2004 Chevrolet Tahoe Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Tahoe years
- More complaints than other years 7th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 467 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe. That ranks 7th out of 32 Tahoe model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (214 complaints, 46%), typically at around 68,000 miles. Complaints mention 25 crashes, 7 fires, 24 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 467owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 25complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe 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 | 214 | 46% | 68,000 | “instrument panel” (10%) | $800 |
| Service Brakes problems | 60 | 13% | 112,000 | “brake lines” (45%) | — |
| Steering | 29 | 6% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 27 | 6% | 53,974 | — | — |
| Engine | 26 | 6% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 26 | 6% | 37,849 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 23 | 5% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 20 | 4% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 15 | 3% | 66,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 14 | 3% | 71,950 | — | — |
| Visibility | 11 | 2% | 62,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 10 | 2% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 9 | 2% | 78,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 7 | 1% | 13,250 | — | — |
| Suspension | 7 | 1% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 7 | 1% | 97,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 6 | 1% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 6 | 1% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 1% | 22,494 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 5 | 1% | 77,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 1% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Chevrolet Tahoe recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
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 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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My brakes locked up with steering wheel and cause me to go off the road itâs very unsafe and there should be recall immediately
Unknown
My Tahoe has the New Process 246GM transfer case. They have a known issue called pump rub where the pump is to close to the magnesium shell, and rubs pin holes in the shell which causes fluid to dissipate over time causing the transfer case to run dry burning it up. I've had a mechanic check it out…
The contact's spouse owns a 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and remained extended to the floorboard. The contact engaged the parking brake to bring the vehicle to a complete stop. The vehicle was driven to the residence and…
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes failed to stop the vehicle immediately while the brake pedal was being depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to NHTSA…
Other Chevrolet Tahoe years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tahoe | 27 | 3 |
| 2025 Tahoe | 49 | 1 |
| 2024 Tahoe | 68 | 3 |
| 2023 Tahoe | 229 | 5 |
| 2022 Tahoe | 193 | 4 |
| 2021 Tahoe | 457 | 16 |
| 2020 Tahoe | 57 | 3 |
| 2019 Tahoe | 107 | 2 |
| 2018 Tahoe | 105 | 3 |
| 2017 Tahoe | 174 | 4 |
| 2016 Tahoe | 256 | 8 |
| 2015 Tahoe | 658 | 14 |
| 2014 Tahoe | 90 | 3 |
| 2013 Tahoe | 233 | 4 |
| 2012 Tahoe | 178 | 3 |
| 2011 Tahoe | 447 | 5 |
| 2010 Tahoe | 314 | 3 |
| 2009 Tahoe | 284 | 5 |
| 2008 Tahoe | 528 | 4 |
| 2007 Tahoe | 1,177 | 4 |
| 2006 Tahoe | 114 | 3 |
| 2005 Tahoe | 293 | 5 |
| 2004 | 467 | 2 |
| 2003 Tahoe | 507 | 4 |
| 2002 Tahoe | 449 | 3 |
| 2001 Tahoe | 512 | 5 |
| 2000 Tahoe | 282 | 6 |
| 1999 Tahoe | 552 | 1 |
| 1998 Tahoe | 263 | 2 |
| 1997 Tahoe | 410 | 0 |
| 1996 Tahoe | 283 | 3 |
| 1995 Tahoe | 246 | 6 |
See all Chevrolet Tahoe problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
Similar Chevrolet models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe?
Owners most often report electrical system, service brakes, steering problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 214 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Tahoe model years, the 2004 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.