IllustrationSPEEDOMETER IS ERRATIC AND INACCURATE. VERY DANGEROUS! *NM
2004 Chevrolet Suburban 1500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Suburban 1500 years
Owner complaints for the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 53.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Suburban 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
60–25K
1925–50K
4050–75K
5075–100K
31100–150K
21150K+
167 reports with mileage · 15 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 84 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports4 fire reports2 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
84 reportsSPEEDOMETER AND OIL PRESSURE STARTING DISPLAYING ERRATIC READING ANY WHERE FROM 0-120+ AND OIL PSI OF 0 TO PEGGING GAGE. AFTER RESEARCH OF DEALERS AND REPAIR FACILITIES DATA CONFIRMED THIS IS A KNOW DEFECT AND CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE STEPPER MOTORS. SETTING CRUISE CONTROL HAMPER THIS DEFECT BY NOT KNOWING WHAT ACTUAL SPEED IS WHEN…
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SPEEDOMETER AND OIL PRESSURE STARTING DISPLAYING ERRATIC READING ANY WHERE FROM 0-120+ AND OIL PSI OF 0 TO PEGGING GAGE. AFTER RESEARCH OF DEALERS AND REPAIR FACILITIES DATA CONFIRMED THIS IS A KNOW DEFECT AND CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE STEPPER MOTORS. SETTING CRUISE CONTROL HAMPER THIS DEFECT BY NOT KNOWING WHAT ACTUAL SPEED IS WHEN ENGAGING CRUISE CONTROL. ALSO HAVE SECOND VEHICLE THAT JUST STARTED WITH SAME ISSUES TODAY 12-22-06. 2004 GMC YUKON XL
2004 CHEVY SUBURBAN- SPEEDOMETER AND OIL PSI GAUGES READ ERRATIC. SPEEDOMETER CAN READ ZERO ONE MINUTE AND 120 ANOTHER, VERY ERRATIC. OIL PRESSURE GAGE READS 0-80 AT ANY TIME. MANY DOCUMENTED CASES BUT NO RECALL ON DEFECTIVE STEPPER MOTORS. INTERNET SHOWS MANY REPAIRS BEING MADE ON THESES CLUSTERS REPLACING DEFECTIVE STEPPE…
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2004 CHEVY SUBURBAN- SPEEDOMETER AND OIL PSI GAUGES READ ERRATIC. SPEEDOMETER CAN READ ZERO ONE MINUTE AND 120 ANOTHER, VERY ERRATIC. OIL PRESSURE GAGE READS 0-80 AT ANY TIME. MANY DOCUMENTED CASES BUT NO RECALL ON DEFECTIVE STEPPER MOTORS. INTERNET SHOWS MANY REPAIRS BEING MADE ON THESES CLUSTERS REPLACING DEFECTIVE STEPPER MOTORS. DEALER REPAIR TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE CLUSTER $400 *NM
SPEEDOMETER FAILURE. THE SPEEDOMETER GOES FROM 0-120 IN A MATTER OF A FEW SECONDS AND BACK DOWN. I CANNOT TELL HOW FAST I AM GOING. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR INCIDENCES FOUND ON THE INTERNET. I HAVEN'T HEARD OF ANY REAL ISSUES, BUT I COULD SEE IT HAPPENING IF YOU WERE NOT WITH OTHER TRAFFIC TO VERIFY YOUR SPEED.
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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.