2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems
The 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has 951 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (36%) concerns brakes. Next are electrical system (29%) and steering (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 951 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Brakes 36% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 47 and 13
- Injuries and deaths
- 28 and 1
- Typical mileage
- 70,000 miles 830 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 | 62 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 99 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 168 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 155 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 150 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 75 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 50 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 22 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 27 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 12 |
| 200k+ miles | 10 |
What the data shows
Of the 830 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 70,000 miles. For brakes specifically, the median reported mileage is about 78,000 miles (322 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 47 complaints mention a crash; 13 complaints mention a fire; 28 injuries reported; 1 death reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2004 ranks 12th most-complained-about out of 30 model years of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with enough data (432 complaints in that window).
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.
Driver air bag sensor failure after impact on accident. I was driving 2004 chevy silverado truck, other driver came almost head on in my lane tried avoiding got hit on passenger side rear quarter panel,caused vehicle to spin twice due to drive shaft broke upon 1st impact,lost control of car after spinning I was on the opposite side which crashed front end to driver side of another car. Driver that hit me on 1st impact was charged with dwi and no insurance.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado 1500. While driving approximately 55 MPH on normal road conditions, the contact struck a deer crossing the road. The contact was not injured and the air bags failed to deploy. The air bag warning indicator was not illuminated on the instrument panel. The police was called to the scene and a report was filed. The vehicle sustained moderate damages and was towed to an independent mechanic for inspection. The front end of the vehicle was replaced.
My daughter and I left a restaurant and went about 200 feet to a busy intersection and I went to stop and my brake pedal went all the way to the floor no warning or anything just no brakes at all we could of both been killed a jeep was turning and I tried my best to avoid hitting him but I had no were to go and after the wreck I noticed brake fluid pouring out under the driverside door the brakes had just been changed a few months earlier and the mec never noticed rusty brake lines because it had been painted over…
Air conditioner blows hot air and then cold. Have shut down vehicle and pull battery pos. Cable to reset. Found web-site where 100s are having the same problem.
Transmission will not shift out of 1st gear. Took to shop had been told speed solenoid, replaced both, flushed tranny & changed oil. Only to find out that need a new transmission. This truck has been nothing but trouble from the minute we took the plastic of the seats. Brakes, bearings fuel lines, springs water pump etc you name it have receipts for all of it. Under warranty & after. This truck is a lemon.