Your vehicle report

2004 Chevrolet Suburban

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
204
Received Jan 2004 to Mar 2026
Official recalls listed
4
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
0
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Instrument cluster or speedometer fails52 complaints · 25% of this vehicle’s complaints
  2. 2
    Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines28 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
  3. 3
    Chevrolet Silverado loses power and hesitates11 complaints · 5.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

Official NHTSA records

Recalls to check

  • Recall #06V289000On certain trucks equipped with an 8.1L V8 (rpo L8-VIN g) engine have a condition in which the engine fuel rail pulse damper retainer clip may fracture resulting in inadequate retention of the damper.
  • Recall #05V163000On certain crew cab pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the 2ND row center occupant seat belt routing may make it difficult to position the lap portion of the safety belt low around the hips of occupants, especially smaller occupants, seated in this position. Appropriate use of a child seat or booster seat, as recommended for small children, does improve the fit condition for this user group. In addition to instructions on proper infant and young child restraint (with child seats or boosters), special verbiage for restraining older child is included in the owner's manual. Also, the suggested seat belt fit/routing for adults, irrespective of seating position, is described in the owner's manual text.
View recall details

BrakeNews signals

Flagged complaint patterns

Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.

No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.

How flags are identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 12 crashes, 6 fires, 10 people injured, 0 deaths.

Explore by system

Where do owners report problems?

Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 16 listed problems by system.

Engine & powertrain

1 more problem

Brakes

Electrical & lights

Airbags, belts & seats

Steering, suspension & tires

Body, doors & glass

Driver assistance

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Other

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Complaint history

When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.

Complaints received about the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
36
Show as a table
YearComplaints
200415
200531
200618
200736
200812
20099
20106
201113
201213
20135
201415
201511
20166
20172
20182
20194
20201
20211
20221
20231
20241
20250
2026 (to Oct 2026)1
Total204

Problems owners report

Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Instrument cluster or speedometer fails5225%–
Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines2814%–
Chevrolet Silverado loses power and hesitates115.4%–
Tires blow out or tread separates83.9%–
Airbags fail to deploy in crashes73.4%–
Vehicle catches fire from wiring52.5%–
Seat belt fails to latch or retract42.0%–
Glass shatters or cracks without impact42.0%–
Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly42.0%–
Engine suddenly shuts off while driving42.0%–
Fuel pump fails and engine stalls42.0%–
Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up42.0%–
Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed42.0%–
Airbag warning light stays on31.5%–
Power steering cuts out while driving31.5%–
Brake booster fails, leaving stiff pedal31.5%–NHTSA recall #04V045000, #05V043000

AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.

Recalls

  • NHTSA recall #06V289000August 3, 200638,439 vehicles affected

    engine and engine cooling

    On certain trucks equipped with an 8.1L V8 (rpo L8-VIN g) engine have a condition in which the engine fuel rail pulse damper retainer clip may fracture resulting in inadequate retention of the damper.

    If the damper comes loose, a fuel leak may result. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.

    Remedy

    Dealers will replace the engine fuel rail pulse damper retainer clip free of charge. The recall began on august 31, 2006. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 and Gmc trucks at 1-866-996-9463.

  • NHTSA recall #05V163000April 22, 20051,359,824 vehicles affected

    seat belts: rear/other

    On certain crew cab pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the 2ND row center occupant seat belt routing may make it difficult to position the lap portion of the safety belt low around the hips of occupants, especially smaller occupants, seated in this position. Appropriate use of a child seat or booster seat, as recommended for small children, does improve the fit condition for this user group. In addition to instructions on proper infant and young child restraint (with child seats or boosters), special verbiage for restraining older child is included in the owner's manual. Also, the suggested seat belt fit/routing for adults, irrespective of seating position, is described in the owner's manual text.

    A lap portion of the seat belt routing that is not low and snug on the hips Can allow the lap belt to ride up on an occupant's abdomen instead of fitting low around their hipbones, and therefore, Can expose them to more risk of abdominal and internal organ injury.

    Remedy

    Dealers will cut open the guide loop, remove a portion of the loop, and then the remaining two sides should be folded over and secured with a retainer free of charge. The recall began on july 21, 2005. Owners may contact Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Gmc at 1-866-996-9463, or Hummer at 1-800-732-5493.

  • NHTSA recall #05V043000February 8, 200577,411 vehicles affected

    service brakes, hydraulic

    Certain trucks, sport utility vehicles, and vans equipped with bosch hydro-boost brake assemblies, the hydraulic brake booster pressure accumulator may crack and separate from the hydro-boost assembly during normal operating conditions.

    If a separation occurred and the hood of the vehicle were open, fragments from the accumulator could cause injury to people in the immediate area. The presence of this crack or fractured surface could allow the hydraulic fluid to leak from the accumulator circuit of the booster assembly. The loss of fluid would cause increased steering and braking effort and a crash may occur without prior warning.

    Remedy

    Dealers will test the hydro-boost assembly for functional operation of the two-function valve. If the hydro-boost assembly fails the test, dealers will replace the assembly free of charge. The recall began on march 23, 2005. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Gmc trucks at 1-866-996-9463 and Hummer at 1-800-732-5493.

  • NHTSA recall #04V045000February 4, 200468,875 vehicles affected

    service brakes, hydraulic

    Certain sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and passenger vans fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 135, ?passenger car brake systems.? Some of these vehicles were produced with an out-of-specification brake hydro-boost housing relief valve bore.

    Consequently, the valve o-ring seal may fracture. Steering efforts may be slightly increased while braking or parking. Under certain driving conditions, a fractured seal may require a slight increase in the applied brake pedal effort to achieve the same vehicle deceleration rate as prior to the seat fracture.

    Remedy

    Dealers are to replace the hydro-boost relief valve. The recall began on june 18, 2004. Owners should contact Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339; Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; Gmc at 1-866-996-9463; or Hummer at 1-866-486-6376.

Other model years

About this data

NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban.

Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.

Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN