2004 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 problems & reliability
20 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 2500. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 7 | 35% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 20% |
| Seats | 2 | 10% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 10% |
| Steering | 2 | 10% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 5% |
| Engine | 1 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 5% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 11 reported components →Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 20 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 76,599 miles (middle 50% between 55,947 and 91,125 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Brake lines between the area of the brake fluid reservoir and abs modulator heavily corroded. One or more lines failed on 7/10/2016 requiring vehicle tow. Vehicle was operational aside from the failure of braking system. When depressed, vehicle brake peddle had little resistance and traveled completely to floor panel…”
Service Brakes · filed Jul 11, 2016
“While vehicle was stationary at idle I noted excessive brake pedal travel after placing my right foot on the brake. The brake pedal traveled all the way to the floor board and was very slow in return. I shut the vehicle off and visually checked the master cylinder and connections. I noted the master cylinder brake…”
Service Brakes · filed Oct 31, 2012
“The rear exhaust manifold bolts on both the driver's side and passenger side are broke and now the vehicle has an exhaust leak. *tr”
Engine · filed Sep 20, 2012
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
97 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 2500. The 10 most recent:
This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
PIP5601C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2025
This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on OnStar Module 2G Sunset Information.
23-NA-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 28, 2025
This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.
03-06-01-023I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 18, 2024
This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.
03-06-01-023H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 7, 2024
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized…
PIT3271P · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 6, 2024
Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It provides the ability via a single selection within Techline Connect to first identify which modules need updating and then proceed to…
General Communication · Service Campaign · issued Aug 26, 2024
GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities. The damage is being caused either in the removal process by the technician, or inadequate packaging or shipping. This…
24-NA-141 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 24, 2024
This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with DTCs, and explains how…
16-NA-383 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 28, 2024
This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as a Product Allegation Resolution (PAR) claim.
18-NA-099 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 17, 2024
This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming System (SPS) Error Codes E4398, E4399, E4401, E4403, M4404, M4413, M6954, M6955, E4414, E4423, E4491, E4492, or E6961 and…
24-NA-098 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 6, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 2500?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 76,599 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.