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2004 GMC Sierra 1500

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2004 GMC Sierra 1500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 181.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

186 reports with mileage · 26 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 81 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

8 crash reports1 fire reports4 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

81 reports
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17,377 miles · Feb 17, 2007
Electrical SystemSteeringVisibility

1 SPEEDOMETER REGISTERING 120 SITTING STILL ( REPLACED CLUSTER). 2 WIPERS WOULD NOT SHUT OFF ( REPLACED WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD) 3. KNOCK IN COLUMN ( REPLACED INTERMEDIATE SHAFT). *NM

NHTSA ODI #10182868

75,000 miles · Feb 7, 2007
Electrical SystemSteering

I HAVE A 2004 GMC SIERRA EXT. CAB TRUCK WITH ABOUT 70K MILES ON IT. IN THE PAST WEEK, THE SPEEDOMETER STARTED READING HIGHER THAN 120 MPH WHILE DRIVING. I WAS ONLY DOING AROUND 50 MPH. WHEN STOPPED IT READS AROUND 60 MPH. I CAN START AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE SEVERAL TIMES AND THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE WILL DROP AROUND 10 MPH EAC…

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I HAVE A 2004 GMC SIERRA EXT. CAB TRUCK WITH ABOUT 70K MILES ON IT. IN THE PAST WEEK, THE SPEEDOMETER STARTED READING HIGHER THAN 120 MPH WHILE DRIVING. I WAS ONLY DOING AROUND 50 MPH. WHEN STOPPED IT READS AROUND 60 MPH. I CAN START AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE SEVERAL TIMES AND THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE WILL DROP AROUND 10 MPH EACH TIME IT STARTS. WHEN IT GETS TO 0, IT WILL READ FINE FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND THEN GRADUALLY START CLIMBING UP PAST 120 MPH AGAIN. 2ND COMPLAINT. AROUND EVERY 20K TO 25K MILES, I HAVE TO TAKE THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER AND HAVE A NEW STEERING COLUMN GREASE PACKING KIT INSTALLED BECAUSE THE STEERING COLUMN STARTS KNOCKING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRST 2 TIMES IT WAS DONE WAS UNDER WARRANTY, NOW THE WARRANTY IS UP AND IT NEEDS ANOTHER PACKING DONE. THE DEALER WANTS ME TO PAY FOR THIS ONE. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE I BOUGHT THE TRUCK BRAND NEW. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10181861

37,000 miles · Feb 3, 2007
Electrical System

MY GMC SIERRA CREW CAB K1500 Z-71 SPEEDOMETER BEGAN MALFUNCTIONING AROUND 37,000 MILES. IT WILL STICK AT 0, OR SOMETIMES AT 20 OR 50. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND GETS BETTER SOMETIMES IF I STOP AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE. NOW VOLT METER IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD, SINCE I CAN'T TELL THE MPH THAT I AM …

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MY GMC SIERRA CREW CAB K1500 Z-71 SPEEDOMETER BEGAN MALFUNCTIONING AROUND 37,000 MILES. IT WILL STICK AT 0, OR SOMETIMES AT 20 OR 50. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND GETS BETTER SOMETIMES IF I STOP AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE. NOW VOLT METER IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD, SINCE I CAN'T TELL THE MPH THAT I AM DRIVING. I REGULARLY CARRY MY 2 SMALL SONS AND THIS IS QUITE SCARY. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH MANY GM PRODUCTS THIS AGE. GENERAL MOTORS HAS A MAJOR PROBLEM HERE ! *NM

NHTSA ODI #10181511

Mileage unknown · Feb 2, 2007
Electrical System

I HAVE A 2004 GMC SIERRA Z71, AND THE SPEEDOMETER HAS BEGUN TO PERFORM ERRATICALLY. IT NO LONGER RETURNS TO 0 WHILE STOPPED, AND NEVER GOES BELOW 35 MPH. THIS HAS JUST BEGUN, AND APPARENTLY JUDGING BY THE NUMBER OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS (OVER 350 IN ONE FORUM ALONE) I HAVE FOUND ON WEB FORUMS THIS IS A VERY WELL KNOWN PROBLEM TO …

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I HAVE A 2004 GMC SIERRA Z71, AND THE SPEEDOMETER HAS BEGUN TO PERFORM ERRATICALLY. IT NO LONGER RETURNS TO 0 WHILE STOPPED, AND NEVER GOES BELOW 35 MPH. THIS HAS JUST BEGUN, AND APPARENTLY JUDGING BY THE NUMBER OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS (OVER 350 IN ONE FORUM ALONE) I HAVE FOUND ON WEB FORUMS THIS IS A VERY WELL KNOWN PROBLEM TO GM. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10181459

40,000 miles · Jan 31, 2007
Electrical System

I HAVE A 2004 GMC SIERRA THAT HAS A MALFUNCTIONING SPEEDOMETER. IT SHOWS READING ANYWHERE FROM 0-100 MPH OVER WHAT YOU ARE TRAVELING AT. WITH THE TRUCK TURENED OFF - THE SPEEDOMETER WILL SHOW IT AT SPEEDS OF UP TO 100 MPH. THIS ALL STARTED AT ABOUT THE 40,000 MILE MARK. WE PREVIOUSLY HAD A 2004 CHEVY 5500 TRUCK THAT TOO BEGAN W/…

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I HAVE A 2004 GMC SIERRA THAT HAS A MALFUNCTIONING SPEEDOMETER. IT SHOWS READING ANYWHERE FROM 0-100 MPH OVER WHAT YOU ARE TRAVELING AT. WITH THE TRUCK TURENED OFF - THE SPEEDOMETER WILL SHOW IT AT SPEEDS OF UP TO 100 MPH. THIS ALL STARTED AT ABOUT THE 40,000 MILE MARK. WE PREVIOUSLY HAD A 2004 CHEVY 5500 TRUCK THAT TOO BEGAN W/ SPEEDOMETER TROUBLE AT THE 40,000 MILE RANGE. WE KNOW SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WITH A 2004 CHEVY/GMC ALL OF WHOM HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. CHECKING AROUND THE INTERNET AND IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM THAT SHOULD WARRANT A RECALL BEFORE SOMETHING TRAGIC COULD HAPPEN.

NHTSA ODI #10181278

60,000 miles · Jan 30, 2007
Electrical System

I HAVE A 2004 GMC SIERRA THAT THE SPEEDOMETER IS STICKING. I HAVE FOUND ON NUMEROUS WEB SITES THAT LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME TROUBLE. APPARENTLY THE 2004 GMC INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS HAVING ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS WITH FAULTY GAUGES. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10181132

50,250 miles · Jan 30, 2007
Electrical System

SPEEDOMETER GAUGE IS SHOWING WRONG SPEED WENT TO LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE HAD MANY COMPLAINTS BUT IT IS NOT A RECALL AND PRICE TO FIX IS $450-$550. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10181112

Mileage unknown · Jan 30, 2007
Electrical System

I HAVE A 2004 GMC SIERRA. FOR THE LAST 3 MONTHS THE SPEEDOMETER HAS BEEN ACTING FUNNY. AT TIMES IT WILL SAY I AM DRIVING A LOT SLOWER THAN I ACTUALLY WAS. FOR EXAMPLE, THIS MORNING, IT SAID I WAS GOING 10 MPH AND I WAS PROBABLY GOING ABOUT 30-35 MPH. I TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND IT RESET. YESTERDAY WHILE DRIVING ON A TRIP,…

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I HAVE A 2004 GMC SIERRA. FOR THE LAST 3 MONTHS THE SPEEDOMETER HAS BEEN ACTING FUNNY. AT TIMES IT WILL SAY I AM DRIVING A LOT SLOWER THAN I ACTUALLY WAS. FOR EXAMPLE, THIS MORNING, IT SAID I WAS GOING 10 MPH AND I WAS PROBABLY GOING ABOUT 30-35 MPH. I TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND IT RESET. YESTERDAY WHILE DRIVING ON A TRIP, THE SPEEDOMETER STUCK ON 75 MPH. I DID NOT REALIZE IT UNTIL CARS STARTED PASSING ME ON THE INTERSTATE AND WHEN I CHECKED MY GPS SYSTEM, IT SAID I WAS GOING AROUND 60 MPH. THE SPEEDOMETER IS JUST ALL OVER THE BOARD. SOMETIMES THE SPEED IS CORRECT, SOMETIMES ITS SLOWER AND SOMETIMES ITS FASTER. I BELIEVE THIS IS A REAL SAFETY CONCERN SINCE THE DRIVER DOES NOT KNOW HOW FAST THEY MAYBE REALLY GOING. I HAVE CHECKED ON THE INTERNET AND IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10181077

50,643 miles · Jan 28, 2007
Electrical System

2004 GMC SIERRA SPEEDOMETER GIVES ERRONEOUS READINGS AT HIGHWAY SPEED. CAUSED INADVERTENT AND BRAKING, UNSAFE SPEED AND LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10180940

28,900 miles · Jan 8, 2007
Electrical System

2004 GMC K1500 Z71 - SPEEDOMETER READS INCORRECTLY 0-100 MPH OFF OF ACTUAL SPEED. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10178105

Official recalls

2

04V562000 · Equipment Adaptive/mobility

Nov 26, 2004

ON CERTAIN VANS EQUIPPED WITH SURE-LOK WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT SYSTEMS, THE SPROCKET TEETH OF THE RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE WHEELCHAIR MAY NOT BE ADEQUATELY SECURED POSSIBLY RESULTING IN INJURIES TO A WHEELCHAIR OCCUPANT.

Remedy: 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 MOBILITYWORKS AT 1-800-769-8267.

04V240000 · Tires:temporary/emergency Spare Tire

May 17, 2004

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF SOMEONE HAS A FLAT TIRE ON THE FRONT WHEEL, THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO INSTALL THE PROVIDED SPARE TIRE.

Remedy: 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.

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.