no report yet
Child seat
Risk. BOTH NHTSA AND GM DISCOURAGE PLACEMENT OF A CHILD IN A FRONT SEAT.
2004 Chevrolet ColoradoProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 361 owner complaints about the 2004 Chevrolet Colorado, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 27, 2025. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 2004 Chevrolet Colorado has problems
361 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
88Electrical system9 crash/fire/injury
61Structure1 crash/fire/injury
43Exterior lighting2 crash/fire/injury
35Suspension1 crash/fire/injury
34Service brakes, hydraulic3 crash/fire/injury
29Air bags8 crash/fire/injury
27Power train
26Visibility
23Engine and engine cooling
10521 other systems13 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 88 | 9 |
| Structure | 61 | 1 |
| Exterior lighting | 43 | 2 |
| Suspension | 35 | 1 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 34 | 3 |
| Air bags | 29 | 8 |
| Power train | 27 | 2 |
| Visibility | 26 | 3 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 23 | 0 |
| 21 other systems | 105 | 13 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
3 recalls
2004 Chevrolet Colorado recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Brake lights: switch
Risk. THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE SIMULTANEOUS LOSS OF ALL BRAKE LAMPS OR CAUSE ALL OF THE BRAKE LAMPS TO STAY ON CONTINUOUSLY.
no report yet
Brake lights: switch
Risk. A FOLLOWING DRIVER MAY NOT KNOW WHEN THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN APPLIED, AND A REAR-END CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.
Mileage at failure
When do electrical system problems start?
74kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 72 electrical system complaints. 76% were reported before 100,000 miles.
16under 30k miles55under 100k miles17100k miles or more
Best & worst years
2004 vs. every other Colorado year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Colorado median. How we score
'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2004 Chevrolet Colorado safety ratings
2004 Chevrolet Colorado 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2004 Chevrolet Colorado, and the recalls they led to.
- INADVERTENT FRONT AIRBAG DEPLOYMENTNo recall
- BRAKE LAMP SWITCH MALFUNCTIONLed to recall 09V-310
In owners' words
What Colorado owners report
Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
One day, after I turned my truck off, I noticed that my taillights and overhead cargo light remained on. Key was out, truck was off, but the lights stayed on. So for the time being, I disconnected the battery. I brought it to a mechanic, who ran the codes that came back that the rear driver turn…
Ignition safety module known as pass lock security. This causes my vehicle not to start and give a code and a light on the dash for the Pass Lock security. The vehicle was fine then I went into a store came out and put the key in the ignition, the lights on the dash came on but it would not crank.…
Body Control Module, BCM. Controls everything. Air bag can deploy, breaks can lock up. Mine, the hazards were staying on. Chevy Dealer says they are on National Back Order and GM is canceling those orders after so long placed. “We can get you one from a junk yard for $350 but GM won’t let us…
Own a 2004 Colorado?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.