2004 GMC Savana Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Apr 6, 2023 · 12 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Savana years
Far more complaints than other years 9th of 31 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 12 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 GMC Savana. That ranks 9th out of 31 Savana model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is fuel system, gasoline (2 complaints, 17%), typically at around 62,425 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 1 fire, 2 injuries. There are 7 safety recalls covering this model year.

GMC Savana
A 2012 GMC Savana 3500 Extended photographed in Queens, New York , USA. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2004 GMC Savana problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Fuel System, Gasoline2 · ~62,425 mi
Power Train2 · ~36,500 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic2 · ~89,964 mi
Air Bags1
Engine and Engine Cooling1 · ~900 mi
Exterior Lighting1 · ~10,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion System1 · ~96,000 mi
Seat Belts1 · ~17,000 mi
Seats1 · ~17,000 mi
Steering1
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Fuel System, Gasoline217%62,425——
Power Train217%36,500——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic217%89,964——
Air Bags18%———
Engine and Engine Cooling18%900——
Exterior Lighting18%10,000——
Fuel/propulsion System18%96,000——
Seat Belts18%17,000——
Seats18%17,000——
Steering18%———
Suspension18%10,000——
Unknown or Other18%———
Wheels18%———

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2004, with 3 complaints
2004: 3200432005: 2200522007: 1200712009: 1200912013: 2201322014: 1201412019: 1201912022: 120221

n = 12 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2004 GMC Savana recalls (7)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Electrical system:wiringApr 6, 2023 · NHTSA campaign 23V247000 · 150,830 vehicles

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2003-2023 Chevrolet Express Cutaway and GMC Savana Cutaway incomplete vehicles equipped with wiring for an optional rear heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. When the HVAC blower motor circuit is left unused with exposed connectors and wiring, the circuit can corrode and overheat.

Risk: An overheated electrical circuit increases the risk of a fire.

Fix: Dealers will properly seal the rear HVAC blower motor circuits at the left side B-pillar, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 2, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GMC's number for this recall is N222386050.

Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly:filler pipe and capAug 8, 2012 · NHTSA campaign 12V388000 · 9,389 vehicles

Problem: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with a left side cargo door, and originally sold or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Water and road contaminants may become trapped in the protective conduit that covers the fuel filler pipe and may cause the pipe to corrode.

Risk: Significant corrosion may allow fuel to leak during refueling, and in the presence of an ignition source; there is an increased risk of fire.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a new fuel filler neck, free of charge. The safety recall began on October 1, 2012. Owners may contact the Chevrolet owner center at 1-866-694-6546 and GMC at 1-866-996-9463.

Seat beltsDec 19, 2005 · NHTSA campaign 05V558000 · 425,593 vehicles

Problem: On certain full-size passenger, cargo, or cutaway vans, the front and rear seat belt buckles will not latch or will not unlatch.

Risk: In the event of a crash, a seat occupant may not be properly restrained increasing the risk of personal injury.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the buckles and, if found to be inoperative, the entire buckle assembly would be replaced. For buckles found to be operative, dealer will replace only the upper buckle cover. The recall will be conducted in phases. The first phase mailing began during march 2006. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or gmc at 1-866-996-9463.

Service brakes, hydraulicFeb 8, 2005 · NHTSA campaign 05V043000 · 77,411 vehicles

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.

Power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shiftJul 6, 2004 · NHTSA campaign 04V320000 · 1,792 vehicles

Problem: Certain vans were built with a transmission shift cable assembly that may separate. If the cable assembly separates, the transmission shift lever position and the transmission indicator may no longer correlate.

Risk: If this were to occur, the vehicle could move in a direction not anticipated by the driver, which could result in a vehicle crash.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the transmission shift cable assembly, and if necessary, replace it. The recall began on august 19, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or gmc at 1-866-996-9463.

Seat belts:front:buckle assemblyApr 19, 2004 · NHTSA campaign 04V189000 · 331 vehicles

Problem: Certain vans fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, "seat belt assemblies." these vehicles may have been produced with seat belt buckle assemblies containing a latch with a brittle condition that may not withstand the force requirements of the standard.

Risk: The safety belt may not restrain the occupant as intended during a crash, which could result in injury to the occupant.

Fix: Dealers will replace the safety belt buckle. The recall beagn may 7, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or gmc at 1-866-996-9463.

Service brakes, hydraulicFeb 4, 2004 · NHTSA campaign 04V045000 · 68,875 vehicles

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.

The contact owns a 2004 GMC Savana. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal went to the floorboard while depressed. The dealer was made aware of the failure and scheduled an upcoming appointment; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The…

Service Brakes, Hydraulic · received Nov 1, 2022 · NHTSA complaint 11491736

Problem is with a new tire purchase bf goodrich lt245/75r16 bfg commercial ta a/s2. I notice flat spotting every morning and it could take 1/2 hr of driving to clear up been driving for over 60 yrs and have never experienced this before. I consider this to be a bad tire. If it has flat spots with…

Wheels · received Dec 17, 2019 · NHTSA complaint 11289654

Submission from explorer van co., re receipt of your correspondence dated july 10, 2014 regarding the early warning reporting of deaths and injuries. *smd the driver was involved in an accident, while driving a 2004 gmc savana, which resulted in serious and permanent injuries. *jb

Unknown or Other · received Aug 20, 2014 · NHTSA complaint 10626705

The vehicle is out of warranty. However, it only has 63k plus miles on the odometer. The transmission suddenly became erratic. It would not shift to "d", but the second and the first gear works fine. We were told by gmc customer service to have it inspected and have it diagnosed by a gmc dealer to…

Power Train · received Aug 30, 2013 · NHTSA complaint 10538171

NO INCIDENT ...YET. NOTICED THE SMELL OF GAS AFTER REFUELING JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2012. IT HAS BEEN GETTING WORSE EVER SINCE. CHECKED OUT RECALLS AND SAW THIS ONE, BUT NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE. CALLED LOCAL DEALER AND TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED. SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE. THIS RECALL…

Fuel System, Gasoline · received Feb 10, 2013 · NHTSA complaint 10497641

Other GMC Savana years

← 2003 Savana · 2005 Savana →

See all GMC Savana problems by year, every GMC model, or the GMC VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2004 GMC Savana?

Owners most often report fuel system, gasoline, power train, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, fuel system, gasoline, accounts for 2 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2004 GMC Savana?

Yes, 7 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2004 GMC Savana a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Savana model years, the 2004 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.