IllustrationTACHOMETER & SPEEDOMETER FAILURE AT LOW TEMPERATURES
2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Silverado 2500 years
Owner complaints for the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 81.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Silverado 2500 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
240–25K
5525–50K
9250–75K
6475–100K
72100–150K
29150K+
336 reports with mileage · 32 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 105 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 99 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 68 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
19 crash reports10 fire reports8 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
105 reports2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500HD PICKUP THAT CAUGHT FIRE CUSTOMER STATES THAT HE WAS DRIVING WHEN HE BEGAN TO SMELL SMOKE AND THEN NOTICED THAT SPARKS WERE COMING FROM THE FRONT WHEEL**CC THE VEHICLE BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THERE WAS NO CAUSE OF THE FIRE. *JB
THE SPEEDOMETER WORKS INTERMITTENTLY AND I FOUND MYSELF GOING FASTER THAN THE SPEEDOMETER REGISTERED. GOING AROUND A TURN I WAS FORCED INTO THE OTHER LANE OF TRAFFIC DO TO THE EXCESSIVE SPEED. *JB
THE SPEEDOMETER IN MY 2004 SILVERADO HAS STARTED TO MALFUNCTION. IT DOES NOT SHOW THE SPEED OF THE TRUCK ON ANY CONSISTENT BASIS. IT WILL START OUT AT 30 MPH AND INCREASE CORRECTLY THEN RESET IT SELF 60 MPH ANDTHE LOWEST POINT. IT IS DANGEROUS. I RESEARCHED SEVERAL ONLINE DISCUSSION BOARDS AND THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS OUT T…
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THE SPEEDOMETER IN MY 2004 SILVERADO HAS STARTED TO MALFUNCTION. IT DOES NOT SHOW THE SPEED OF THE TRUCK ON ANY CONSISTENT BASIS. IT WILL START OUT AT 30 MPH AND INCREASE CORRECTLY THEN RESET IT SELF 60 MPH ANDTHE LOWEST POINT. IT IS DANGEROUS. I RESEARCHED SEVERAL ONLINE DISCUSSION BOARDS AND THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS OUT THERE. MY DEALERSHIP WANTS $600 DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND THE TRUCK WILL NOT BE DRIVABLE FOR AT LEAST A WEEK WHILE A NEW CLUSTER IS PROGRAMMED WITH MY MILEAGE AT THE FACTORY. THIS LENDS ITSELF TO MANY PEOPLE NOT WANTING TO GET THE CLUSTER FIXED AND LEADING TO SAFETY ISSUES. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD INDICATE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 35 MPH WHEN IT WAS IDLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT WITH THE ELECTRONIC SPEEDOMETERS. THE DEALER DID NOT PERFORM THE REPAIR. THE C…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD INDICATE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 35 MPH WHEN IT WAS IDLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT WITH THE ELECTRONIC SPEEDOMETERS. THE DEALER DID NOT PERFORM THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE REAR DOOR LOCKS ARE INOPERABLE. THE DEALER HAS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 53,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000.
SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER BECAME ERRATIC, THEN FAILED COMPLETELY. AFTER RESEARCHING, I FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON IN CHEVROLET / GMC TRUCKS. IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PART AND THAT CHEVROLET / GMC IS AWARE OF IT. MY LOCAL DEALER WANTS $500.00, A COST THAT CHEVROLET SHOULD PAY. *TR
THE TACHOMETER REGISTERS INCORRECTLY. THE RPM INDICATOR WILL ONLY ADVANCE. WITH THE ENGINE OFF, IT REGISTERS 5,000 RPMS. ALSO, THE SPEEDOMETER OPERATES ERRATICALLY. AT TIMES IT INDICATES A LOWER SPEED THAN ACTUAL OR NO SPEED AT ALL. NONE OF THESE MAY BE A SAFETY HAZARD, BUT IT MAKES COMPLIANCE WITH POSTED SPEED LIMITS DIFFICULT.…
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THE TACHOMETER REGISTERS INCORRECTLY. THE RPM INDICATOR WILL ONLY ADVANCE. WITH THE ENGINE OFF, IT REGISTERS 5,000 RPMS. ALSO, THE SPEEDOMETER OPERATES ERRATICALLY. AT TIMES IT INDICATES A LOWER SPEED THAN ACTUAL OR NO SPEED AT ALL. NONE OF THESE MAY BE A SAFETY HAZARD, BUT IT MAKES COMPLIANCE WITH POSTED SPEED LIMITS DIFFICULT. *JB
SPEEDOMETER WORKING ERRATICALLY. STAYS ON ZERO, OR READS LOWER THAN CORRECT SPEED. IT STARTED WORKING SPORADICALLY ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO, SOMETIMES WORKS, AND SOMETIMES DOESN'T. CURRENT MILEAGE 38290. *TR
TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 C2500 CHEVROLET PICKUP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER HADN'T BEEN WORKING FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS. THE SPEEDOMETER WAS STUCK AT 25 MPH, EVEN THOUGH THE ODOMETER WAS REGISTERING THE MILEAGE CORRECTLY. THE PROBLEM ORIGINATED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE VEHICLE WAS PART OF A CONSTRUCTI…
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TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 C2500 CHEVROLET PICKUP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER HADN'T BEEN WORKING FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS. THE SPEEDOMETER WAS STUCK AT 25 MPH, EVEN THOUGH THE ODOMETER WAS REGISTERING THE MILEAGE CORRECTLY. THE PROBLEM ORIGINATED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE VEHICLE WAS PART OF A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY'S FLEET WHICH INCLUDED CHEVROLET PICK-UP TRUCKS FROM 2003 - 2005. SEVEN OUT OF THE 40 TRUCKS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE SPEEDOMETER FAILING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,118.*AK CONSUMER STATES A 20% FAILURE RATE ON SPEEDOMETER STICKING. UPDATE *4/23/07 TR
SPEEDOMETER ON 2004 CHEVY SILVERADO HAS FAILED. SAFETY HAZARD. *JB
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.