regulators on Feb 6, 2003 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 107. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 214, "SIDE IMPACT PROTECTION." THESE VEHICLES ARE BUILT WITH FOUR WELDS ON THE REAR DOOR UPPER HINGE. ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES, ONE OR TWO OF THE WELDS MAY NOT BE TO SPECIFICATION.
The risk
AS A RESULT, THE DOOR STRENGTH MAY BE DEGRADED DURING A SIDE IMPACT VEHICLE CRASH.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE WELDS ON THE LEFT REAR DOOR UPPER HINGE. IF A WELD IS FOUND OUT-OF-SPECIFICATION, A BOLT WILL BE INSTALLED TO SECURE THE HINGE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 17, 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 CADILLAC AT 1-800-458-8006, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, OR GMC AT 1-800-462-8782.
5 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 Cadillac Escalade | 81 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| 2003 Chevrolet Suburban | 301 | 7 | 4 | 23 |
| 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe | 507 | 7 | 9 | 20 |
| 2003 GMC Yukon | 204 | 6 | 2 | 9 |
| 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 03V037000.
Full record for the 2003 Cadillac Escalade → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →