2004 Chevrolet Tahoe Problems, Recalls & Reliability
548 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 36/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 67,350 miles.
Below average
Where 2004 sits among all Tahoe years
What owners report
“Electrical panel does not work properly. Have not had a correct reading in months.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Tahoe
“Brake line rusted. Lost fluid and brakes while driving. Have been driving for 53 years. Never had this happen with any other vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Tahoe
“My2004 chevy tahoe lt was moving when the rear view mirror fell off the windshield. Also the exhaust manifold bolts have broken off which cause bad gas mileage and slow take offs.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Tahoe
“While driving i had a real bad clunking noise in my steering wheel.i took it to the victory layne chevy dealer and spent a significant amount to pay for a defective intermediate steering shaft and column bearing replaced because i was concerned about driving it. Now my instrument cluster fuel guage…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Tahoe
“2004 chevrolet tahoe . Speedometer sticks at 70 mph, then decreases to 40 mph and ultimitely falls to 0 mph even thoughthe cruise control is set at 70 mph. Other times the speedometer works fine for a while until the vehicle slows down, then it drops to 0mph, although the vehicle is moving.ak”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Tahoe
“Transmission needed to be replaced again this was number 5 not thats correct 5 (five) transmissions in this car at 130k miles.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Tahoe
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 457 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 72,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 43,000 and 108,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
CERTAIN FEDERAL-MOGUL REPLACEMENT WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLIES WITH THE BRAND NAMES: NATIONAL, CARQUEST P/NOS. 515020, 515021, 515025, 515053, 515054, 515059, AND 515060, SHIPPED BETWEEN JANUARY 23, 2006, AND DECEMBER 20, 2007, SOLD FOR LIGHT DUTY AND MEDIUM DUTY…
Fix: FEDERAL-MOGUL WILL NOTIFY CUSTOMERS AND WILL REPLACE THE HUB ASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 7, 2008. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL-MOGUL TOLL-FREE AT 877-489-6659.
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 PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE…
Fix: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
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…
Fix: 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,…
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…
Fix: 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…
Technical service bulletins
784 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
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 Tahoe reliable?
The 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe drew 548 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 36/100, scored against the model's worst year (2007).
What are the most common 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe are electrical (221 complaints), brakes & stability (87), and engine (48).
At what mileage do 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe problems around 72,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 43,000 and 108,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe. 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.