2004 Chevrolet Suburban Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Suburban years
- More complaints than other years 13th of 30 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 204 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban. That ranks 13th out of 30 Suburban model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (72 complaints, 35%), typically at around 58,000 miles. Complaints mention 12 crashes, 6 fires, 10 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 204owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 12complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 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 | 72 | 35% | 58,000 | “instrument cluster” (13%) | $800 |
| Service Brakes | 32 | 16% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 17 | 8% | 38,260 | — | — |
| Power Train | 14 | 7% | 39,018 | — | — |
| Steering | 14 | 7% | 44,119 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 13 | 6% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 12 | 6% | 64,300 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 12 | 6% | 36,750 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 12 | 6% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 8 | 4% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 7 | 3% | 43,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 7 | 3% | 60,539 | — | — |
| Engine | 6 | 3% | 99,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 2% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 5 | 2% | 63,326 | — | — |
| Tires | 5 | 2% | 42,146 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | 2% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 1% | 162,120 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 1% | 74,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 1% | 131,525 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 0% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 170,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | 58,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 2,300 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | 80,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Chevrolet Suburban recalls (4)
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.
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.
Front passenger dash airbag spontaneously deployed without any inciting event. The vehicle is at the Team Chevrolet Goldsboro dealership. A case has been opened with General Motors Case Number XXX. No prior warning - it smoked for a few seconds then deployed. No prior warning lights.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, the instrument panel gauges, and warning lights functionality became inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The vehicle was not…
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph he noticed the temperature gauge increased to the high indicator. The engine coolant hot message was displayed. The contact stated that while attempting to pull over there was an abnormal popping…
Brake/abs light on and ecbm for abs not working no anti lock brake system and for the electrical vehicle has all kinds of electrical issues had to remove fuse to radio because of it going bonkers and it wouldn't turn off or down sounds like a fax machine or old school dial up internet sounds all…
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet suburban. The contact stated that while shifting gears, there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from underneath the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where there were unable to determine the…
Other Chevrolet Suburban years
← 2003 Suburban · 2005 Suburban →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Suburban | 43 | 1 |
| 2023 Suburban | 129 | 3 |
| 2022 Suburban | 124 | 4 |
| 2021 Suburban | 199 | 12 |
| 2020 Suburban | 44 | 4 |
| 2019 Suburban | 78 | 3 |
| 2018 Suburban | 83 | 4 |
| 2017 Suburban | 141 | 5 |
| 2016 Suburban | 220 | 6 |
| 2015 Suburban | 430 | 11 |
| 2014 Suburban | 59 | 3 |
| 2013 Suburban | 118 | 4 |
| 2012 Suburban | 101 | 4 |
| 2011 Suburban | 148 | 3 |
| 2010 Suburban | 117 | 3 |
| 2009 Suburban | 106 | 5 |
| 2008 Suburban | 213 | 4 |
| 2007 Suburban | 292 | 4 |
| 2006 Suburban | 23 | 1 |
| 2005 Suburban | 129 | 6 |
| 2004 | 204 | 4 |
| 2003 Suburban | 301 | 5 |
| 2002 Suburban | 286 | 2 |
| 2001 Suburban | 440 | 6 |
| 2000 Suburban | 282 | 8 |
| 1999 Suburban | 634 | 1 |
| 1998 Suburban | 201 | 2 |
| 1997 Suburban | 414 | 2 |
| 1996 Suburban | 360 | 3 |
| 1995 Suburban | 457 | 6 |
See all Chevrolet Suburban 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 Suburban?
Owners most often report electrical system, service brakes, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 72 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Suburban model years, the 2004 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.