Most common 2004 Chevrolet Express 3500 problems
Share of the 16 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Express 3500 complaints by model year
Best Express 3500 years: 2001, 2012. Years to avoid: 2005, 2006. Compare all years →
What 2004 Chevrolet Express 3500 owners say
Brakes
2004 Chevrolet Express collins school bus while driving at 15 MPH on an inclined rural country road attempting to brake noticed pedal extended to the floor and was stopped by further down shifting and applying emergency brake. Informed by repair shop the right front hydraulic line rubbed through the metal brake line causing the failure. Failure mileage 43,997.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet cargo Express van 3500. While driving 45 MPH he had attempted to brake and noticed that the brake pedal extended to the floor and the vehicle could only be stopped by manually down shifting the gears. The dealer informed the contact that the coolant line rubbed through to the brake line. There was a burning smell prior to the failure in the front axle area of the vehicle. The current and failure mileages were 66445.
Steering
On June 08, 2013 my husband had parked the van along side the road - he was out of it working. The vehicle was not running - when a coworker noticed smoke coming from the van. The coworker ran over to the van and seen that the fire was in the steering column. Within minutes the entire van was on fire. My concern is that this van had been having issues with something security. All of the gauges would shut down and it would display "security " on the dash. I personally had contacted our local Chevy dealer to inquire about this problem and how to take care of it. The local dealer suggested a new key made at the dealership using the VIN numbers. This made no difference as it happened again. This time my husband went to a dealership in norwalk, ohio inquiring about the problem - they had no idea what the solution was either. …
Tl contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Express 3500. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost power steering and braking ability. She lost control of the vehicle. She shifted into a lower gear and was able to completely stop the vehicle. The contact was able to turn off and restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to numerous dealers and shops, but they all confirmed that the hydro boost failed. There was a recall, in which the vehicle was not included. No recall could be found for the Chevrolet Express 3500 on the NHTSA website. The contact believed that if the failure was common, a recall should be issued. The current and failure mileages were 60,000.
Fuel & propulsion system
Gasoline and gasoline vapor was escaping from the fuel filler pipe leading to the fuel tank on a 2004 Chevy Express van 3500 series. The filer pipe was rusted through. There was a seam on the pipe where the rust through occurred. Gasoline was dripping from this hole during gasoline fill up and vapors were entering the passenger compartment. We had it replaced by a certified mechanic because it was a potentially explosive situation, according to the mechanic. This was reported to GM. There was no recall on this part, so GM refused to pay for the cost of the replacement part and labor. The replacement part is now plastic. So GM must have recognized the problem (but failed to recall) and changed the pipe to a rust-proof material.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Express 3500. The contact stated the fuel filler neck tube was corroded, causing fuel to leak when refueling the vehicle. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 12V388000 (fuel system, gasoline) but was advised by the manufacturer that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Chevrolet Express 3500 a good car?
Based on 16 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 Express 3500 rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Express 3500 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Chevrolet Express 3500?
The brakes — 5 complaints, 31% of all complaints for this model year, most often about foundation components › disc › rotor. Next are the steering (4) and fuel & propulsion system (4).
How many recalls does the 2004 Chevrolet Express 3500 have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2004 Chevrolet Express 3500. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Express 3500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2001 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2005 and 2006. See the full Chevrolet Express 3500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 Chevrolet Express 3500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 66,000 miles; 36% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.