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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 4
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
61,574 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2004 Chevrolet Silverado electrical problems

electrical problem

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2004 Chevrolet Silverado Owner Comments (Page 2 of 3)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #24

Aug 132008

Silverado

  • 46,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On Aug 13, 2008 at approx midnight our truck which was parked in our driveway started on fire. It did damage to the engine and we believe it started with the glow plug relay switch or something electric covered by power train warranty. Today is Sept 13th and we just received a ltr from GM that they are not taking any responsibility. We are frustrated and the truck is damaged and we do not believe we will be made whole as the insurance wants to total and pay only the market value which is much less than blue book. We are without a vehicle and GM has been less than reluctant to respond to calls, etc. The truck has been sitting at dealer for a month waiting for someone from GM to inspect to validate fire dept report and accept responsibility. I am disgusted with their customer service and the fact that you cannot talk to anyone with authority. This is their problem and they don't want to take any action. I found another individual had the same problem with their truck. Our truck is like brand new. It was purchased brand new and it is a 2004 duramax with 46,000 miles in mint condition. Can you help us?

- Tooele, UT, USA

problem #23

Aug 252008

Silverado

  • 64,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado. While driving less than 50 mph, the speedometer remained stuck on 40 mph, despite acceleration or deceleration. The oil gauge also remained stuck on 80. The failure and current mileages were less than 64,000.

- Maina, AR, USA

problem #22

Nov 012007

Silverado 8-cyl

  • 32,700 miles
Speedometer/tach don't work, fuel gauge is incorrect. The vehicle is an 04 Chevy Silverado 1500 2X4. Purchased new in 04, warranty has expired.

- Bloomington, IL, USA

problem #21

Nov 282007

Silverado 8-cyl

  • 85,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Instrument cluster panel gauges work sporadic, or not at all. Speedometer reads over 120 mph all the time, and gas gauge does not work at all. I have not repaired them yet because of cost ($500+ labor and programming fees).

- Payson , UT, USA

problem #20

Nov 152007

Silverado 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 67,500 miles
My 2004 Chevy Silverado speedometer keeps sticking at 55 or 60 when I travel for more than 20 miles its really unsafe and ended up paying a $191 speeding ticket over this. My speedometer was stuck at 50 when I was really doing 65 and I didn't notice I told the officer but he said to have someone check it out. I am a fairly good mechanic also a electrician. I know it is the stepper motor in the instrument cluster. I just don't have the funds to fix it myself when I am paying speeding tickets this should be a definite recall I have read so many complaints over the internet. Also talking with other mechanics that see the same problem on at least weekly basis. Thank you

- Limestone, ME, USA

problem #19

Mar 012007

Silverado 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 38,000 miles
Chevy Silverado 2004 4 wd pickup approx miles 38,000 when driving truck speedometer raced past 120 mph.vehicle stayed at 50 mph when shut off. I understand this is a common problem and GM is in denial.

- Rogersville, MO, USA

problem #18

Nov 152006

Silverado 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have the same problem as many. The needle started sticking. Then it continuously got worse. Now I do not know how fast I am going. I took it to the dealership and it will cost $450 to replace.

- Lakeland, FL, USA

problem #17

Sep 202006

Silverado 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 51,000 miles
I own a 2004 Chevy Silverado Z71 4X4 with 5.3L V8. At approximately 50K miles I started having erratic/incorrect speedometer readings and the speedometer sticks at varying locations on the panel. I must gage speed by using the tachometer. I haven't attempted to correct the problem yet as the cost will be $500 plus.

- Pikeville, NC, USA

problem #16

Nov 102006

Silverado 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 59,516 miles
Speedo problem. Sometimes reads too low. Sometimes reads too high. Sometimes reads 55 mph sitting still. Safety issue as I could be @100 mph when speedo indicates 55 mph.

- Cedar Creek, TX, USA

problem #15

Sep 202006

Silverado 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 44,000 miles
2004 Silverado driven by my son everyday to his classes has a speedometer problem. The speedometer does not work at all. I have had trouble getting someone from peltier Chevrolet to call be back after leaving messages. This is a dangerous concern. I noticed that there are related complaints already on this speedometer but seems like nothing is being done about it. This vehicle is only two years old, it is ridiculous to have this type of problem.

- Whitehouse, TX, USA

problem #14

Jan 262005

Silverado 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 29,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Speedometer failure. Took the truck to the Chevrolet repair center to be told that the warranty will not cover and the price they are asking is outrageous. The defect is known to the repair man there for I was informed that they were having it very frequently, therefore it ias a manufactures defect.

- Portal Az., AZ, USA

problem #13

Jan 282006

Silverado 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 60,000 miles
2000 miles after my warranty went out so did my speedometer it will work for about a week then register 60-100 mph even setting still. I contacted earl dunn in madison cause that is where I purchased the truck and the extended warranty that really wasn't extended. The warranty they sold me didn't exceed the manf. Warranty. They told me at the dealer it was a additional 36,000 miles, huh, that's what I get for not reading the very fine print. Now I can honestly see why american company's are going belly up and that's a sad thing. Last GM for me. I contacted a dealer in carthage tn there service manger said they would have fixed the problem, no cost, but since it was purchased at another dealer he couldn't really do nothing about it. He also said it was a major problem for Chevy/GMC, P/U's, Avalanche, escalades, Tahoe, but GM was doing nothing about it and they couldn't get new parts to fix it. The instrument cluster had to be sent off to be remanufactured.

- Lafayette, TN, USA

problem #12

Apr 052006

Silverado 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 72,400 miles
: the contact stated intermittently the speedometer needle sticks at various speeds. This is one of the two vehicles of the same year, make and model that the company owns. The other vehicle had the same problem. It was taken to the dealership and the instrument cluster which contains the speedometer, and tachometer was replaced which corrected the problem. The dealership has been alerted about the vehicle the contact drives. The manufacturer was alerted and explained for the contact to call the NHTSA to file a complaint. Updated 05/02/06.

- La Jara, CO, USA

problem #11

Dec 152005

Silverado 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 448,000 miles
Speedometer erratic or don't work at all.

- Gettysburg, PA, USA

problem #10

Sep 222005

Silverado 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 14,800 miles
The consumer stated that the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado caught on fire and burned. The driver's seat compartment was where the most damage was done. The truck had been parked for thirty minutes. There were no problems that the consumer was aware off that would have caused the fire. The driver seat, dash, and door were completely consumed by fire. The insurance company has totaled the truck. The driver had left the driver side door window rolled down when he parked the truck. When the consumer found the truck on fire the window was rolled up. The fire department was not called because the consumer was able to put the fire out. An insurance report was taken. The insurance adjuster took pictures of the truck. The consumer called GM and reported the fire. The consumer filed a complaint with GM. The customer service representative said that someone would call the consumer back sometimes today.

- Anna, IL, USA

problem #9

Aug 192005

Silverado 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 15,760 miles
2004 Chevrolet Silverado. The consumer stated the vehicle stalled while driving on the road. There were no warning lights that come on before this happened. This has happened every time under 50 mph. Was able to be pull over the vehicle and restarted it immediately. The dealership could not duplicate the problem. When the vehicle was restarted it voided the chips memory. This has happened six times. The consumer had the vehicle towed to dealer, and the dealership could not find the cause of the problem. The consumer sent Chevrolet a registered letter with the information, the claim was denied. The problem started on June 29, 2005, and the last time this happened was August 19, 2005. Every time this happened the consumer called the dealership. The dealer determined there was a lower cell N the battery and replaced it but the staling problem recurred. The consumer would like for the manufacturer to buy back the vehicle.

- Medesto, CA, USA

problem #8

Nov 282003

Silverado 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Computer that programs the seats, windows, and mirrors failed. If the consumer tries to open the window the seat will move, this happens intermittently. Sometimes while backing up the mirrors will automatically go down toward the ground at 90 degrees. Also, when turning the key in the ignition the radio will come on, even if the radio is turned off. The vehicle was taken tot he dealer 9 times and it was reprogrammed 5 or 6 times by the dealership. The consumer also reprogrammed it a dozen times. Updated 01/04/06.

- Colville , WA, USA

problem #7

May 052005

Silverado 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
2004 Chevrolet Silverado experienced complete shutdown while driving in traffic. The manufacturer replaced the ignition switch, fuel pump, computer module and installed engine diagnostic system to monitor the truck. Due to all the problems the consumer experienced the manufacturer replaced the truck.

- Caddo Mills, TX, USA

problem #6

Apr 142005

Silverado 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 25,500 miles
While driving, the consumer found he was unable to get the engine out of 3rd gear as though it needed to be geared down. The vehicle is an automatic and thought it was an isolated incident. However, when it happened again, it pretty consistent in doing so. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer said it could be fixed and did repair. Diagnosed a shift solenoid, which was replaced. About 1 day later after repair, the same thing occurred. Returned to dealer and was informed that the valve body needed to be replaced. After taking the valve body apart, it was found that it was not the problem. The dealer stated the transmission was the problem. The check engine light illuminated on and that was the first time it had illuminated. Spoke with dealer about this. The next day, the gauges worked but the led light would not light up along with the odometer. After driving half a mile, the lights slowly come on but felt this was a safety concern as it may be electrical. The vehicle would not shift from 3rd to 4th gear.

- Wingdale, NY, USA

problem #5

Dec 102004

Silverado 4WD 8-cyl Diesel

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Speedometer and tachometer failure. Speedometer needle swings clockwise and goes past 120 mph - even when vehicle is stationary. Unable to determine vehicle's speed. Very unsafe situation. Tachometer is inaccurate. Cannot determine if or when engine is being over-revved. This could lead to engine disintegration. Both of the above has occured in a vehicle that is less than one year old. Several delaerships advising this is getting to be a common occurance.

- Carrollton, TX, USA

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