2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo problems
Owners have filed 275 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Electrical system is the most reported problem area, at 55% of complaints. Next are engine (11%) and steering (6%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 275 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 55% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 10 and 16
- Injuries and deaths
- 15 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 56,000 miles 235 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 21 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 46 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 61 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 35 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 16 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 18 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 15 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 14 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 4 |
| 200k+ miles | 4 |
What the data shows
Of the 235 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 56,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 55,000 miles (136 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 10 complaints mention a crash; 16 complaints mention a fire; 15 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2004 ranks 5th most-complained-about out of 13 model years of the Chevrolet Monte Carlo with enough data (147 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 4 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
I have a 2002 chevy impala and a 2004 chevy monte carlo. Right after my warranty expired on the monte carlo, my heated seat cover caught fire, caused personal injury and property damage. An adjuster came out to look at it and assured me that GM would fix the problem. 2 years later, I can't even get a return phone call. Since then I purchased a 2002 impala. Heated seats worked for 2 days and I noticed a burn starting in the same exact spot where the monte carlo caught fire.
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 chevrolet monte carlo. After striking a pothole at approximately 15 MPH, an abnormal sound emitted from the vehicle without warning. The air bags deployed. The vehicle filled with smoke and caught on fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed and the contact sustained a minor thumb injury that did not require medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet monte carlo. While traveling at an unknown speed and approaching a traffic light, another vehicle crashed into the contact's vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The steering wheel and the brakes intermittently locked while attempting to avoid the other vehicle. A police report was filed and the driver sustained whiplash, headaches, neck pains, and left shoulder pains that required medical attention.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet monte carlo. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number:14v400000 (electrical system); however, while driving at 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled and the power steering seized. Also the entire warning panel illuminated and all electrical power seized. The failure occurred multiple times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet monte carlo. The contact stated that the security warning light constantly flashed and the vehicle was unable to start. In addition, the vehicle stalled several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the keys for the ignition but the failure continued. The security warning light continued to illuminate. The pass lock protection system was unable to be overridden so the contact was unable to determine the solution to repair the vehicle.