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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.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

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

What owners actually said

182 reports
130,000 miles · May 22, 2014
Service Brakes

THE MASTER CYLINDER AND BRAKE LINE CAUSED A COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. ALL THE BRAKE LINES ARE SEVERELY RUSTED, COMPROMISED, AND ALL MUST BE REPLACED. FORTUNATELY THE FAILURE HAPPENED IN A RESTAURANT DRIVE THROUGH. MOMENTS BEFORE PULLING INTO THE DRIVE THROUGH, I WAS DRIVING MY DAUGHTER ON A BUSY ROADWAY WITH A 50 MPH SPEED LIMIT. …

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THE MASTER CYLINDER AND BRAKE LINE CAUSED A COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. ALL THE BRAKE LINES ARE SEVERELY RUSTED, COMPROMISED, AND ALL MUST BE REPLACED. FORTUNATELY THE FAILURE HAPPENED IN A RESTAURANT DRIVE THROUGH. MOMENTS BEFORE PULLING INTO THE DRIVE THROUGH, I WAS DRIVING MY DAUGHTER ON A BUSY ROADWAY WITH A 50 MPH SPEED LIMIT. I DO NOT FEEL BRAKE LINES SHOULD BE MADE OF MATERIALS THAT CAN CORRODE AND FAIL WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHATSOEVER. THE TRUCK IS VERY WELL MAINTAINED. WITH NON-CORROSIVE METALS AVAILABLE FOR BRAKE TUBING IT IS INEXCUSABLE FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE. THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS TO PREVENT CLEARLY FORESEEABLE INJURIES AND DEATHS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10593461

89,000 miles · Apr 15, 2014
Electrical SystemVehicle Speed Control

THE SPEEDOMETER IS COMPLETELY GONE ALONG WITH SEVERAL GAUGES SUCH AS THE OIL, GAS, AND RPM METERS. I AM UNABLE TO TELL HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE OR HOW FAST I AM GOING. THIS HAS HAPPENED A LOT TO THESE VEHICLES OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS. GM OFFERED A REPAIR BUT ONLY FOR VEHICLES WHO WERE NOT OVER A CERTAIN MILEAGE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE…

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THE SPEEDOMETER IS COMPLETELY GONE ALONG WITH SEVERAL GAUGES SUCH AS THE OIL, GAS, AND RPM METERS. I AM UNABLE TO TELL HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE OR HOW FAST I AM GOING. THIS HAS HAPPENED A LOT TO THESE VEHICLES OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS. GM OFFERED A REPAIR BUT ONLY FOR VEHICLES WHO WERE NOT OVER A CERTAIN MILEAGE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED IN ALL VEHICLES. ADDITIONAL, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS OUT OF WHACK. MY HEATED SEATS TURN ALL THE WAY UP TO HIGH WITHOUT ME PRESSING ANYTHING. MY TV SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING. EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE FALLING APART. *TT

NHTSA ODI #10582808

44,500 miles · Jan 3, 2014
Service Brakes

THE BRAKE LINE UNDER THE DRIVER'S DOOR RUPTURED AND CAUSED A COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. ALL THE BRAKE LINES ARE SEVERELY RUSTED, COMPROMISED, AND ALL MUST BE REPLACED. FORTUNATELY THE FAILURE HAPPENED IN PARKING LOT AND MY SON WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR HOME WITHOUT HAVING AN ACCIDENT BUT THAT WAS MERELY FORTUITOUS. THERE IS ABSOLU…

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THE BRAKE LINE UNDER THE DRIVER'S DOOR RUPTURED AND CAUSED A COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. ALL THE BRAKE LINES ARE SEVERELY RUSTED, COMPROMISED, AND ALL MUST BE REPLACED. FORTUNATELY THE FAILURE HAPPENED IN PARKING LOT AND MY SON WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR HOME WITHOUT HAVING AN ACCIDENT BUT THAT WAS MERELY FORTUITOUS. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON THAT PERMANENT BRAKE LINES SHOULD FAIL. THE TRUCK IS USED VERY INFREQUENTLY AND IS WELL MAINTAINED. HAD I OR A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY BEEN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE SOMEONE MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED OR KILLED. I AM 60 YEARS OLD AND HAVE OWNED CARS SINCE I WAS 17 AND I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED A BRAKE HARD LINE RUPTURE. WITH THE NON-CORROSIVE METALS AVAILABLE FOR BRAKE TUBING IT IS INEXCUSABLE FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE. THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST GM TO PREVENT CLEARLY FORESEEABLE INJURIES AND DEATHS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10558401

114,000 miles · Nov 7, 2013
Service Brakes

SEVERE BRAKE LINE CORROSION UNDER VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10551448

84,600 miles · Oct 24, 2013
Service Brakes

BRAKES FAILED WHILE DRIVING....NOTICED SLIGHT BRAKE PEDAL LOSS , THEN TOTAL FAILURE WITHIN MINUTES...MECHANIC SAID THAT THE BRAKE LINES FAILED BECAUSE THEY WERE CORRODED AND WOULD ALL HAVE TO BE REPLACED..THANK YOU FOR LOOKING INTO THIS AND ALL OTHER BRAKE LINE FAILURES OF ANY GMC MADE VEHICLES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10549428

67,000 miles · Oct 24, 2013
Service Brakes

I TURNED ON MY ENGINE WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR AND PUT THE SUV IN REVERSE. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO MOVE EVEN WITH MY FRONT ON THE BRAKE WHILE PUTTING IT IN REVERSE AND I TRIED TO PRESS THE BRAKE AND IT WENT STRAIGHT DOWN TO THE FLOOR. I PUT THE CAR BACK IN PARK AND THIS STOPPED THE VEHICLE. HAD I BEEN ON THE ROAD I WOULD H…

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I TURNED ON MY ENGINE WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR AND PUT THE SUV IN REVERSE. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO MOVE EVEN WITH MY FRONT ON THE BRAKE WHILE PUTTING IT IN REVERSE AND I TRIED TO PRESS THE BRAKE AND IT WENT STRAIGHT DOWN TO THE FLOOR. I PUT THE CAR BACK IN PARK AND THIS STOPPED THE VEHICLE. HAD I BEEN ON THE ROAD I WOULD HAVE CRASHED. THERE WAS NO WARNING ABOUT BRAKE FLUID BEING LOW AND THE CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN THE NIGHT BEFORE AT 8:30 PM. MY HUSBAND LOOKED NEAR THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE AND SAW THE BRAKE LINE DRIPPING ALL THE BRAKE FLUID OUT ON THE DRIVEWAY ALL RUSTED. WHY WASN'T THIS MADE WITH STAINLESS STEEL? THIS IS A CAR FOR FAMILIES WHICH MEANS MORE THAN LIKELY IT WILL HAVE A CHILD IN THE CAR WHEN IT IS BEING DRIVEN. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND FIXED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10549368

119,000 miles · Sep 23, 2013
Service Brakes

COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE WITHOUT ANY WARNING. ANOTHER BRAKE LINE COMPLETELY CORRODED AD INOPERABLE. HAD SAME ISSUE ON ANOTHER BRAKE LINE 6-MONTHS EARLIER. NO REPLACEMENT PARTS AVAILABLE TO CONNECT TO REMAINING LIES. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN RUNNING ERRANDS PICKING UP AND DROPPING OFF CHILDREN WHEN FAILURE OCCURRED.

NHTSA ODI #10544901

86,495 miles · Sep 7, 2013
Tires

WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 45 THE TIRE WENT FLAT. THE TIRE HAD SEVERAL CRACKS AROUND THE SHOULDER AND APPEARS SEVERAL WERE GETTING READY TO CHUNK OFF. A COUPLE APPEAR TO GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE TIRE CAUSING THE AIR LOSS.

NHTSA ODI #10542443

97,000 miles · Aug 26, 2013
Service Brakes

2 SEPARATE INCIDENTS OF BRAKE FAILURE WITH CORRODED BRAKE LINES OF 2004 CHEVY SUBURBAN WITH UNDER 100K MILES. FIRST WAS IN JANUARY 2013, COMPLETE LOSE OF BRAKES WHILE DRIVING IN PARKING LOT. TAKEN TO REPAIR SHOP AND NEEDED COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF CORRODED FRONT BRAKE LINES, CALIPERS ETC. AT THE TIME, WE HAD THE REAR BRAKE LIN…

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2 SEPARATE INCIDENTS OF BRAKE FAILURE WITH CORRODED BRAKE LINES OF 2004 CHEVY SUBURBAN WITH UNDER 100K MILES. FIRST WAS IN JANUARY 2013, COMPLETE LOSE OF BRAKES WHILE DRIVING IN PARKING LOT. TAKEN TO REPAIR SHOP AND NEEDED COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF CORRODED FRONT BRAKE LINES, CALIPERS ETC. AT THE TIME, WE HAD THE REAR BRAKE LINES INSPECTED AND REPAIR SHOP STATED THEY SEAMED OK. SECOND INCIDENT HAPPENED ON AUGUST 24, 2013. TRAVELING ON I-495 IN MASSACHUSETTS (WHILE PULLING A BOAT TRAILER) AND APPLIED BRAKES TO SLOW FOR TRAFFIC AHEAD AND BRAKE PEDAL IMMEDIATELY WENT SOFT AND ALMOST COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AND THEN BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD TO SWERVE INTO BREAKDOWN LANE TO AVOID SLOWED TRAFFIC AHEAD AS ONLY FRONT BRAKES WERE WORKING.(ALONG WITH TRAILER BRAKES) AND CAR COULD NOT SLOW ENOUGH TO STOP. AFTER NEARLY CASING A MAJOR ACCIDENT, WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE EXIT AND DRIVE TO NEAREST SEARS REPAIR SHOP (1/4 MILE DOWN THE ROAD). AFTER BRAKE INSPECTION, COMPLETELY CORRODED BACK BRAKE LINES AND CALIPERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10537306

70,850 miles · Aug 15, 2013
Service Brakes

MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS BEHIND THE WHEEL; IN LINE AT DRIVE-THROUGH. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON IN THE DASH BOARD AS THE VEHICLE BEGAN DRIFTING FORWARD. THE MESSAGE CENTER IN THE DASH DISPLAYED "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM." LUCKILY SHE WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER INTO A PARKING SPACE WITHOUT INCIDENT. …

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MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS BEHIND THE WHEEL; IN LINE AT DRIVE-THROUGH. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON IN THE DASH BOARD AS THE VEHICLE BEGAN DRIFTING FORWARD. THE MESSAGE CENTER IN THE DASH DISPLAYED "SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM." LUCKILY SHE WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER INTO A PARKING SPACE WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE BRAKE LINES HAVE FAILED - RUSTED THROUGH. IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE TO PRODUCE A VEHICLE THAT SELLS FOR OVER $45,000.00 THAT WON'T EVEN LAST 10 YEARS...ESPECIALLY WHEN SUCH A FAILURE IS LIKELY TO HAVE CATASTOPHIC CONSEQUENCES. WE WERE VERY LUCKY THAT NO ONE WAS SERIOUSLY HURT DUE TO THIS PREMATURE FAILURE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10535542

Official recalls

0

No 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.