2004 Chevrolet Colorado Problems, Recalls & Reliability
502 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Chevrolet Colorado, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 65/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 64,600 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2004 Chevrolet Colorado sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2009–2012, 2020–2022.
Avoid
Where 2004 sits among all Colorado years
What owners report
“I've had to replace 2 heater blower resistors due to a meltdown, this is a potential fire hazard and should be put on a recall notice. I was driving around 40 mph at the time .”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Colorado
“My 2004 colorado frame is rust through near the drive side leaf spring causing the spring to roll inward toward the center of the truck.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Colorado
“After taking my 2004 colorado to a mechanic for a brake repair he informed me i had rust so bad on the frame it created hole and he recommended i no longer drive my truck also he cannot repair the brakes and the abs sensor because of the rust. I purchase the truck 2 1/2 years ago from a chevy…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Colorado
“The frame on my 2004 Chevy Colorado has rusted/rotted to the point that it snapped, causing the bed to rub against the cab. Mechanic said it is not fixable.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Colorado
“The frame has alot of rust plus the frame is cracked and the back,the engine light is on you can not get a response from the pluging unit. Whe you to check the problem.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Colorado
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 378 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 58,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 25,530 and 100,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2011, CHEVROLET COLORADO, GMC CANYON, MODEL YEAR 2006, ISUZU I-280/I-350, AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2008, I-290/I-370, REGULAR CAB VEHICLES AND EXTENDED CAB VEHICLES WITHOUT A REAR SEAT AND EQUIPPED WITH A FRONT 60/40 SPLIT…
Fix: DEALERS WILL CUT A HOLE INTO THE BACK PANEL TRIM COVER TO ALLOW ACCESS TO THE TOP TETHER ANCHOR FOR THE FRONT CENTER SEAT POSITION AND WILL PROVIDE SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION AS TO USE IN THE OWNER'S…
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,…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 09V310000.
Technical service bulletins
614 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2004 Chevrolet Colorado. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2004 Colorado TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2004 Chevrolet Colorado reliable?
The 2004 Chevrolet Colorado drew 502 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 65/100, scored against the model's worst year (2016).
What are the most common 2004 Chevrolet Colorado problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Chevrolet Colorado are electrical (133 complaints), body & structure (62), and brakes & stability (51).
At what mileage do 2004 Chevrolet Colorado problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Chevrolet Colorado problems around 58,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 25,530 and 100,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Chevrolet Colorado have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 Chevrolet Colorado. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.