Chevrolet Fuel System, Gasoline: Tank Assembly

Chevrolet is recalling about 5,734 vehicles over a problem with the fuel system, gasoline. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.

Campaign
03V019000
Manufacturer
GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Reported
27 January 2003
Vehicles
5,734
Built between
Apr 2002 – Jan 2003
Models
3
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
20 February 2003
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between April 2002 and January 2003. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 2003 Chevrolet AvalancheBuilt April 2002 to January 2003
  • 2003 Chevrolet SuburbanBuilt April 2002 to January 2003
  • 2003 GMC Yukon XLBuilt April 2002 to January 2003

What the defect is

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.

What could happen

Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.

What gets fixed

DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUEL TANK SHIELD. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 20, 2003.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtApril 2002 to January 2003
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA27 January 2003
  3. Owners notified20 February 2003

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 27 January 2003.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Manufacturer contact

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.

Official source

Manufacturer's recall number
03002
Recalling manufacturer
GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Recall initiated by
MFR

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Additional notes

GM recall no. 03002.CUSTOMERS can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand