Engine
4.3L 6-cyl
How to read this file. Complaint records are unverified owner submissions to the federal safety agency. Counts are raw, not adjusted for sales volume or vehicle age. Recall campaigns apply to the model; only a VIN check shows whether this car is affected or repaired. Parts shown are named by an editorial note or listed as a search directory; none is a diagnosis. Full methodology.
Fault profile
Complaint-component records on this vehicle, grouped by family. A complaint naming two systems counts once in each.
Complaints are owner-reported and not verified by the agency.
When it fails
The timing of this vehicle's reported failures, from the complaint file itself. A cluster tells you what to expect and when; it is shaped by reporting behavior as well as by the vehicle.
Vehicle age when the failure occurred
Years between the model year and the owner's reported failure date. Based on 185 of 238 complaints with a usable failure date.
Odometer when the failure occurred
Owner-reported mileage at failure, in 20,000-mile bands. Based on 49 of 238 complaints reporting a plausible odometer (500 to 500,000 miles; unverified).
Known issues
The component families with the most complaint records against this vehicle. Counts, crash and fire figures belong to the whole family, not to any single named issue. Parts listed are related system parts, not a diagnosis.
Brakes
76 complaint records3 crash reports
"WHEN APPYLING THE ABS BRAKES THE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, WHICH RESULTED IN A COLLISION. *AK..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse brakes parts in the directory →
Steering
64 complaint records
"WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL JERKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SHOP WHERE THEY REPLACED A DEFECTIVE STEERING GEAR. *AK *NLM..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse steering parts in the directory →
Power train
33 complaint records1 crash report
"TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY, CAUSING LOUD NOISE AND POSSIBLY RESULTING IN TOTAL FAILURE. DEALER CANNOT FIX DEFECT. *AK..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse power train parts in the directory →
Transport Canada recalls
Recalls issued under Canadian law for this model year, from Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database. Matched by model name, so a Canadian-market variant may appear here that was sold under another name in the US. Units are Canadian vehicles affected.
| Recall | System | Units (CA) | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003064 2003-03-17 | Other | 323,584 | Certain vehicles (not involved in recall 98-150), may experience a windshield wiper failure due to cracked solder joints on the controller circuit board. |
Service bulletins and warranty extensions
Manufacturer communications to dealers on file with the federal agency: repair instructions, service campaigns, and warranty extensions. A warranty extension means the manufacturer may pay for a repair the recall table does not cover.
| Bulletin | Type | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 070232001 Mar 2007 | Steering | REDUCED STEERING EFFORT (DIAGNOSE/REPLACE STEERING WHEEL POSITION SENSOR). *KB | |
| 020525006 Jan 2006 | Service Brakes | ANTILOCK BRAKE (ABS) ACTIVATION AT LOW SPEEDS. *TT | |
| 020730024A Aug 2005 | Power Train | DIAGNOSIS OF CRACKED OR BROKEN TRANSMISSION CASE. *TT 2006 AND PRIOR CARS AND LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS. *TT | |
| 040604088 Mar 2005 | Engine And Engine Cooling | REPLACEMENT OF CONNECTOR WHEN REPLACING FUEL TANK MODULE/FUEL PUMP MODULE. *TT | |
| 040604068 Oct 2004 | Engine And Engine Cooling | REVISED DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) P1345 CRANKSHAFT POSITION (CKP) - CAMSHAFT POSITION (CMP) CORRELATION DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURE. *TT |
Show 13 more bulletins
| Bulletin | Type | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 030601024A Mar 2004 | Engine And Engine Cooling | RATTLE NOISE IN ENGINE. *TT | |
| 01570 Jan 2004 | Suspension | SPRING SLAP NOISE FROM THE REAR OF THE GMT 400 SERIES TRUCK. *MN | |
| 00149D Jan 2004 | Electrical System | MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ON WITH A P0300 SET AND A MISFIRE. VARIOUS MODELS INCLUDING 1996 - 1999 P32 MODELS. SIT BULLETIN 1416475. *TT | |
| 01225 Jan 2004 | Engine And Engine Cooling | ENGINE COOLANT LEAK AT INTAKE GASKET. * MJ | |
| 01410 Nov 2003 | Power Train | POOR PERFORMANCE FROM A STOP IN 2WD, AUTO OR 4WD HI. 2003, 2003 CADILLAC EXT ALSO INCLUDED. *TT | |
| 00149C Nov 2003 | Electrical System | MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ON WITH A P0300 SET AND A MISFIRE. VARIOUS MODELS INCLUDING THE 1996-1999 P32 AND THE 1996-2002 GMC C/K TRUCK. *TT | |
| 030730056 Nov 2003 | Power Train | 4L60-E AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OIL PUMP FIRST AND SECOND DESIGN IDENTIFICATION. *TT | |
| 030601024 Aug 2003 | Engine And Engine Cooling | RATTLE NOISE IN ENGINE. *TT | |
| 02054 Feb 2003 | Visibility | WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE DUE TO CRACKED BOULDER JOINTS ON THE CONTROLLER CIRCUIT BOARD. THIS SPECIAL POLICY COVERS THE CONDITION FOR A PERIOD OF SEVEN YEARS OR 70,000 MILES, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST FROM THE DATE THE VEHICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PLACED IN SERVICE REGARDLESS OF OWNERSHIP... | |
| 020525006A Dec 2002 | Service Brakes | ANTILOCK BRAKE (ABS) ACTIVATION AT LOW SPEEDS ON VARIOUS MODELS INCLUDING THE 1995 AND 1996 ENVOY. *TT | |
| 990730016A Oct 2002 | Power Train | DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION FOR INTERMITTENT TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFT, SLIP, BUSY/CYCLING TCC OR NOISY COOLING FAN. *TT | |
| 3081 | Engine And Engine Cooling | SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT AND P0300 WHEN TOWING, CRUISING UPHILL OR ON HARD ACCELERATION. *TT | |
| 3325 | Fuel System | SUPPLEMENT TO BULLETIN 99-06-04-047A FOR FUEL SYSTEM CLEANING. *TT |
Before you buy this vehicle
A test-drive checklist generated from this vehicle's own complaint and recall record.
- Brake hard once from speed on an empty road.A pull to one side, a pulsing pedal, a pedal that sinks at a stop, or an ABS light that stays lit are the brake complaints on this vehicle presenting themselves.
- Drive one straight highway stretch and one slow parking lot.Wander or a shimmy over bumps at speed, and heavy or dropped assist at low speed, are the two faces of this vehicle's steering cluster. A clunk on turn-in points at the linkage.
- Drive it from a dead stop, twice, on a hill if you can.Shudder, hesitation, or a lurch under light throttle is how this vehicle's largest complaint cluster shows itself. Then ask for the transmission service history in writing; repeat repairs are a pattern, not a fluke.
- Ask for the service history in writing, then read it against this page.The complaint families above are where owners of this vehicle report trouble. Repairs in exactly those systems are evidence the car had the problem; no such repairs could mean it never developed it, or that it was never fixed. The test-drive items above are how you tell those apart.
Parts search directory
The generic parts list for this vehicle has its own page: a search launcher for every system, filtered by fuel type and era but not by engine, trim, or brake type. It is not a diagnosis and not a fitment guarantee.
Open the parts directory for this GMC Sierra →