IllustrationMY 2004 GMC SIERRA 1500 MAKES A LOAD CLUNKING NOISE WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED, I HAD THIS VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR WHILE IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND IT KEPT RETURNING. *TR
2004 GMC Sierra 1500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2004 GMC Sierra 1500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 181.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sierra 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
200–25K
5125–50K
5150–75K
3075–100K
25100–150K
9150K+
186 reports with mileage · 26 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 81 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
8 crash reports1 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
212 reports2004 GMC SIERRA 1500 4X4 EXTENDED CAB / 37,828 MILES / DRIVEN IN PENNSYLVANIA - ABS ACTIVATES AT LOW SPEED (APPROXIMATELY 5 - 10 MPH) WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP ON DRY PAVEMENT. WHEN ABS ACTIVATES, THE TRUCK WILL NOT STOP AS EXPECTED AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO KEEP TRUCK FROM ENTERING INTERSECTIONS. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT BUT IS …
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2004 GMC SIERRA 1500 4X4 EXTENDED CAB / 37,828 MILES / DRIVEN IN PENNSYLVANIA - ABS ACTIVATES AT LOW SPEED (APPROXIMATELY 5 - 10 MPH) WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP ON DRY PAVEMENT. WHEN ABS ACTIVATES, THE TRUCK WILL NOT STOP AS EXPECTED AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO KEEP TRUCK FROM ENTERING INTERSECTIONS. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT BUT IS INCREASING IN REGULARITY. MECHANICS HAVE STATED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH GM TRUCKS AND THE HUB WITH SPEED SENSOR WILL NEED REPLACED OR REPAIRED. ISSUE IS DETERMINING WHICH HUB AND SENSOR IS MALFUNCTIONING. A RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM WAS ISSUED FOR 1999 - 2002 MODELS UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID# 05V379000. *TR
2004 GMC 1500 4X4 85,000 MI., BRAKES FEEL SOFT AND HAVE EXCESSIVE TRAVEL DURING EMERGENCY STOPPING OR WHEN TOWING. HAVE REPLACED FRONT PADS WITH MORE AGGRESSIVE PADS AND NO HELP, HAVE TRIED BLEEDING SEVERAL TIMES TO NO AVAIL. PERSONALLY THINK THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE LINES FROM THE MASTER CYL. TO ABS BOX AS THESE ARE FLEX STYLE …
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2004 GMC 1500 4X4 85,000 MI., BRAKES FEEL SOFT AND HAVE EXCESSIVE TRAVEL DURING EMERGENCY STOPPING OR WHEN TOWING. HAVE REPLACED FRONT PADS WITH MORE AGGRESSIVE PADS AND NO HELP, HAVE TRIED BLEEDING SEVERAL TIMES TO NO AVAIL. PERSONALLY THINK THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE LINES FROM THE MASTER CYL. TO ABS BOX AS THESE ARE FLEX STYLE LINES NOT HARD LINES, I HAVE BEEN IN THE AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR BUSINESS FOR 40 YEARS AND HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM SUCH AS THIS THAT I COULD NOT LOCATE A PROBLEM, ALL COMPONENTS APPEAR TO BE WORKING PROPERLY, IE: BOOSTER, MASTER CYL, ABS CONTROLLER, AND CALIPERS. I PERSONALLY KNOW OF SEVERAL OTHER VEHICLES FROM THESE YEARS WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS AND GM HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEMS. *TR
STEERING COLUMN CLUNKING, SPEEDOMETER NOT WORKING, TRANSMISSION STOPPED WORKING .EVERYTHING STARTED GOING WRONG ABOUT. 63,000 K . I HAVE 116,000 KNOW. 2004 Z71 CREWCAB. *TR
THE PARKING BRAKE CABLE BROKE WHEN PUTTING OUR 2004 1500 GMC SIERRA INTO PARK. THE VEHICLE CAN NO LONGER BE PARKED AT AN ANGLE OR IT WILL ROLL. A PART HAS BEEN ORDERED BUT THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED YET. GMC WAS CONTACTED BUT WE WERE TOLD THAT A RECALL FOR A SIMILAR SITUATION ONLY EFFECTS VEHICLES MADE IN 1999-2002. *T…
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THE PARKING BRAKE CABLE BROKE WHEN PUTTING OUR 2004 1500 GMC SIERRA INTO PARK. THE VEHICLE CAN NO LONGER BE PARKED AT AN ANGLE OR IT WILL ROLL. A PART HAS BEEN ORDERED BUT THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED YET. GMC WAS CONTACTED BUT WE WERE TOLD THAT A RECALL FOR A SIMILAR SITUATION ONLY EFFECTS VEHICLES MADE IN 1999-2002. *TR
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE ENGAGE BELOW 5MPH ON DRY ROADS. INCREASES STOPPING DISTANCE DRAMATICALLY. TRUCK HAS LESS THAN 6,000 MILES. HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR THE LAST 6 MONTHS. *TR
I CURRENTLY OWN A 2004 GMC SIERRA AND MY SPEEDOMETER WORKS ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. WHEN THE TRUCK IS FULLY STOPPED THE SPEEDOMETER REGISTERS AT A VARYING SPEED LIMIT FROM 10-50 MPH, DEPENDING ON THE DAY. *TR
AT FIRST MY SPEEDOMETER WOULD 'TICK' AND THAT LED TO IT JUMPING AROUND. IT STICKS IN VARIOUS PLACES, SOMETIMES DOWN TO THE RIGHT FAR OFF OF THE GAUGE ITSELF. MY TACHOMETER DOES THE SAME THING. IT HAS BEEN THIS WAY FOR A WHILE NOW, I JUST CAN'T WANT TO FORK OVER $600 TO GET IT FIXED. I HEARD THAT GM INFACT HAS AND UNPUBLISHE…
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AT FIRST MY SPEEDOMETER WOULD 'TICK' AND THAT LED TO IT JUMPING AROUND. IT STICKS IN VARIOUS PLACES, SOMETIMES DOWN TO THE RIGHT FAR OFF OF THE GAUGE ITSELF. MY TACHOMETER DOES THE SAME THING. IT HAS BEEN THIS WAY FOR A WHILE NOW, I JUST CAN'T WANT TO FORK OVER $600 TO GET IT FIXED. I HEARD THAT GM INFACT HAS AND UNPUBLISHED BULLETIN UNDER THEIR GOODWILL PROGRAM TO FIX IT - CAN THIS BE MADE TO BE A PUBLISHED BULLETIN? *TR
SPEEDOMETER IN 2004 GMC SIERRA 1500 HAS FAILED. DEALERSHIP IS WANTING $450 TO FIX WHEN GM ACKNOWLEDGES DEFECTS IN SPEEDOMETER ASSEMBLY. *TR
I OWN A 2004 GMC SIERRA SLE EXTENDED CAB SHORTBOX Z-71 PICKUP WHICH I BOUGHT NEW IN JUNE, 2004. I HAVE EXPERIENCED A "RATTLE" IN THE STEERING IN THE LAST YEAR WHICH KEPT GETTING WORSE. MASTER AUTO IN GRAND FORKS REPLACE THE STEERING SHAFT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AT A COST TO ME OF $166.11. SINCE THIS STEERING SHAFT COULD BIND/F…
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I OWN A 2004 GMC SIERRA SLE EXTENDED CAB SHORTBOX Z-71 PICKUP WHICH I BOUGHT NEW IN JUNE, 2004. I HAVE EXPERIENCED A "RATTLE" IN THE STEERING IN THE LAST YEAR WHICH KEPT GETTING WORSE. MASTER AUTO IN GRAND FORKS REPLACE THE STEERING SHAFT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AT A COST TO ME OF $166.11. SINCE THIS STEERING SHAFT COULD BIND/FREEZE UP, I BELIEVE THIS PART SHOULD HAVE BEEN "RECALLED" BY GM AND REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE AS A FACTORY DEFECT AND SAFETY HAZARD. *TR
Official recalls
204V562000 · Equipment Adaptive/mobility
Nov 26, 2004
ON CERTAIN VANS EQUIPPED WITH SURE-LOK WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT SYSTEMS, THE SPROCKET TEETH OF THE RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE WHEELCHAIR MAY NOT BE ADEQUATELY SECURED POSSIBLY RESULTING IN INJURIES TO A WHEELCHAIR OCCUPANT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT RETRACTORS AS NECESSARY. SURE-LOK WILL HANDLE THE REPAIRS FOR THIS CAMPAIGN. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SURE-LOCK AT 1-908-231-1804 OR MOBILITYWORKS AT 1-800-769-8267.
04V240000 · Tires:temporary/emergency Spare Tire
May 17, 2004
THE SPARE TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY THAT WAS PROVIDED ON CERTAIN CONVERSION VEHICLES WILL NOT FIT ON THE FRONT WHEEL HUB DUE TO OFFSET OF THE WHEEL. HOWEVER, IT WILL FIT ON THE REAR WHEELS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF SOMEONE HAS A FLAT TIRE ON THE FRONT WHEEL, THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO INSTALL THE PROVIDED SPARE TIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SPARE WHEEL WITH THE CORRECT OFFSET. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT REGENCY AT 1-800-989-4727.
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.