no report yet
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE WHEELCHAIR MAY NOT BE ADEQUATELY SECURED POSSIBLY RESULTING IN INJURIES TO A WHEELCHAIR OCCUPANT.
2004 GMC Sierra 1500Problems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 212 owner complaints about the 2004 GMC Sierra 1500, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 5, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: Bull-Doser, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2004 GMC Sierra 1500 has problems
212 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
81Electrical system1 crash/fire/injury
43Service brakes1 crash/fire/injury
22Service brakes, hydraulic3 crash/fire/injury
21Steering2 crash/fire/injury
11Vehicle speed control
8Air bags
8Engine and engine cooling
8Power train
6Tires
4013 other systems3 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 81 | 1 |
| Service brakes | 43 | 1 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 22 | 3 |
| Steering | 21 | 2 |
| Vehicle speed control | 11 | 0 |
| Air bags | 8 | 3 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 8 | 0 |
| Power train | 8 | 0 |
| Tires | 6 | 1 |
| 13 other systems | 40 | 3 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
2 recalls
2004 GMC Sierra 1500 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
Tires: temporary/emergency spare tire
Risk. IF SOMEONE HAS A FLAT TIRE ON THE FRONT WHEEL, THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO INSTALL THE PROVIDED SPARE TIRE.
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 GMC.
Mileage at failure
When do electrical system problems start?
52kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 74 electrical system complaints. 89% were reported before 100,000 miles.
9under 30k miles66under 100k miles8100k 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
9 owners mentioned a cost$550median
Middle half: $500 – $600
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 Sierra 1500 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 Sierra 1500 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 Sierra 1500 owners report
Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A BURNING ELECTRICAL ODOR INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT REACHED OUT TO THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE FAILURE OF THE BLOWER FAN RESISTER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC SIERRA 1500. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GAUGES FLASHED OFF AND ON AND, AT TIMES, COMPLETELY STOPPED OPERATING. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE…
MY TRUCK IS MY BACK-UP VEHICLE THAT SITS IN THE SIDE DRIVEWAY MOST OF THE TIME BUT I DRIVE WHEN I'M TRANSPORTING LARGE ITEMS OR MOVING TO A NEW HOME. I RECENTLY DROVE IT AND NOTICED THE SPEEDOMETER NOT WORKING AND WENT SEARCHING FOR INFORMATION ABOUT RELATED ISSUES ON THE INTERNET WHEN I FOUND A…
Own a 2004 Sierra 1500?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.