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2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 368 owner complaints about the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, most often about the electrical system. It has no vehicle safety recalls on record.

2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
27
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid2.7× the Silverado 2500 median · #4 of 28 years by complaints
Safety recalls0None on recordOwner complaints36837 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage67kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 5, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: SsmIntrigue, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 has problems

368 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Electrical system1056
Service brakes999
Service brakes, hydraulic684
Engine and engine cooling232
Steering161
Power train151
Engine140
Suspension121
Fuel system, gasoline110
14 other systems5411

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

0 recalls

2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 recalls and how many were fixed

No vehicle safety recalls are on record for this model year.

Mileage at failure

When do electrical system problems start?

67kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 91 electrical system complaints. 80% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
5under 30k miles73under 100k miles18100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Electrical system

15 owners mentioned a cost

$580median

Middle half: $475 – $750

Service brakes

13 owners mentioned a cost

$2,000median

Middle half: $1,000 – $2,000

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2004 vs. every other Silverado 2500 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 Silverado 2500 median. How we score

'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
In owners' words

What Silverado 2500 owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND "LOW ENGINE POWER" FLASHED WHERE THE ODOMETER IS. THIS CAUSED THE RPM'S NOT TO GO OVER 2800. CODE READER CLAIMS O2 SENSORS OR THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE OR CATALYTIC CONVERTOR ISSUES. WE DISCOVERED IT WAS NONE OF THE ABOVE. TO FIX PROBLEM CHANGE 3 RELAYS LOCATED UNDER…
Complaint 11163966 · Dec 29, 2018 · 215,000 miles
MANY OF THE VEHICLES IN THIS FAMILY SUFFER FROM RANDOM ELECTRICAL SHORTS AND OR POOR ELECTRICAL GROUNDING RELATING TO THE DRIVE BY WIRE THROTTLE ACTUATOR. THE RESULT IS THAT THE VEHICLE WILL GO INTO 'REDUCED ENGINE POWER' MODE RANDOMLY. IN THIS MODE THE VEHICLE WILL IDLE BUT NOT ACCELERATE OR…
Complaint 11072174 · Feb 11, 2018 · 107,000 miles
MAY 2016 INSTALLED 5 YEARS WARRANTY BATTERY. BATTERY DEAD EVERY THREE MONTH. CHARGED BATTERY. INSTALLED NEW BATTERY LAST WEEK. BATTERY DEAD TODAY. HAD ALTERNATOR TESTED. (FINE) NOTICE DASHBOARD LIGHT WHERE READ MILAGE LOOKED LIKE THIS AFTER TRUCK OFF #######. ONLY GREEN LIGHT WILL NOT TURN OFF
Complaint 11047326 · Nov 19, 2017

Own a 2004 Silverado 2500?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.