2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
431 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 83/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 80,619 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1997–1999, 2009, 2012–2014, 2017–2018, 2021.
Avoid
Where 2004 sits among all Silverado 2500 years
What owners report
“2004 chevrolet silverado 2500hd has severly rusted brake lines and rotors which could lead to brake failure. Brake lines should not rust away in a few years and only 11000 miles”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Silverado 2500
“I own a 04 chevrolet 2500 hd. A couple of months ago my speedometer got stuck on 10 mph when i was stopped. To this day it is still no working properly showing any where from 20-40 mph when i'm stopped. This results in inaccurate readings while driving. The problem still exists today.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Silverado 2500
“Exhaust manifold bolts breaking off. Almost everyone i know is having this problem with the v8 gm engines. Leads to exhaust leaks, sensor failures and bad catalytic converters- thus failing emissions testing. Hard and expensive to fix.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Silverado 2500
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 390 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 75,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 50,000 and 107,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18, 2005, THROUGH MARCH 21, 2006, SOLD FOR…
Fix: HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION 1).
CERTAIN FABTECH AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENT PITMAN ARMS, P/NOS. FTS71000 AND FTS71001, INSTALLED FOR USE ON CERTAIN 2001-2006 GM C/K 2500 PICK UP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THE PIN LOCATED INSIDE THE PITMAN ARM CAN SHEAR OFF DUE TO A REVERSE BENDING…
Fix: FABTECH WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE PITMAN AND IDLER ARMS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING FEBRUARY 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FABTECH AT 909-597-7800.
Technical service bulletins
427 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2004 Silverado 2500 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 Silverado 2500 reliable?
The 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 drew 431 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 83/100, scored against the model's worst year (2003).
What are the most common 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 are brakes & stability (173 complaints), electrical (107), and engine (37).
At what mileage do 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems around 75,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 50,000 and 107,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. 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.