2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500: problems, recalls and reliability
0 recalls and 797 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electrical system (30% of complaints); the 2002 and 2006 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly
0
recalls
797
owner complaints
8
fire reports
69,742
typical failure mileage, mi
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
No recall campaignsWeak spot: electrical system (30%)8 fire reports
Common problems
Computed from 797 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
Electrical System (battery, wiring, electronics)30% · 240 complaints
Service Brakes (brakes)27% · 212 complaints
Service Brakes, Hydraulic (brakes)12% · 94 complaints
Steering (steering wheel, rack, power assist)8% · 65 complaints
Air Bags (airbags and crash sensors)4% · 28 complaints
Engine And Engine Cooling (engine, radiator, overheating)3% · 23 complaints
“Odometer Fraud. The contact was interested in purchasing a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 from a local used car dealer. The contact stated that the odometer indicated that the mileage was 187,000. The Carfax report indicated that the last reported mileage was 312,000. In addition, the contact was informed that the vehicle had only one previous owner. The Carfax report indicated that the vehicle had four previous owners. The dealer was not made aware of the issue.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jul 2025
“I just replaced the battery in my 2004 chevy Silverado 1500 with only 97,000 miles on it, and i went to drive it down the road and the vehicle now loses power and cuts off making a left turn.. It did this twice and i parked it.. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE in my opinion.. PLEASE investigate the issue and report back to me please..”Owner report · Steering · Jun 2024
“The contact's son owns a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while his son was exiting a parking lot, the brake pedal hose ruptured, and the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact discovered that there was a hole in the brake hose. The contact used a personal trailer to tow the vehicle home where the vehicle remained. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000. The VIN was not available.”Owner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Apr 2024
Show 7 more owner reports
“Abs system is failing light comes on then brakes don't catch, airbags message keeps coming on . Pulling in to store when it done it end up hitting the metal pipe in from of store to stop”Owner report · Air Bags · Jan 2024
“Wholes are developing in the transfer case near the output shaft and all the fluid leaks out causing the transfer case to grenade.”Owner report · Power Train · Oct 2023
“Vehicle was involved in motor vehicle collision. This unit was struck broadside by a semi resulting in the cab and box of this unit to separate from the frame. The frame of this unit, cab, and box all came to final rest in different locations in the scene with the driver remaining in the driver seat.”Owner report · Structure · Sep 2022
“Collided with a bear at 55mph with significant front end damage. Air bags were commanded to deploy and never did. I have contacted GM about the problem and have been told to wait for a claim advisor as no recalls are active on my vehicle.”Owner report · Air Bags · Sep 2021
“The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the oil pressure gauge was elevated too high. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed with a failed instrument cluster. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that she recently noticed that other gauges were also malfunctioning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with a failed instrument cluster. The contact was informed that the instrument cluster need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 19,626.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jul 2021
“When you apply the parking break through a foot pedal on this year of truck and then pull the handle to release it the parking break will only come back a little until you have to manually reach down to the floor and pull the parking break foot petal back up to operational height where the parking break (emergency break) is no longer applied. This has happened multiple times and the cable is still connected and will only bring the parking break back up around a inch until you have to pull it the rest of the way back.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Nov 2020
“I have had to get my brakes fixed 3 times and they just went again. Gmc does not stand behind their vehicles. I will not be buying another gm vehicle and when I or someone else gets hurt I will be suing gmc”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Feb 2020
When filing, owners marked a crash in 33 of these complaints and injuries in 20 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
How other years compare
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Is the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 reliable?
NHTSA has 797 owner complaints and 0 recall campaigns on record for the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The most complained-about area is electrical system (30% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 69,742 miles or less.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.