2003 Chevrolet SSR problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
10 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
2,525 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2003 model year. Data updated: . 9 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Most common problems
Structure:Body:Hood:Hinge And Attachments is the most frequently named component, appearing in 7 of 10 complaints (70.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Structure:Body:Hood:Hinge And Attachments | 7 |
| Electrical System | 2 |
| Electrical System:Ignition:Switch | 1 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch | 1 |
Structure:Body:Hood:Hinge And Attachments: 7; Electrical System: 2; Electrical System:Ignition:Switch: 1; Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 8 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 8; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (8). 1 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 8 |
| 2014 | 2 |
2004: 8; 2014: 2
Pattern summary
Structure:Body:Hood:Hinge And Attachments leads the component reports. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
10 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 220.0%ODI 10569253 · 4,000 miWAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AT 60MPH, ENGINE CUT OUT AND LOST ALL POWER. HAD TO COAST TO SHOULDER IN TRAFFIC CREATING DANGEROUS SITUATION. DIAGNOSED AS FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH. *TR | 725.0%ODI 10226754 · 15,326 miDRIVING FOR APPROX 2 1/2 HOURS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. NOTICES SPEEDOMETER WAS BOUNCING. SLOWED DOWN, SPEEDOMETER DID NOT CHANGE. AFTER ABOUT TWO MILES, SPEEDOMETER INCREASE IN SPEED, AFTER A MINUTE OR TWO, SPEEDOMETER INCREASED TO APPROX 80MPH. AFTER ABOUT TEN MINUTES, ENTER CITY LIMITS, SPEED LIMIT WAS 35MPH, SPEEDOMETER REGISTERING 65MPH. WHEN I GOT HOME, SPEEDOMETER WAS REGISTERING 30MPH. TOOK VEHICLE TO CHEVY DEALER TWO DAYS LATER, WAS TOLD NO PROBLEM WITH SPEEDOMETER, TOLD TO BRING IT BACK IF THE PROBLEM PERSIST. TWO WEEKS LATER, DRIVI… | 516.1%ODI 10397143 · 47,000 miTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET SSR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER PROVIDED AN INACCURATE READING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 60 MPH WHILE SITTING IDLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000. | 480.0%ODI 10196510 · 5,000 miTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET SSR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WATER ENTERED THE VEHICLE AND DAMAGED THE GASKET. THE DEALER REPLACED THE GASKET, BUT NOW THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS AND THE VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 14,675 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000. |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 621.4%ODI 10140211 · 5,700 miDRIVERS SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN, CANNOT EXIT VEHICLE IN AN EMERGENCY. *NM | 1238.7% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Structure:Body:Hood:Hinge And Attachments | 770.0%ODI 10058735 · 1,030 miHOOD PROP FOR THE 2003 CHEVROLET SSR IS FAR TOO WEAK AND POORLY DESIGNED. THE HOOD IS MUCH HEAVIER THAN THIS PROP (WITH ITS CURVED SHAPE TO FIT UNDER THE HOOD) IS ABLE TO TAKE. THIS HEAVY HOOD SHOULD HAVE PNEUMATIC STRUTS, NOT THIS FLIMSY, CURVED PIECE OF STEEL. ON THE WEB SITE WWW.SSRFANATIC.COM, MANY OF THE OWNERS DESCRIBE THE CLOSE CALLS THAT THEY HAVE HAD WITH THE PROP BENDING AND THE HOOD FALLING, NARROWLY MISSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I PERSONALLY AM VERY CAREFUL, SINCE I KNOW THE DANGERS INVOLVED, BUT IT'S JUST A MATTER A TIME UNTIL SO… | 414.3%ODI 10086516 · 3,500 miVEHICLE: 2004 CHEVROLET SSR PROBLEM: FLIMSY HOOD PROP ROD AND A VERY HEAVY HOOD. THE ROD SLIPPED AND THE HOOD FELL. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED, BUT COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN. SOLUTION: THE 2005 CHEVROLET SSR IS REPORTED TO HAVE A SELF SUPPORTING PNEUMATIC LIFT. THE 2003 AND 2004 SSRS SHOULD BE RETROFITTED BY CHEVROLET AT NO COST TO THE OWNER. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Power Train | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 39.7%ODI 10556986 · 74,000 miENGINE OVER HEATS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS, SPEEDOMETER CLUSTER MALFUNCTIONS, CENTER SWITCHES MALFUNCTION, CENTER SWITCH FAILURES. FUEL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS, FUEL SYSTEM DELIVERY SYSTEM MAKE VEHICLE STALL. REAR TRANSMISSION SEAL LEAKS, CLUTCH RELEASE SPRING SPRING OUT. ABS LIGHTS, OIL LIGHTS & ENGINE OVER HEATING LIGHTS COMES ON, TRANSMISSION SLAVE LEAKS. ENGINE FAN MALFUNCTIONS, IT NEVER COMES ON. TEMPERATURE GAGE LOCKS, HEAT & GAS GAGE LOCKS. THESE ISSUES HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF GM CORPORATION. THESE GUYS REFUSE TO PAY FOR … | 120.0%ODI 10568947 · 100,000 miPUT THE TRUCK IN REVERSE AND THE TRANSMISSION CABLE BROKE. IT IS PLASTIC AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HEATS THE PLASTIC AND CRACKS IT. THE UNDERHOOD FUSE BLOCK WENT WHILE DRIVING. THE TRUCK SHUT OFF ON ME WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE DEALER SAID THIS IS A BIG ISSUE WITH THIS TRUCK. I HAD TO SPEND 600 DOLLARS FOR A NEW BOX. MY ABS PUMP ALSO WENT DEALER SAID THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE HEAT FROM THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND THAT THIS IS A BIG ISSUE ON THIS TRUCK ALSO. ALSO THE RUNNING BOARDS ON THE TRUCK WERE CHROME. THEY HAVE PEELED A… |
| Air Bags | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 13.6%ODI 11281733 · 10,200 miMY VEHICLE HAS ONLY 11,656 MILES, LESS THAN THAT WHEN I SUBMITTED TO DEALER FOR NON-FUNCTIONING GAUGES DUE TO STEPPER-MOTOR ISSUES. THIS SAME PART HAS BEEN WARRANTED ON OTHER GM VEHICLES, BUT GM REFUSES TO EXTEND THE SAME WARRANTY FOR THE SAME PART ON CHEVY SSR. OTHER SAFETY ISSUE IS THE SERVICE AIR BAG WARNING IS ON AND DEALER REFUSED WARRANTY SERVICE DUE TO AGE OF VEHICLE. BOTH OF THESE ISSUES ARE SAFETY RELATED AND NOT LOOKING FOR WARRANTY OF MAINTENANCE WORK. | 26.5%ODI 10163049 · 1,500 miDT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. THE SERVICE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO REPAIR THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT SINCE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 8/7/2006 - *NM | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 27.1%ODI 10226754 · 15,326 miDRIVING FOR APPROX 2 1/2 HOURS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. NOTICES SPEEDOMETER WAS BOUNCING. SLOWED DOWN, SPEEDOMETER DID NOT CHANGE. AFTER ABOUT TWO MILES, SPEEDOMETER INCREASE IN SPEED, AFTER A MINUTE OR TWO, SPEEDOMETER INCREASED TO APPROX 80MPH. AFTER ABOUT TEN MINUTES, ENTER CITY LIMITS, SPEED LIMIT WAS 35MPH, SPEEDOMETER REGISTERING 65MPH. WHEN I GOT HOME, SPEEDOMETER WAS REGISTERING 30MPH. TOOK VEHICLE TO CHEVY DEALER TWO DAYS LATER, WAS TOLD NO PROBLEM WITH SPEEDOMETER, TOLD TO BRING IT BACK IF THE PROBLEM PERSIST. TWO WEEKS LATER, DRIVI… | 13.2%ODI 10330949 · 10,579 miSPEEDOMETER CLUSTER ON MY 2005 CHEVROLET SSR MALFUNCTIONED. DEALER AND GM SERVICE REFUSED TO FIX IT UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. I ALSO HAVE A 2003 AVALANCHE THAT HAD SAME PROBLEM AND DEALER DID FIX IT. I DON'T KNOW HOW FAST I AM GOING AS THE SPEEDOMETER READS 80 MPH WHEN I AM AT A STOP SIGN. *TR | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Engine | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 13.6%ODI 11349727 · 77,886 miWAS GOING TO GO TO THE STORE AND WHEN I TURNED ON THE IGNITION EVERY THING WAS COMING ON,THE LIGHTS,DASH ALL LITE UP ,I HEARD THE FUEL PUMP AND I TURNED THE IGNITION FURTHER TO START IT AND NOTHING. NO CLICK,NO TURNING OVER,NOTHING. I SHUT IT OFF AND TRIED AGAIN AND SAME THING. I CHECKED MY FUSES AND FOUND NOTHING THERE WRONG EITHER. I'M STUMPED. I WILL NEED HELP WITH THIS SITUATION. CAN YOU SEND ME A SOLUTION PLEASE. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME AND HELP. SINCERELY, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATIO… | 26.5%ODI 10556986 · 74,000 miENGINE OVER HEATS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS, SPEEDOMETER CLUSTER MALFUNCTIONS, CENTER SWITCHES MALFUNCTION, CENTER SWITCH FAILURES. FUEL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS, FUEL SYSTEM DELIVERY SYSTEM MAKE VEHICLE STALL. REAR TRANSMISSION SEAL LEAKS, CLUTCH RELEASE SPRING SPRING OUT. ABS LIGHTS, OIL LIGHTS & ENGINE OVER HEATING LIGHTS COMES ON, TRANSMISSION SLAVE LEAKS. ENGINE FAN MALFUNCTIONS, IT NEVER COMES ON. TEMPERATURE GAGE LOCKS, HEAT & GAS GAGE LOCKS. THESE ISSUES HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF GM CORPORATION. THESE GUYS REFUSE TO PAY FOR … | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 26.5%ODI 10836498 · 62,689 miPO463 CODE INDICATING FUEL LEVEL SENSOR COMES ON THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THE FUEL GAUGE WILL GO TO EMPTY AND BACK TO FULL OR EXISTING FUEL LEVEL. THIS OCCURS WHEN VEHICLE IS MOVING OR STATIONARY, WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. PURCHASED FROM CHEVROLET DEALER ON 05/26/2015 (THIRD OWNER), AND MALFUNCTION HAPPENED THE SAME DAY, AND THE DEALER WOULD NOT MAKE REPAIRS, SAID SOLD AS IS. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET FIXED SINCE THEN WITHOUT ANY RESULTS. I RECENTLY HEARD THAT CHEVROLET PROVIDED A RECALL TO CORRECT OR REPLACE PROBLEM (COVERING 10 YRS OR… | 120.0%ODI 11073069 · 35,000 miFUEL LEVEL GAUGE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. ALSO, VEHICLE HAS ACCELERATED WHILE BRAKE WAS BEING DEPRESSED ALMOST CAUSING REAR END COLLISION...HAD TO PUT INTO NEUTRAL. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure:Body:Hood:Hinge And Attachments | 1,465–2,685 mi | 2,050 mi | 7 | ODI 10058735 · 1,030 miHOOD PROP FOR THE 2003 CHEVROLET SSR IS FAR TOO WEAK AND POORLY DESIGNED. THE HOOD IS MUCH HEAVIER THAN THIS PROP (WITH ITS CURVED SHAPE TO FIT UNDER THE HOOD) IS ABLE TO TAKE. THIS HEAVY HOOD SHOULD HAVE PNEUMATIC STRUTS, NOT THIS FLIMSY, CURVED PIECE OF STEEL. ON THE WEB SITE WWW.SSRFANATIC.COM, MANY OF THE OWNERS DESCRIBE THE CLOSE CALLS THAT THEY HAVE HAD WITH THE PROP BENDING AND THE HOOD FALLING, NARROWLY MISSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I PERSONALLY AM VERY CAREFUL, SINCE I KNOW THE DANGERS INVOLVED, BUT IT'S JUST A MATTER A TIME UNTIL SO… ODI 10086395 · 2,050 miHOOD PROP ROD IS TOO FLIMSY TO HOLD THE HEAVY HOOD UP(IN THE OPEN POSITION). MY PRO ROD COLLAPSED(BENT) WHILE MY HOOD WAS BEING HELD OPEN. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT "UNDER THE HOOD" WHEN IT FELL OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR WORSE. THE HOOD IS MUCH TOO HEAVY TO BE SUPPORTED BY THE FLIMSY ROD. GM REPLACED MY BENT ROD WITH A NEW ROD OF THE SAME DESIGN. ALL 3,300 OF THE 2003 AND 10,000 0F THE 2004 CHEVROLET SSR'S HAVE THIS SAME PROP ROD SYSTEM. GM MEDIA ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK THAT ALL 2005 SSR'S WILL HAVE A NEW, IMPROVED, GAS-ASSISTED, SELF-… ODI 10086497 · 1,900 miHOOD PROP ON 2003 CHEVROLET IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO HOLD THE WEIGHT OF THE HOOD. PROP HAS BENT AND HOOD HAS FALLEN. THE 2005 HAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DESIGN. GM REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. *AK |
| Electrical System | Too few reports for a range | 20,500 mi | 2 (sparse) | ODI 10569253 · 4,000 miWAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AT 60MPH, ENGINE CUT OUT AND LOST ALL POWER. HAD TO COAST TO SHOULDER IN TRAFFIC CREATING DANGEROUS SITUATION. DIAGNOSED AS FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH. *TR ODI 10664229 · 37,000 miPOSSIBLY THE IGNITION SWITCH. BRAND NEW BATTERIES CANNOT HOLD A CHARGE. MECHANIC CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM. *TR |
| Electrical System:Ignition:Switch | Too few reports for a range | 4,000 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10569253 · 4,000 miWAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AT 60MPH, ENGINE CUT OUT AND LOST ALL POWER. HAD TO COAST TO SHOULDER IN TRAFFIC CREATING DANGEROUS SITUATION. DIAGNOSED AS FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH. *TR |
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2005: 18 complaints · 2006: 2 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 5 | 18 | 18 |
| 2006 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Structure:Body:Hood:Hinge And Attachments | Electrical System | Electrical System:Ignition:Switch | Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure:Body:Hood:Hinge And Attachments | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 0 | — | 1ODI 10569253 · 4,000 miWAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AT 60MPH, ENGINE CUT OUT AND LOST ALL POWER. HAD TO COAST TO SHOULDER IN TRAFFIC CREATING DANGEROUS SITUATION. DIAGNOSED AS FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH. *TR | 0 |
| Electrical System:Ignition:Switch | 0 | 1ODI 10569253 · 4,000 miWAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AT 60MPH, ENGINE CUT OUT AND LOST ALL POWER. HAD TO COAST TO SHOULDER IN TRAFFIC CREATING DANGEROUS SITUATION. DIAGNOSED AS FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH. *TR | — | 0 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.