Illustration2004 GMC SIERRA 2500 SPEEDOMETER FAILURE AT 49K MILES: SPEEDOMETER "OFFSET" IS HIGH AND RENDERS SPEEDOMETER UNUSABLE (READS 70 WHEN TRAVELING 0 MPH AND PEGS OUT AT > 120MPH WHEN TRAVELLING NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THEN FAILS PEGGED, AND IS INOPERATIVE).
2004 GMC Sierra 2500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Sierra 2500 years
Owner complaints for the 2004 GMC Sierra 2500 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 46.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sierra 2500 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
80–25K
3225–50K
3750–75K
1775–100K
20100–150K
8150K+
122 reports with mileage · 21 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 48 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 33 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.
4 crash reports4 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
143 reportsTHE SPEEDOMETER FAILED ON THE 2004 GMC TRUCK - HAD NO IDEA OF THE SPEED I WAS GOING WHETHER I WAS IN A SCHOOL ZONE OR ON THE FREEWAY. JUST LUCKY I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A TICKET. *AK
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC SIERRA 2500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE FAILS INTERMITTENTLY. HE STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYS INCORRECT SPEEDS OR NO SPEED AT ALL WHILE USUALLY DRIVING 45 MPH. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE TACHOMETER OCCASIONALLY OPERATES IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE SPEEDOMETER. THE FREQUENCY OF TH…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC SIERRA 2500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE FAILS INTERMITTENTLY. HE STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYS INCORRECT SPEEDS OR NO SPEED AT ALL WHILE USUALLY DRIVING 45 MPH. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE TACHOMETER OCCASIONALLY OPERATES IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE SPEEDOMETER. THE FREQUENCY OF THE FAILURES IS INCREASING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS FAILURES RELATED TO THOSE SPECIFIC COMPONENTS. THE ENGINE SIZE IS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 56,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.
WHILE DRIVING SPEEDOMETER STARTED ACTING UP IN COLD WEATHER. STOPPED WORKING. BRINGING TO MECHANIC TO FIX. ALSO, FAN MOTOR STOPPED WORKING *JB
TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT ANY TIME HE DRIVES HIS 2004 GMC SIERRA (80000 FAILURE MILEAGE) HIS SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT REGISTER THE CORRECT SPEED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SITTING IDLE IN A PARKING LOT IT REGISTERS 55 MPH. THE CONTACT HAD AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER 3/20/2007 TO LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM. THE CURRENT MILEAG…
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TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT ANY TIME HE DRIVES HIS 2004 GMC SIERRA (80000 FAILURE MILEAGE) HIS SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT REGISTER THE CORRECT SPEED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SITTING IDLE IN A PARKING LOT IT REGISTERS 55 MPH. THE CONTACT HAD AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER 3/20/2007 TO LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 81000.
CLUNKING NOISE IN STEERING COMPONENTS WHEN TURNING THE VEHICLE WITH SUSPENSION MOVEMENT (CROWN OF ROAD, UN-LEVEL SURFACE). CLUNKING FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL. DEALER STATED, INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT PROBLEM. MANY LIKE REPORTED PROBLEMS TO DEALER AND ON THE INTERNET. *JB
GAUGE CLUSTER INOPERATIVE. SPEEDOMETER, OIL PRESSURE GAUGE AND FUEL GAUGE GIVING FALSE READINGS.
I FOUND MYSELF DRIVING 80 MPH WHEN MY SPEEDOMETER WAS READING 65 MPH. AFTER KEEPING TRACK OF THIS IT PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE. IT READS WRONG EVERY TIME NOW. UNDER "NUMBER OF FAILURES" I AM JUST GUESSING AT A NUMBER BECAUSE IT HAS FAILED EVERY TIME I HAVE DRIVEN SINCE THE FIST TIME. *JB
THE SPEEDOMETER AND GAUGES SUCH AS OIL PRESSURE, RPM ETC. ARE READING WRONG AND MOST OF THE TIME DON'T WORK. THIS PROBLEM IS STILL GOING ON IN OUR 04 GMC SIERRA. *NM
DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, MY SPEEDOMETER STARTED INDICATING I WAS DOING 20 MPH WHILE I WAS ACTUALLY GOING AT LEAST 60 MPH. IT PROCEEDED TO ONLY INDICATE SPEEDS FROM APPROX -10 MPH TO 10 MPH. THEN THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE WENT 180 DEGREES BEYOND IT'S MAX, THEN THE BATTERY GAUGE DID THE SAME. *NM
Official recalls
104V562000 · 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.
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.