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2004 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Suburban 1500 years

Owner complaints for the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 53.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

167 reports with mileage · 15 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 84 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports4 fire reports2 injury reports

What owners actually said

182 reports
198,000 miles · Jul 4, 2013
Electrical System

THE ENTIRE CONTROL PANEL ON THE DASH WILL GO OUT INCLUDING: SPEEDOMETER, RPM, GAS, OIL, ETC. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE MESSAGE CENTER, INCLUDING THE ODOMETER, IS BLANK ALSO. AT FIRST THIS HAPPENED PERIODICALLY UPON STARTING UP THE VEHICLE IT WOULD NOT COME ON BUT WOULD COME OWN A FEW MINUTES AFTER DRIVING. THEN IT STARTED NOT COMI…

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THE ENTIRE CONTROL PANEL ON THE DASH WILL GO OUT INCLUDING: SPEEDOMETER, RPM, GAS, OIL, ETC. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE MESSAGE CENTER, INCLUDING THE ODOMETER, IS BLANK ALSO. AT FIRST THIS HAPPENED PERIODICALLY UPON STARTING UP THE VEHICLE IT WOULD NOT COME ON BUT WOULD COME OWN A FEW MINUTES AFTER DRIVING. THEN IT STARTED NOT COMING ON AT ALL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10523175

98,981 miles · Jun 12, 2013
Electrical System

SPEEDOMETER READS THAT I'M GOING FASTER THAN I AM. I CANNOT TELL HOW FAST I AM GOING. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OFF IT REGISTERS 10MPH. THIS CONCERNS ME GREATLY SINCE THIS IS MY ONLY VEHICLE AND I HAVE THREE CHILDREN THAT RIDE WITH ME EVERYWHERE I GO. I RESEARCHED THIS ON THE INTERNET HAVE FOUND MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE SPEEDOMETER ON …

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SPEEDOMETER READS THAT I'M GOING FASTER THAN I AM. I CANNOT TELL HOW FAST I AM GOING. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OFF IT REGISTERS 10MPH. THIS CONCERNS ME GREATLY SINCE THIS IS MY ONLY VEHICLE AND I HAVE THREE CHILDREN THAT RIDE WITH ME EVERYWHERE I GO. I RESEARCHED THIS ON THE INTERNET HAVE FOUND MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE SPEEDOMETER ON THIS VEHICLE. SHOULD BE A RECALL. THIS IS DANGEROUS!!!! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10519536

91,000 miles · Jun 2, 2013
Steering

IT MAKES A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10514721

157,000 miles · May 20, 2013
Power Train

THE VEHICLE IS A 4WD SUBURBAN 1500. WITH 2 WD DRIVE SELECTED AND DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS FROM 5 MPH TO 60 MPH THE VEHICLE WILL GO INTO NEUTRAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED 7 OR 8 TIMES. EACH TIME WAS IN TRAFFIC WHICH REQUIRED ILLUMINATING EMERGENCY FLASHERS AND PULLING TO SIDE OF ROAD. EVERY TIME PRESENTED A SAFETY ISSUE AND WAS FOR…

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THE VEHICLE IS A 4WD SUBURBAN 1500. WITH 2 WD DRIVE SELECTED AND DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS FROM 5 MPH TO 60 MPH THE VEHICLE WILL GO INTO NEUTRAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED 7 OR 8 TIMES. EACH TIME WAS IN TRAFFIC WHICH REQUIRED ILLUMINATING EMERGENCY FLASHERS AND PULLING TO SIDE OF ROAD. EVERY TIME PRESENTED A SAFETY ISSUE AND WAS FORTUNATE IT DIDN'T CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. ON ONE OCCASION I HAD JUST PASSED A SEMI ON THE INTERSTATE AND HAD JUST PULLED BACK INTO TRUCKS LANE WHEN IT OCCURRED. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DETECT A PROBLEM. THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR REMAINS IN "DRIVE", THE DASH SELECTOR REMAINS ILLUMINATED IN 2WD AND I GET NO MESSAGES ON INSTRUMENT PANEL MESSAGE CENTER. TO TROUBLESHOOT I SELECTED "AUTO 4 WD" ON DASH SELECTOR AND OPERATED FOR A WEEK WITH NO PROBLEM. I THEN SELECTED 2 WD AND THE PROBLEM REAPPEARED WITHIN 2 HOURS OF OPERATION. ONCE I STOPPED, I SELECTED 1,2,3 AND R ON GEAR SELECTOR WITH NO EFFECT. SELECTED NEUTRAL AND TURNED IGNITION OFF AND THEN RESTARTED WITH NO EFFECT (ON PREVIOUS OCCASION I HAD SELECTED PARK WITH VEHICLE RUNNING AND NOTICED A GEAR GRINDING NOISE SO DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN WITH ENGINE RUNNING). TURNED IGNITION OFF WITH GEAR SELECTOR IN NEUTRAL AND SELECTED AUTO 4 WD AND THEN RESTARTED ENGINE WHICH TOOK CARE OF PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10512806

138,000 miles · Jan 25, 2013
Service BrakesService Brakes, Hydraulic

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH AND DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE BRAKES WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE CONTACT APPLIED EXCESSIVE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL BEFORE THE VEHICLE RESPONDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE TH…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH AND DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE BRAKES WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE CONTACT APPLIED EXCESSIVE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL BEFORE THE VEHICLE RESPONDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE HYDRO BOOST WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE BRAKE FLUID AND POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V043000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 138,000. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10494741

106,000 miles · Nov 5, 2012
Service Brakes

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR BOARD. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY PUT HIS EMERGENCY BRAKES ON TO AVOID A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MAN…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR BOARD. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY PUT HIS EMERGENCY BRAKES ON TO AVOID A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 106,000. ..UPDATED 03/18/13 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER BEFORE AND AFTER THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONSUMER HAS PICTURES AND OLD PARTS. UPDATED 04/02/2013 *JS

NHTSA ODI #10483337

85,000 miles · Aug 22, 2012
Power Train

WHEN DRIVING IT WILL TRY AND ENGAGE THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE LOW. IT HAPPENED A YEAR AGO AND THEN AGAIN THIS WEEK. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10471842

50,135 miles · May 7, 2012
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

DRIVING ON SMALL RESIDENTIAL STREET. AS I APPROACHED A STOP SIGN I APPLIED BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I STEERED INTO THE CURB TO STOP VEHICLE. WHEN I STOPPED SHAKING I CALLED MY HUSBAND AND HE CAME WITH A FRIEND WHO IS A MECHANIC. WHEN THEY RAISED THE HOOD THEY SAW BRAKE FLUID EVERYWHERE. WHEN WE GOT THE CAR HOME…

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DRIVING ON SMALL RESIDENTIAL STREET. AS I APPROACHED A STOP SIGN I APPLIED BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I STEERED INTO THE CURB TO STOP VEHICLE. WHEN I STOPPED SHAKING I CALLED MY HUSBAND AND HE CAME WITH A FRIEND WHO IS A MECHANIC. WHEN THEY RAISED THE HOOD THEY SAW BRAKE FLUID EVERYWHERE. WHEN WE GOT THE CAR HOME AND INSPECTED IT FURTHER THE MECHANIC WAS HORRIFIED TO SEE THAT EVERYTHING UNDER THERE WAS CORRODED AND RUSTED. INCLUDING BUSHINGS GAS LINES, NUTS AND BOLTS ETC. HE CLAIMED HE HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT IN HIS LIFE. THIS IS THE THIRD SUBURBAN I HAVE OWNED AND I AM VERY UPSET THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN. I WAS ALL SET TO HAVE MY 20 YR OLD SON TAKE THIS UP TO SCHOOL SO HE COULD MOVE OUT OF HIS DORM. HE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10457723

130,000 miles · May 1, 2012
Service Brakes

THE STEEL BRAKE LINE FAILED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE BELOW THE DOOR. *JS

NHTSA ODI #10457087

84,905 miles · Mar 27, 2012
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINES FRACTURED WHILE THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED ON THE HIGHWAY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,905 AND THE C…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINES FRACTURED WHILE THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED ON THE HIGHWAY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,905 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,049. UPDATED 5/7/12 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED HER HUSBAND DISCOVERED THE FRONT BRAKE LINE HAD RUPTURED. THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE BRAKE LINE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT NEAR THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT WHEEL AND THE BRAKE LINE WAS SEVERELY CORRODED. UPDATED 05/25/12

NHTSA ODI #10453242

Official recalls

0

No 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.