2004 Chevrolet Avalanche Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Avalanche years
- Far more complaints than other years 5th of 15 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 165 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche. That ranks 5th out of 15 Avalanche model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (60 complaints, 36%), typically at around 50,800 miles. Complaints mention 6 crashes, 1 fire, 6 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 165owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 6complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 60 | 36% | 50,800 | — | $820 |
| Service Brakes | 25 | 15% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 15 | 9% | 51,971 | — | — |
| Power Train | 14 | 8% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 10 | 6% | 44,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 9 | 5% | 39,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 9 | 5% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 | 4% | 9,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 7 | 4% | 9,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 7 | 4% | 69,124 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 4% | 4,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 3% | 45,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 2% | 145,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 2% | 92,207 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 2% | 55,016 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | 122,972 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 1% | 12,333 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 800 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 1% | 71,413 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 1% | 136,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | 3,600 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Chevrolet Avalanche recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Engine and engine cooling
Problem: On certain trucks equipped with an 8.1l v8 (rpo l8-vin g) engine have a condition in which the engine fuel rail pulse damper retainer clip may fracture resulting in inadequate retention of the damper.
Risk: If the damper comes loose, a fuel leak may result. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the engine fuel rail pulse damper retainer clip free of charge. The recall began on august 31, 2006. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 and gmc trucks at 1-866-996-9463.
Seat belts:rear/other
Problem: On certain crew cab pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the 2nd row center occupant seat belt routing may make it difficult to position the lap portion of the safety belt low around the hips of occupants, especially smaller occupants, seated in this position. Appropriate use of a child seat or booster seat, as recommended for small children, does improve the fit condition for this user group. In addition to instructions on proper infant and young child restraint (with child seats or boosters), special verbiage for restraining older child is included in the owner's manual. Also, the suggested seat belt fit/routing for adults, irrespective of seating position, is described in the owner's manual text.
Risk: A lap portion of the seat belt routing that is not low and snug on the hips can allow the lap belt to ride up on an occupant's abdomen instead of fitting low around their hipbones, and therefore, can expose them to more risk of abdominal and internal organ injury.
Fix: Dealers will cut open the guide loop, remove a portion of the loop, and then the remaining two sides should be folded over and secured with a retainer free of charge. The recall began on july 21, 2005. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, or hummer at 1-800-732-5493.
Service brakes, hydraulic
Problem: Certain trucks, sport utility vehicles, and vans equipped with bosch hydro-boost brake assemblies, the hydraulic brake booster pressure accumulator may crack and separate from the hydro-boost assembly during normal operating conditions.
Risk: If a separation occurred and the hood of the vehicle were open, fragments from the accumulator could cause injury to people in the immediate area. The presence of this crack or fractured surface could allow the hydraulic fluid to leak from the accumulator circuit of the booster assembly. The loss of fluid would cause increased steering and braking effort and a crash may occur without prior warning.
Fix: Dealers will test the hydro-boost assembly for functional operation of the two-function valve. If the hydro-boost assembly fails the test, dealers will replace the assembly free of charge. The recall began on march 23, 2005. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc trucks at 1-866-996-9463 and hummer at 1-800-732-5493.
Structure:body:tailgate:hinge and attachments
Problem: On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the galvanized steel tailgate support cables that retain the tailgate in the full open (horizontal) position may corrode, weaken, and eventually fracture. If both cables fractured, the tailgate would suddenly drop and strike the top surface of the rear bumper.
Risk: Anyone sitting or standing on the horizontal surface of the tailgate when both cables fractured could be injured by falling from the tailgate. On vehicles that have had the bumper removed, the tailgate may drop even lower. Additionally, if there is cargo on the tailgate the cargo may fall off if the support cables fracture.
Fix: Dealers will replace the cables. Interim owner notification began on april 7, 20004. The recall began on september 24, 2004, when replacement parts were available, and will continue through october 29, 2004. Owners should contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or gmc at 1-866-996-9463, or visit www.mygmlink.com, and enter your vehicle identification number.
Service brakes, hydraulic
Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and passenger vans fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 135, ?passenger car brake systems.? Some of these vehicles were produced with an out-of-specification brake hydro-boost housing relief valve bore.
Risk: Consequently, the valve o-ring seal may fracture. Steering efforts may be slightly increased while braking or parking. Under certain driving conditions, a fractured seal may require a slight increase in the applied brake pedal effort to achieve the same vehicle deceleration rate as prior to the seat fracture.
Fix: Dealers are to replace the hydro-boost relief valve. The recall began on june 18, 2004. Owners should contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; gmc at 1-866-996-9463; or hummer at 1-866-486-6376.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Hydraulic pump failres (EA04012) — opened Apr 30, 2004, closed Feb 28, 2005, led to recall 05V005000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the brake warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rear brakes needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired however…
4"takata recall" the contact owns a 2004 chevy avalanche with a set of capitol precision trac ll tires on it. While pulling off in the vehicle and driving around 35 mph you could feel the back end shaking and wobbling like the lug nuts were loose. The vehicle was pulled off the road to investigate…
My vehicle has a kelsey hayes abs module that has already failed twice. First at about 75.000 miles and now at 130.000 miles, always while driving. The module was recalled in 2002 and the manufacturer was given a chance to redesign it, but it is still a bad part. The blogs are full of owners…
MODULE KIT,F/TNK F/PMP,LVL S/FUEL PUMP MODULE ASSEMBLY IS LEAKING FUEL, BECASE OF POOR GRADE PLASTIC AND METAL CONSTRUCTION, THIS ALSO HAPPENED ON MY 2002 TRAILBLAZER BUT WAS COVERED BY A RECALL,NO SUCH RECALL COVERS MY 2004 AVALACHE EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM, COST TO FIX 870.89 ESTIMATE…
My son had borrowed the truck and was returning it with his 4 and 5 year old sons in the vehicle. He was in a traffic circle and had to brake to avoid an accident. Immediately afterwards the brake failure warning came on and the truck had no brakes. Fortunately he was only going about 25 mph and…
Other Chevrolet Avalanche years
← 2003 Avalanche · 2005 Avalanche →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 Avalanche | 82 | 2 |
| 2012 Avalanche | 36 | 3 |
| 2011 Avalanche | 127 | 3 |
| 2010 Avalanche | 111 | 3 |
| 2009 Avalanche | 76 | 5 |
| 2008 Avalanche | 258 | 4 |
| 2007 Avalanche | 377 | 4 |
| 2006 Avalanche | 11 | 1 |
| 2005 Avalanche | 71 | 3 |
| 2004 | 165 | 5 |
| 2003 Avalanche | 204 | 4 |
| 2002 Avalanche | 444 | 2 |
| 2001 Avalanche | 2 | 0 |
| 2000 Avalanche | 2 | 0 |
| 1999 Avalanche | 0 | 0 |
See all Chevrolet Avalanche problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche?
Owners most often report electrical system, service brakes, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 60 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Avalanche model years, the 2004 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.