IllustrationIN MY 2004 GMC SIERRA THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE A/C DOWN NEAR THE PASSENGER FLOORBOARD SMOKES AND I SMELL BURNING PLASTIC AND MY A/C DOESN'T WORK AND I TALKED TO A FEW OTHER GMC AND CHEVY OWNERS AND THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. SO IF ALOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM I THINK ITS SOMETHING TO LOOK INTO... *TR
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sierra 1500 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
200–25K
5125–50K
5150–75K
3075–100K
25100–150K
9150K+
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
What owners actually said
212 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC SIERRA K1500. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD DISPLAY THE CORRECT SPEED AND THEN IT REMAINED AT THE SAME SPEED REGARDLESS OF HOW FAST OR SLOW HE WAS DRIVING. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND ADVISED HIM THAT THERE WE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC SIERRA K1500. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD DISPLAY THE CORRECT SPEED AND THEN IT REMAINED AT THE SAME SPEED REGARDLESS OF HOW FAST OR SLOW HE WAS DRIVING. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND ADVISED HIM THAT THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 119,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 117,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER NOR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 33,000.
ON MY 2004 GMC SIERRA 1500 NOV 10, 2010 THE SPEEDOMETER JUST QUIT WORKING WHILE BACKING OUT THE YARD IT JUMPED UP TO 70MPH AND NOW THIS HAPPENED AND THE RPM METER IS STUCK AT 0 ALSO COULD THIS BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM BECAUSE MY WIFE USE THIS VEHICLE TO DRIVE TO WORK. *TR
2004 GMC SIERRA EXT CAB WITH 40K MILES HAS SERIOUSLY DEGRADED BRAKING POWER. UPON SUDDEN STOPS THE VEHICLE WASN'T TO KEEP ROLLING TAKING FAR TO LONG TO STOP. THE PEDAL GOES ALMOST TO THE FLOOR AND YET THE TRUCK IS STILL MOVING. THE ABS SYSTEM DOES NOT INDICATE IT IS WORKING BUT THE WHEEL S DO NOT LOCK UP TO A SKID, IN FACT, I…
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2004 GMC SIERRA EXT CAB WITH 40K MILES HAS SERIOUSLY DEGRADED BRAKING POWER. UPON SUDDEN STOPS THE VEHICLE WASN'T TO KEEP ROLLING TAKING FAR TO LONG TO STOP. THE PEDAL GOES ALMOST TO THE FLOOR AND YET THE TRUCK IS STILL MOVING. THE ABS SYSTEM DOES NOT INDICATE IT IS WORKING BUT THE WHEEL S DO NOT LOCK UP TO A SKID, IN FACT, I CAN'T GET THE TRUCK TO SKID OR INVOKE THE ABS SYSTEM NO MATTER WHAT I DO. I CALLED THE DEALER WHO SAID NO RECALLS WERE OUT FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT RIGHT. DEALER SAYS IT'S NORMAL BUT I CAN BRING IT IN FOR AN INSPECTION ( $100) BUT ANY REPAIRS ARE NOT COVERED BY GM, HE ACTED LIKE HE NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEFORE? I HAVE HEARD OF SEVERAL OTHER GMC TRUCK OWNERS THAT SAID THEY HAD SIMILAR ISSUES ONLY TO BE CHARGED $800 OR MORE WITH LITTLE IMPROVEMENT. I CANNOT KEEP THIS TRUCK LIKE THIS, I AM AFRAID I WILL ROLL INTO THE BACK OF SOMEONE AND I CANNOT TOW MY TRAILER ( SMALL BIKE TRAILER) FOR FEAR OF THE SAME. WHEN WILL GM WAKE UP? *TR
KNOCKING IN THE STEERING SHAFT ASSEMBLY BEGAN AT 20,000 MILES. STEERING SHAFT HAS TO BE GREASED BY SERVICE CENTER EVERY 10K MILES TO PREVENT KNOCKING. SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, AND ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGES STOPPED WORKING. SPEEDOMETER USED TO REGISTER MAX MPH WHEN DOING 70MPH THEN STOPPED WORKING AT ALL. *TR
AIR BAG SENSOR ICON STAYS ON SHOWING A PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG. DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS OTHER THAN THE AIR BAG IS CONTINUALLY OFF NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. VEHICLE WAS NOT IN A WRECK OR CRASH OR FIRE. IT JUST CAME ON BY ITSELF A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AND CAN;T BE MADE TO GO AWAY AND HAS STA…
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AIR BAG SENSOR ICON STAYS ON SHOWING A PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG. DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS OTHER THAN THE AIR BAG IS CONTINUALLY OFF NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. VEHICLE WAS NOT IN A WRECK OR CRASH OR FIRE. IT JUST CAME ON BY ITSELF A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AND CAN;T BE MADE TO GO AWAY AND HAS STAYED ON CONSTANTLY. MY CONCERN IS THE PASSENGER SEAT IS NOT COVERED BY AN AIR BAG IN CASE OF A CRASH . DEALER SAID AIR BAG SENSOR IS NOT COMMUNICATING WITH THE COMPUTER. SENSOR IS $900.00 TO REPLACE. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM ONLINE WITH OTHER GMC SIERRAS PICK UPS AND GMC VEHICLES. THERE IS A PROBLEM HERE. CAN YOU HELP? *TR
I HAVE A 2004 GMC SIERRA PICKUP AND THE SPEEDOMETER BROKE ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO. CAN ANYTHING BE DONE BY THE COMPANY THAT WONT COST ME OVER 400 DOLLARS. *TR
SEVERE BRAKE LINE CORROSION IN MY 2004 GMC SIERRA 1500 PICKUP. COMPLETE FAILURE OF BRAKE SYSTEM. ALL BRAKE LINES SEVERELY BUBBLED AND CORRODED. ESTIMATE TO REPAIR IS $2000. NHTSA SHOULD EXTEND INVESTIGATION OF 1999-2003 MODEL YEAR GMC TRUCKS TO 2004 AND LATER MODEL YEARS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC SIERRA. THE CONTACT WAS TOWING A BOAT AND DISCOVERED THERE WAS TRANSFER CASE OIL SPLATTERED ALL OVER THE BOAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE TRANSFER CASE. A NEW TRANSFER CASE AND PUMP HOUSING WERE INSTALLED AT THE INDEPE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC SIERRA. THE CONTACT WAS TOWING A BOAT AND DISCOVERED THERE WAS TRANSFER CASE OIL SPLATTERED ALL OVER THE BOAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE TRANSFER CASE. A NEW TRANSFER CASE AND PUMP HOUSING WERE INSTALLED AT THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY. THE FAILURE DID NOT RECUR. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 82,000.
Official recalls
204V562000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.