Print this page

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
92,620 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 Suburban engine problems

engine problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2004 Chevrolet Suburban Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #21

Jul 052016

Suburban

  • 65 miles

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

Vehicle gas gauge and odometer gauges clusters are not working this puts us in danger I did not know how much gas I need and how fast I was going this should be fixed by the manufacturer because it was a cluster defect

- Elk Grove, CA, USA

problem #20

Mar 012016

Suburban

  • 150,000 miles
The GM instrument cluster stepper motors and lights have failed. This results in a safety hazard because it is important to know the speed of the vehicle and the fuel level as well as other important engine information.

- Birmingham, AL, USA

problem #19

Apr 202015

Suburban

  • 129,000 miles
The contact owned a 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 1500. While driving 15 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently and the contact lost control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle left the roadway, ran into a ditch, went airborne and flipped onto the passenger side. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under technical service bulletins: Pit3598 (seat) for adjustment to the brake and accelerator pedals. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. A police report was not filed. The contact sustained injuries that did not require medical attention. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was destroyed. The approximate failure mileage was 129,000.

- Enid, OK, USA

problem #18

Dec 272014

Suburban 4WD 8-cyl

  • 78,457 miles

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

Speed reads 120mph and not moving.

- Wurtsboro, NY, USA

problem #17

Sep 242014

Suburban

  • 164,900 miles
At first I got a check engine light on with code P0430, O2 sensor lower bank 2, then bank 1. replaced those two work for a week then RPM and speedometer gauge fluctuate up and down. I drove home from the airport one night and all gauge reading went all the way up. I was traveling on an interstate with a speed limited of 55mph and the reading in my car was over 120mph. Took to in shop, shop recommend I need speedometer sensor replaced. Replaced that, now all the instrument gauge jump up and down. Sometime all the way full sometime all the way down. Finally got tire of trying to fix it myself and took the car to the dealer and they found out it was a bad dash instrument and bad catylete-conveter. Thanks to Chevy it cost me headache, guessing time, giving false reading and most of all thousands of dollars to get it fix right.

- Kannapolis, NC, USA

problem #16

Sep 282014

Suburban 4WD 8-cyl

  • 174,348 miles
Bought this vehicle a few days before the first incident. I drove it home from over two hours away, drove it all around the day before, no problems. Then I was driving down a bypass at about 60 miles an hour and the engine shut off! I had no power steering, nothing! I was able to pull over, shut it off and once I turned it back over it was just fine. So I cautiously started driving, it happened again a few miles down the road only this time it stalled then regained power and quickly shut off again. Once engine was turned off and restarted, it was fine, it did this to me 5 times within 5 miles. I almost got hit two of those times by other vehicles, once when I was turning onto a road. I am glad my kids were not in it. I am scared to drive on two lane roads without room to pull over.

- Dalton, GA, USA

problem #15

Jun 292014

Suburban

  • 75,000 miles

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

I was traveling down the road at 60 mph when the display said "reduced engine power" and my vehicle decreased in power. It didn't matter how much I pressed the accelerator the car would only go 10 miles an hour. I pulled over, checked under the hood, everything looked fine. Started it again, it drove fine for about 2 miles then the same message was displayed. I turned around and headed home driving 10 miles an hour.

- Devine, TX, USA

problem #14

Mar 152012

Suburban 8-cyl

  • 65,250 miles
Driving down the road, when all of a sudden "reduced engine power". replaced the throttle body, pedal sensor, and wiring harness without any success. GM wants 150 just to plug it into their computer to tell me what I can get down for free with my buddies code reader....no I won't let my wife or children drive the car. I only drive it to and from work. Had to go out and buy a Toyota just to keep my mind at ease so my wife and or kids won't get killed from this problem. It seems like Chevy/GMC doesn't care about this issue until multiple people die from this. I hope to see that they will do the right thing. Thinking of contacting my congress representative to see what they can do to help out us that are dealing with this issue. Nobody else is.

- Brentwood, CA, USA

problem #13

Mar 012011

Suburban

  • 89,000 miles
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.

- Elkton, MD, USA

problem #12

Mar 012012

Suburban

  • 125,000 miles
The engine light would come on and immediately the stability system disengage light would come on also. The vehicle would go down to approximately 1500 RPM and drop the speed to 50-55 mph, on the freeway. The speed limit is 65 and we were in the middle lane of 3 lanes. It has happened numerous times now. I have taken the vehicle to a mechanic 3 times. A diagnostic test was ran each time and every time there different codes that pop up, one different from the previous.

- Lindon, UT, USA

problem #11

Apr 062012

Suburban

  • 149,000 miles

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

Was driving at a very low rate of speed; trying to stop when what felt like the antilock brakes kicked on and the message "traction active" appeared on my console. This made it very difficult to control and stop the vehicle. Then when trying to accelerate, vehicle would lug down and not want to go. There was also a noise, like a pump or something when trying to brake or accelerate. Turning off the stabilitrack seems to stop this from happening, which in turn means I do not have antilock brakes. This is a huge safety issue, especially if trying to merge, pass through an intersection or while driving at a high rate of speed.

- Albany, OR, USA

problem #10

Aug 092011

Suburban 8-cyl

  • 120,000 miles
At random you will just be driving down the road and a message comes on that says reduce engine power and the T/C light comes on along with the check engine light. This has happened several times, is very unsafe, and is getting worse. We have had work done to try and fix the problem but its still happening. We don't have tons of money to fix this, live in the country, and have 5 kids. This is our only transportation and we have a rather large loan on the thing and its turning into yard art.

- Forman, ND, USA

problem #9

May 052010

Suburban

  • 80,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact was driving 70 mph when the reduce engine power stability warning message displayed as the vehicle abnormally decelerated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who advised that the throttle body, throttle body sensors and the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The remedy failed to repair the problem. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 183,632.

- La Misa, TX, USA

problem #8

Aug 012011

Suburban

  • 350,000 miles
2004 Chevrolet Suburban goes into reduced power engine w/O reason change the engine, because high miles, change transmission, change throttle body, change gas pedal module, change catalytic converter spend over 4,000 on the truck without counting the accident can occur in the interstate 78 West because of the lost of power, dealers don't know what is the problem neither the local mechanics can you please take action in this matter and read at edmonds.com and see all the complains about the same problem

- Easton , PA, USA

problem #7

May 172008

Suburban

  • miles
In researching online I've noticed this on many different Chevy 2004 models. The tachometer, fuel gage, and speedometer are what I noticed problems with and what others have seen problems with though the speedometer is the most prevalently noticed item. The gauge motors are not stepping back down when rpms, speed, or fuel levels drop thus leading drivers to respond in potentially dangerous ways. In my own case I almost caused a pile up when I thought I had lost my senses and applied my brakes a little harder than I should have, almost lost control of the vehicle, and certainly agitated the drivers behind me when they almost hit my vehicle. I don't typically get this problem as I typically drive less than 10 miles a day. When I do have to drive more than 60 miles I tend to have this problem. The problem has also been reported to be more prevalent in cold conditions which fits with the explanation I have had that it is the housing of the gear motors breaking down and jamming the gauge gears in the instrument panel. A problem with the plastic used in the housing of the gear magnets; "the problem lies with the plastic material that holds the permanent magnet for the rotor of the stepper motor." Now that I am aware of the problem and have asked around about fixes I have to stop the vehicle completely and turn it off. From there I have to turn the key enough to bring the instrument panel momentarily on and then back off. It steps the tachometer, speedometer, and fuel gauge back down, (bit by bit with each turn of the key) whichever is having the problem. This solution has been reported to stop working as the problem persists. The instrument panel needs to be replaced at a cost estimate of over $450 from a private shop and at over $800 from the Chevy dealership. A gps for speed and a log book w/ calculator can get two of the three solved for me at a price of less than $200; it's just not safe to be writing log book entries while I'm driving.

- Huntsville, TX, USA

problem #6

Jun 292007

Suburban 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Traffic citation issued to my husband while driving my 2004 Chevrolet Suburban due to faulty speedometer on 6/29/07.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #5

Jul 082007

Suburban 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
The speedometer has gone out. I have read many entries on a website that this wa S an ongoing problem with Chevrolet Tahoe., and the price to get it fixed ranged from $400 to $1000. That was a bit to expensive. I think there needs to be a recall. This car is only 3 years old. This shouldn't be happening.

- Ridgefield, WA, USA

problem #4

Sep 102006

Suburban 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 38,000 miles
Tachometer/speedometer failed on 2004 chevorlet Suburban. Provided unsafe driving conditions, especially during bad weather conditions where vehicle speed was at an all time importance. Small children in the vehicle caused the driver to be more anxious at the wheel, not knowing exactly how fast the vehicle was going on the highway or residential street traffic.

- La Porte, TX, USA

problem #3

Feb 202007

Suburban 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 74,000 miles
The speedometer on my 2004 Suburban failed.

- Burkburnett, TX, USA

problem #2

Oct 312006

Suburban 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 44,000 miles
2004 Chevy Suburban speedometer goes crazy, sometimes set at 120 mph while setting still. While driving I never know the speed I'm going. One day my wife was driving the speedometer just kept climbing to 120 mph, that is when it started. Sometimes the speedometer goes down to 0 mph then while driving say 30 mph I guess it may take you to 60 mph, 80 mph while at the same RPM. Nothing has been done, it has 44000 miles therefore my warranty is out I have to see if the ext warranty I got covers this, also I have been checking the internet if anyone had similar problems and I have found numerous people on topix.net. Thank you for you're time.

- Union, KY, USA

Read the next 1 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?