Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the brakes failed and the contact rear ended the preceding vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. There were no warning indicators illuminated. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The dealer was later contacted (gordon Chevrolet in philadelphia, pa) and the contact was informed that there was no recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was damaged and towed to an auto body shop. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500. The contact stated that when the vehicle was turned off, fuel leaked from the fuel lines and a fuel odor emitted into the vehicle without warning. In addition, the contact stated that the brake pedal became extremely difficult to depress as the ABS warning light illuminated. The contact also mentioned that the seat belts failed to secure and retract properly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump modular assembly, module kit and fuel tank needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign numbers: 06e043000 (fuel system, gasoline), 05V163000 (seat belts), 05V043000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The approximate failure mileage was 144,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500. The contact stated that fuel fumes emitted into the interior of the vehicle. The contact stated that the ABS warning lamp flashed randomly and the brake pedal became extremely difficult to depress to stop the vehicle. The seat belts failed to work properly to secure and retract. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop and the fuel lines were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The dealer replaced the cables associated with the tailgate. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign numbers: 06e043000 (fuel system, gasoline), 05V163000 (seat belts), 05V043000 (service brakes, hydraulic) and 04V129000 (structure). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000. Updated 8/17/15
My family and I was traveling on a busy road at 45 MPH, when we had to come to a stop and our brakes did not work. We almost slammed in the back of the car that was infront of us. My husband had to push the brake pedal all the way down to the floor and turn toward the grass shoulder. Thank god no one was hurt. My husband checked under the vehicle and saw that there was break fluid running out of the brake line. There were no warning lights or warning sounds that our vehicle made until after he started the vehicle again and then the vehicle gave a warning sound and a warning light. We are contacting our mechanic tomorrow because this happened after 6 pm. I have been reading the other complaints on the Avalanche's break lines and my husband said that I should also file one.
Yesterday,July 4th 2015 my 2004 Avalanche; with only 70K miles , the brakes failed. It was due to a rusted blown out brake line. I had no brakes driving on a mountainous road. I thought I was alone in this failure but after internet searching I find this is common problem with this vintage and model. I take very good care of my vehicles; underbody washing during inclement winter conditions , I was appalled at the underbody rust. Having other vehicles of similiar age and mileage with no rust, I felt GM has used inferior materials. GM should stand up and admit their use of substandard materials and offer remedy. They should know that as a consumer if they don't I'll never buy another GM product.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle failed to stop when the brake pedal was depressed to the floor. The contact pumped the brake pedal and the vehicle came to a stop. The contact exited the vehicle and discovered brake fluid leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the brake lines were rusted and fractured. As a result, the brake lines needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 84,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500. While driving approximately 45 MPH and making a left turn, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the hydraulic brake pump failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 05V043000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 250,000.
Upon start up of the truck, the ABS light stayed illuminated and started chiming at me. Everytime I start the truck this happens. I had my brakes inspected and they were fine. I currently do not have ABS. I took the truck to a mechanic this last week and had it looked into. It is a known problem with the Chevy Avalanche and they informed me that there is a part for this problem but it is on indefinite backorder. What and how does that happen? The ABS system is throwing fault codes stopping it from working properly but there is not a part to replace it. Per Chevy!
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500. While attempting to stop at a traffic light, the brake pedal was depressed and failed to immediately stop the vehicle. The contact was able to stop the vehicle. The contact noticed that a brake line was severely corroded, which caused a fracture in the brake line. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not repaired. The contact stated that several brake lines were previously repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 141,000.
After applying pressure to brake pedal, the vehicle failed to stop and the brake pedal was to the floor. Once the truck coasted to a stop, we pulled to the side of the road and found brake fluid leaking underneath the truck. We had the truck towed to our local dealership. The dealership replaced all metal brake lines that left us with a bill of over $2,000 for parts and labor. The entire truck is in beautiful condition and rust free except for the faulty brake lines! GM should recall this issue.
Brake complaints in other Avalanche 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500?
NHTSA has 39 complaints about the brakes of the 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500, 27% of the model year's 144 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 92,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.