The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway, he poured oil into the oil reservoir, and then placed the key into the ignition switch to turn on the vehicle when the air bags unexpectedly deployed without warning. The steering wheel air bag hit the contact's face and knocked him to the ground. The contact suffered cuts to his cheek, below his eye, and neck, as well as soreness to his neck, face, and back. The contact stated his left ear was ringing and he could not hear; however, no medical attention was received. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 173,000.
The worst 2004 Chevrolet Silverado problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes211
- Electrical159
- Transmission49
- Steering44
- Airbags31
- Engine31
- Body25
- Acceleration23
- Fuel system22
- Suspension21
- Tires21
- Visibility18
- Lights9
- Seats6
- Wheels4
- Seat belts3
- Locks2
- Driver assistance1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado
Brake failure 65Harsh shifting 19ABS 17No deployment 17Headlights 10Jerking 9Stalling 9Steering noise 9Adaptive cruise 8Loss of power 8Airbag light 7Knocking 7Fire or smoke 7Overheating 7Slipping 7Tire blowout 7Check engine light 6Fuel gauge 6Spongy pedal 6Fuel pump 5
Recalls 8
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- Certain vehicles originally built with cloth seats that were equipped with an automatic air bag passenger sensing system and later reupholstered with aftermarket leather seat cover kits are involved. Testing has indicated that the aftermarket leather seat covers can cause the passenger sensing system to malfunction.
- Risk
- If the passenger sensing system malfunctions, the front air bag on the passenger side may be disabled when it should be enabled, or enabled when it should be disabled. In either case, in the event of a crash that requires air bag deployment, a front passenger's level of injury may be increased.
- Remedy
- Because a replacement leather seat cover that is compatible with the passenger sensing system is not available, general motors (gm) will repurchase these vehicles in accordance with the terms stated in gm's letter to owners. The recall began on november 6, 2006. Owners should contact gm at 1‑877‑477‑1022 to begin the process of repurchasing their vehicle.
Recall number 06V417000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain trucks equipped with an 8.1l v8 (rpo l8-VIN g) engine have a condition in which the engine fuel rail pulse damper retainer clip may fracture resulting in inadequate retention of the damper.
- Risk
- If the damper comes loose, a fuel leak may result. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the engine fuel rail pulse damper retainer clip free of charge. The recall began on august 31, 2006. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 and gmc trucks at 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 06V289000 · Recall details
Parking brake
- What is wrong
- On certain pickup trucks equipped with manual transmissions and built with either pbr parking brake systems or trw parking brake systems, the parking brake friction linings may wear to an extent where the parking brake can become ineffective in immobilizing a parked vehicle.
- Risk
- If the parking brake does not hold, unintended vehicle movement could occur, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a low-force spring clip retainer for vehicles equipped with a pbr parking brake system. On vehicles equipped with the trw parking brake system, dealers will install a redesigned parking brake cable assembly. The recall began on july 29, 2005. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 or gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 05V161000 · Recall details
Seat belts: rear/other
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 05V163000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 05V043000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: anchorage
- What is wrong
- Certain extended and regular cab pickup trucks and cargo vans converted to compressed natural gas (cng) fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, 'child restraint anchorage systems.' these vehicles have one seating position, the center rear seat, equipped with child restraint lower anchorages.
- Risk
- The standard requires child seat lower anchorages in two seating positions for vehicles with three rear seating positions. The standard cab and cargo van vehicles, which only have front seating positions, have an air bag off switch to disable the front passenger air bag and do not have child restraint lower anchorages in the passenger seat. The standard requires passenger seat child seat lower anchorages in vehicles with an air bag off switch. However, the standard does not require vehicles with only front seating positions to have lower anchorage provisions if the vehicle is not equipped with an air bag off switch.
- Remedy
- To bring the standard cab and cargo van vehicles into compliance, dealers will inject epoxy into the air bag off switch to prevent air bag activation, relocate the switch behind the instrument panel and then install a cover over the resulting opening. The sun visor label and owner's manual will also be changed. The correction for the extended cab vehicle will consist of changing the front passenger seat to a seat that has child restraint lower anchorages. The recall began on september 9, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 or gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 04V225000 · Recall details
Structure: body: tailgate: hinge and attachments
- What is wrong
- On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the galvanized steel tailgate support cables that retain the tailgate in the full open (horizontal) position may corrode, weaken, and eventually fracture. If both cables fractured, the tailgate would suddenly drop and strike the top surface of the rear bumper.
- Risk
- Anyone sitting or standing on the horizontal surface of the tailgate when both cables fractured could be injured by falling from the tailgate. On vehicles that have had the bumper removed, the tailgate may drop even lower. Additionally, if there is cargo on the tailgate the cargo may fall off if the support cables fracture.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the cables. Interim owner notification began on april 7, 20004. The recall began on september 24, 2004, when replacement parts were available, and will continue through october 29, 2004. Owners should contact cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339, chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 or gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463, or visit www.mygmlink.com, and enter your vehicle identification number.
Recall number 04V129000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 04V045000 · Recall details
See all 8 recalls for the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado
Defect investigations
Hydraulic pump failres
Gm is conducting a recall on all subject vehicles build between may 1999 and october 14, 1999.significant changes were incorporated into production in early october 1999, and vehicles built after that date have lower warranty failure rates.the complaint and warranty data appear to support the effectiveness of these changes. Gm made additional changes in november 1999, february 2000, may 2001, and february 2004.odi will continue to monitor this problem and will take further action, if warranted, in the future.for further technical details see the attached engineering analysis report.
EA04012
Technical service bulletins for the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 578
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This technical bulletin provides a procedure to lube the rear leaf springs on vehicles with the condition...
- Structure: body: tailgate
- Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkages
- Equipment: electrical
- This informational bulletin provides information on Part Restriction and Ordering Process Information for...
- This informational bulletin provides information on close coupled converters and there affect on newly...
- This informational bulletin provides information to advise dealers about seat belt buckles not operating...
- This informational bulletin provides technicians with information regarding automatic transmission oil...
- This informational bulletin provides dealership personnel with information on flexible fuel vehicles...
- This informational bulletin provides information on a GM of Canada OnStar® cellular communication upgrade.
2004 Chevrolet Silverado fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3L 8‑cyl Hybrid | RWD | 16 | 19 | 17 |
| 4.3L 6‑cyl | RWD | 14 | 19 | 16 |
| 4.8L 8‑cyl | RWD | 14-15 | 19 | 16 |
| 5.3L 8‑cyl | RWD | 13-14 | 18 | 15-16 |
| 5.3L 8‑cyl Hybrid | 4WD | 15 | 17 | 16 |
| 4.3L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 13 | 17 | 15 |
| 4.8L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 13 | 16-17 | 14-15 |
| 5.3L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 12-13 | 16-17 | 14-15 |
What 2004 Chevrolet Silverado owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Brake failure today on chevy siverado. Driving 55 MPH on highway. The car ahead of me slowed and I braked. Peddle went to the floor without stopping vehical. Was able to come to stop and could see rusted brake lines by driver door. Had wife press brake peddle to see fluid sraying from rusted area. Had zero braking power when first went out
Rear brake line blew when trying to apply brakes. No indicator lights or anything pedal just went straight to the floor. Had to swerve off the road into an embankment to avoid a collision at a red light! Mechanic said that all my brake lines were rusted and it was just a matter of time before another one was to fail.
Instrument panel/cluster is no longer functioning. Speedometer, tachometer, oil pressure gauge and so on are erratic and giving false readings. Dealer is not willing to assist. Please advise, rc, esquire.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the brakes suddenly failed and the driver lost control of the vehicle. As a result, the contact crashed into a ditch. The contact indicated that when depressing the brake pedal, it extended to the floorboard. The independent mechanic examined the vehicle and discovered that brake lines had rusted. The contact also discovered that the frame, the rocker panels and the tailgate hinges had also rusted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado. The contact heard an abnormal noise coming from the driver seat. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the ECM box was damaged and needed replacement. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The contact also stated that the same failure occurred in december of 2015. The approximate failure mileage was 78,344.
I was driving on rt.7 in schenectady ny, speed was around 35mph, traffic signal changed to red, as I was appling the brakes the peddal suddenly went to the floor, lucky for me there were no cars in front of me, or in the intersection. My truck did envetually stop, but it was after passing thru the intersection. The red light on the dash did not come on till the brakes failed. Further inspection revealed main brake line to the rear wheels blew due to rust.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado. The contact stated that the instrument panel would not illuminate at night to display pertinent information, such as the speedometer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 277,638.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet silverado equipped with yokohama geolandar a/t-s tires, size: lt215/85r16 (na). The contact stated that the tires failed to pass an inspection because the tread was too thin. The tires were not diagnosed or replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate vehicle failure mileage was 144,322 and the tire failure mileage was 25,000.
Brakes failed suddenly due to severely corroded brake lines. Brake pedal was slightly mushy at stop sign coming off of freeway. At the next stop sign (3-way intersection on 55-MPH county highway) the pedal went right to the floor. Fortunately there was nobody in the intersection or a serious accident may have occurred. Apparently gm's position is that brake lines are maintenance item, and this is normal wear and tear, which is ridiculous. I've owned older vehicles (including a nearly 50-year old chevrolet truck) in snow country and have never seen brake lines this rusty. I am very fortunate the rupture did not occur in an emergency braking situation.
Compare the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado
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Questions about the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado
Is the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado reliable?
Owners have filed 622 complaints about the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado, 5.0 times a typical Silverado model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado year score?
The 2004 Chevrolet Silverado scores 11 out of 100 (poor). The score compares it with the other model years of the Chevrolet Silverado: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado?
Brakes, with 211 complaints, typically around 68,000 miles. Next is electrical (159).
How many recalls does the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado have?
8 recalls, covering air bags, engine and engine cooling and parking brake.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado brakes?
Yes, 3 recalls: 05V161000, 05V043000, 04V045000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Chevrolet Silverado have bad brakes?
The Chevrolet Silverado model years with the most brakes complaints are 1999 (1,003 complaints), 2000 (607 complaints) and 2001 (418 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado get?
Official estimates for the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado range from 14 to 17 mpg combined. The most efficient version (5.3L 8-cyl hybrid, RWD) gets 16 city and 19 highway.
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