IllustrationTHE GM INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STEPPER MOTORS AND LIGHTS HAVE FAILED. THIS RESULTS IN A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE AND THE FUEL LEVEL AS WELL AS OTHER IMPORTANT ENGINE INFORMATION.
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
Exterior Lighting complaints
2 reportsTRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE; DRIVER SIDE MIRROR DEFECTS; HEAD LAMPS & LOOSE STEERING COLUMN. BIGGEST ISSUE IS TRANSMISSION. WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH, TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING. SITUATION WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS IT WAS NIGHT-TIME DRIVING WITH LITTLE OR NO OPPORTUNITY TO GET VEHICLE OFF THE IN…
Read full complaint
TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE; DRIVER SIDE MIRROR DEFECTS; HEAD LAMPS & LOOSE STEERING COLUMN. BIGGEST ISSUE IS TRANSMISSION. WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH, TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING. SITUATION WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS IT WAS NIGHT-TIME DRIVING WITH LITTLE OR NO OPPORTUNITY TO GET VEHICLE OFF THE INTERSTATE. OTHER FAMILY VEHICLES HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION GOING OUT WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, THE DRIVER SIDE MIRROR GOES OUT GRADUALLY, AS THE LIQUID THAT DEFROSTS THE MIRROR GOES BAD AND LEAKS INTO THE MIRROR. THIS MIRROR HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED ONCE, AT THE COST OF $400+. THIS MIRROR IS ALSO A HAZARD AS THE DRIVER IS UNABLE TO USE THE MIRROR TO ADEQUATE LANE AND TRAFFIC MANEUVERING. THE STEERING COLUMN ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE LOOSE. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE, AS OF TODAY'S DATE, TO CORRECT THE TRANSMISSION ISSUE AS IT IS A COSTLY REPAIR. *TR
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.