One day, after I turned my truck off, I noticed that my taillights and overhead cargo light remained on. Key was out, truck was off, but the lights stayed on. So for the time being, I disconnected the battery. I brought it to a mechanic, who ran the codes that came back that the rear driver turn signal was high, the rear passenger turn signal was high, and the overhead cargo light was high. He checked the entire truck for a short, replaced the taillights, replaced the fuse box, replaced the body control module, and numerous other attempts at a repair, with no success. I was without a vehicle for many months, since I can't afford the absurd prices of the current vehicle market and was hopeful it could be fixed. Reading through some other complaints/online threads, this seems like a fairly common problem with these vehicles. Electrical issues that affect my ability to use a turn signal are a huge safety concern and this needs to be addressed.
2004 Chevrolet Colorado lights problems
43 complaints (12% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 47,500.
- owner complaints
- 43
- of this car's complaints
- 12%
- typical mileage
- 47,500
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 2
Which part fails
- Brake lights: switch25
- Brake lights3
- Tail lights1
- Headlights1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Chevrolet Colorado lights problems in other years
Related recalls
Exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
- What is wrong
- Gm is recalling 185,903 model year 2004-2009 colorado, gmc model year 2009-2004 canyon, model year 2006 I-280, I-350, model year 2007-2008 I-290, and I-370, passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of alabama, arizona, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, nevada, new mexico, puerto rico, south carolina, texas, u.s. Virgin islands and utah. Some of these vehicles have a brake lamp switch that may not work as designed due to contamination in the switch.
- Risk
- This condition could cause the simultaneous loss of all brake lamps or cause all of the brake lamps to stay on continuously. Both of these conditions could fail to warn others of the driver's intentions and could lead to a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the necessary components as specified in the recall bulletin free of charge. Gm anticipates that parts will be available by june 2010. A special coverage for vehicles registered in all other states will be implemented in the same time frame. In the interim, owners who experience the failure can obtain a free repair, however they will be required to return when the new design part becomes available. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463, isuzu at 1‑800‑255‑6727 or at www.gmownercenter.com.
Recall number 09V310000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
- What is wrong
- Certain pickup trucks may experience the permanent loss of brake lamp function or brake lamps that are illuminated at all times. The center high-mounted stop lamp (chmsl) is affected in both instances. Also, if equipped, the cruise control will become inoperative. Any trailer brake lamps which are connected to the vehicle's brake lamp wiring will mimic the vehicle's brake lamps when either condition occurs.
- Risk
- A following driver may not know when the brakes have been applied, and a rear-end crash could occur without prior warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the brake lamp switch assembly. The recall began on december 5, 2006. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438; gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463 or isuzu at 1‑800‑255‑6727.
Recall number 06V139000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Brake lamp switch malfunction
On july 28,2009, gm initiated a regional recall campaign on certain model year (my) 2004-2009 chevrolet colorado and gmc canyon vehicles and my2006-2008 isuzu I-series vehicles.the states and u.s. Territories involved are al, az, fl, ga, hi, la, ms, nv, nm, pr, sc, tx, vi and ut.a total of 185,903 vehicles will be recalled with 92,272 vehicles within the scope of this investigation.in addition, a special coverage/extended warranty program will be initiated forvehicles registered in all other states. Gm determined that brake lamp switch failures are more likely to occur in vehicles in which customers used interior cleaners containing silicon and that reside in hot geographical locations.brake lamp switch contamination failure can cause loss of the brake lamps or the brake lamps to stay on continuously, increasing the risk of rear-end crashes.gm has reported no crashes or injuries due to the failure of the brake lamp switch.odi initially reported one crash incident, but later downgraded the report due to the absence of actual property damage or cost incurred when the vehicle was lightly tapped from behind at low speed.this investigation is closed (see recall campaign 09v0310).
RQ09001
What 2004 Chevrolet Colorado owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Wires in the harness which pass from cab to left rear door break. The break disables the seat belt lock up mechanism. A broken wire causes the air bag readiness light to illuminate. The door open and close switch is inoperable. The left rear stereo speaker does not work.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet colorado. While operating the vehicle, it was discovered that the brake lights would not illuminate when the brake pedal was depressed. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 76,000.
My cruise control and my rear driver's side top tail light went out a week or so ago. Today, my stop lights stopped working completely, including the 3rd brake light. I was almost rear ended and another driver informed me that my brake lights didn't work. After researching the issue, I discovered that the problems I'm experiencing are related to 2 switches above my brake pedal-the stop lamp switch and the brake cruise release switch.I called the chevy recall hotline and provided my VIN #. The girl lacy informed me there wasn't a recall for my vehicle and that they would do nothing to help me get the problem resolved. I've seen numerous reports online of other people with the same issue being denied as well. The reference # to my call is [xxx]. I believe this to be an extreme safety hazard and would like chevy to cover the cost of the repair and any accidents I may get into as a result of this problem.thank you. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr*jb
The brake light switch has failed multiple times. It was covered twice under a recall. Switches only last 1.5-2 years. There is no warning or dash light when they go out. I have almost been rear ended twice. Happened again april 13, 2015. I drove it straight to the dealer when I found out in traffic. I knew it was the brake switch again and the dealer confirmed. The dealer called gm to see if they would cover the replacement. They refused. The dealer gave me a discount as they know it is an issue and charged me $87 to change. This is the second time I have had to pay. He gave me this number to call but that was no use as they refused last time. 800‑222‑1020. Most concerning to me is the lack of concern by gm to fix a know safety issue in the brake and light system. Someone probably has or will be seriously injured or killed. They need to come up with a comprehensive fix and at a minimum continue covering failures under warranty. Not fixing the design problem then making money charging people is not right. The dealer who did the work last time is five star chevy in dallas, tx. Craig greene was the representative who tried to help me with gm if you need to contact him. Dealer tried but gm did not take ownership for their product.
As I was driving I noticed my speed control wasn't working. Once I arrived at my destination I researched this issue online and found that others also had problems with the brake lights when this happened. So, I went out to check my brake lights and they are non responsive.
The dashboard lights will stop working if your driving at night and turn the car off and then turn it back on. They will not work until the car sits for a long period of time. This started soon after buying the car brand new, but the dealership couldn't find anything wrong. Second complaint, the heater/air conditioner fan had an electrical fire at where the harness plugs into the fan motor. The fan will only work on high. When I looked online at other complaints about the same problem, I unplugged the fan and noticed the plug was burnt. I have photos that I can send. It appeared the electrical fire continued down the plastic plug to where the wires are exposed. This could have been a major incident if I didn't notice it. There are a lot of complaints about this with colorado trucks online. Also when driving at night, my dash lights and instrument lights flicker as if there is another electrical short somewhere in the wiring harness.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet colorado. The contact stated that the recall remedy was performed two years ago under the federal safety agency campaign id number: 09v310000 (exterior lighting:brake lights:switch). The contact stated that for the first time since the remedy was performed, the brake warning light illuminated upon starting the engine. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted and they stated that the recall expired. The failure mileage was 140,000 and the current mileage was 143,000.
Dashboard lights randomly go off or flicker. The A/C and heater/defroster blower stops working randomly or for an entire day at a time only to work the next day and then quit again. The A/C heating fan blower does not work on speeds 1,2, or 3, only on speed 4. I have had the wiring harness replaced numerous times only to have the problem continue again. The mechanics never can seem to find the problem until we get to the harness where there is always a burned wire. They replace it and just like this last replacement, within the week the problems returned.
Intermittent non working power door locks wipers headlights and windows! There are hundreds of these incidents posted online. There looks to be thousands of dollars in repairs with no solution!
Questions about the 2004 Chevrolet Colorado lights
Does the 2004 Chevrolet Colorado have lights problems?
Owners have filed 43 complaints about the lights of the 2004 Chevrolet Colorado, 12% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2004 Chevrolet Colorado lights problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 47,500 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Chevrolet Colorado lights?
Yes, 2 recalls: 09V310000, 06V139000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Chevrolet Colorado have the most lights problems?
The Chevrolet Colorado model years with the most lights complaints are 2005 (49 complaints), 2004 (43 complaints) and 2006 (30 complaints).
Other 2004 Chevrolet Colorado problems
Electrical 88Body 61Brakes 52Suspension 35Engine 30Airbags 29Transmission 27Visibility 26Tires 18Locks 15Acceleration 13Fuel system 12Steering 6Driver assistance 3Wheels 3Seat belts 2Seats 2
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2004 Chevrolet Colorado?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history