Summary
The 2003 GMC Savana has 18 recalls, the most serious involving steering components that can separate without warning and leave the driver unable to control the vehicle. On certain vans, a loose right-hand tie rod end nut can cause the tie rod to disconnect from the steering knuckle, and on 8,500 and 8,600 lb. GVWR models, the pitman arm nut can loosen and separate from the steering linkage — either failure can cause an abrupt loss of steering. Also on the chassis side, some 2500 and 3500 series vans were built without a wheel bearing retaining nut, which can lead to bearing separation, disabling the anti-lock brake system and pulling the vehicle toward the affected wheel.
Fire risk appears in two separate areas: on cutaway chassis variants, an unused rear HVAC wiring harness can corrode and overheat, raising the risk of fire, and the rear license plate lamp socket can corrode, overheat, and begin to melt, producing smoke at the rear of the vehicle. There is also a fuel concern on vehicles in heavy road salt regions, where the fuel filler pipe can corrode and develop holes, allowing fuel to leak during refueling. The transmission shift cable on some vehicles can misrepresent the selected gear on the shift indicator, creating a rollaway risk if the driver exits believing the vehicle is in park.
Several recalls cover seatbelts: buckles on front and rear positions may fail to latch or unlatch, and on lighter models, pretensioner deployment in a crash can
