2004 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
477 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 GMC Sierra 1500, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 44/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 74,500 miles.
Below average
Where 2004 sits among all Sierra 1500 years
What owners report
“Power train pcm defective with transfer case with bad designing with shoe pump, and brake line corroded and leak. Brake system will not prevent vehicle to stop when brake lines are leak. For my 2004 i was lucky driving on slow speed on city road, and i was able to use emergency brake to stop my…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Sierra 1500
“Instrument cluster works intermittently. Speedometer, fuel gauge etc, do not work at random times. (while operating the vehicle, or not) the lights on the instrument cluster also dim, flicker, and sometimes go out completely. This particular vehicle has very low mileage, (used as a recreational…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Sierra 1500
“Consumer states: set 2 yr old son in passenger seat took keys out of seat laid in console, child stuck key in switch turned enough to turn on gears without touching braking. Talk to gm said they were designed”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Sierra 1500
“Transmission makes a clunking sound when shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear. Also, intermittnet slipping of transmission when starting to move from a full stop. Vehicle hesitates before it begins to move. This occured within the 1st 500 miles and contines to occur today.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Sierra 1500
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 384 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 56,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 33,000 and 85,000 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 FEDERAL-MOGUL NATIONAL AND CARQUEST AFTERMARKET HUB ASSEMBLIES, P/N 515058, SOLD FOR USE ON 2001-2006 GENERAL MOTORS 1500 AND 2500 4WD TRUCKS. ON THE SUBJECT HUB ASSEMBLIES, THE ABS SENSOR CORD DEPARTS FROM THE HUB ASSEMBLY AT A 90 DEGREE ANGLE. AS…
Fix: FEDERAL-MOGUL WILL NOTIFY ITS OWNERS AND WILL EITHER CREDIT THE CUSTOMERS ACCOUNT OR REPLACE THE UNIT. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JUNE 2006. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL-MOGUL CUSTOMER…
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).
ON CERTAIN VANS EQUIPPED WITH SURE-LOK WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT SYSTEMS, THE SPROCKET TEETH OF THE RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT RETRACTORS AS NECESSARY. SURE-LOK WILL HANDLE THE REPAIRS FOR THIS CAMPAIGN. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SURE-LOCK AT 1-908-231-1804 OR…
THE SPARE TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY THAT WAS PROVIDED ON CERTAIN CONVERSION VEHICLES WILL NOT FIT ON THE FRONT WHEEL HUB DUE TO OFFSET OF THE WHEEL. HOWEVER, IT WILL FIT ON THE REAR WHEELS.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SPARE WHEEL WITH THE CORRECT OFFSET. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT REGENCY AT 1-800-989-4727.
Technical service bulletins
760 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2004 GMC Sierra 1500. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2004 Sierra 1500 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 GMC Sierra 1500 reliable?
The 2004 GMC Sierra 1500 drew 477 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 44/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).
What are the most common 2004 GMC Sierra 1500 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 GMC Sierra 1500 are brakes & stability (146 complaints), electrical (131), and steering (35).
At what mileage do 2004 GMC Sierra 1500 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 GMC Sierra 1500 problems around 56,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 33,000 and 85,000 miles.
Does the 2004 GMC Sierra 1500 have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 GMC Sierra 1500. 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.