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 Suburban 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Steel brake lines: directly under drivers feet beneath vehicle is cluster of four brake lines held in place by a plastic bracket.these brake lines are hidden by a large corrugated black wiring harness. All four lines are extremely corroded at bracket and at least one of them failed completely and instantaneously. Unlike GM reports that it's a dual brake system and vehicle will retain braking capabilities in our case this is false . Word needs to go out about these vehicles but preferably a recall. My 15 year old newly issued permit holder was at the wheel and we were one left turn from descending a 200 foot tall 6% grade hill with a busy intersection and stop light at the bottom. Also living in minnesota knowing classic car owners with original steel brake lines with no issues I'm LED to believe design is a contributing factor in these brake failure issues. Thank you for your time.
Brakes failed under hard stop (highway, in motion). Intermediate steel brake line failed to rear brakes in a mode of rupture due to corrosion. All other steel lines were corroded and contacted GM. 2 other silverado line vehicles owned also failed this year due to corrosion. GM response was that no recall existed. Replaced all steel brake lines in vehicle with stainless aftermarket lines. After multiple contacts with GM customer service, I was told to save my receipts for repairs. This is an incorrect material specification, latent defect and GM needs to be held accountable. Saved brake lines from this vehicle for any potential use. 3 vehicles that I own with the same repair in 8 months. Inexcusable!
The brake lines on my 2004 Suburban have now failed three times. The first time one of the lines had to be replaced at a cost of over $1000, the second time a separate line was patched, and now the third time the same second line that was patched has failed again. All of the brake lines are incredibly corroded, so much so that a friend of mine wondered if it had been submerged during hurricane katrina. But now upon reading up on the subject it appears that is is all gms of that time frame that live in saltier air. While GM appears to think that these are components that should wear down over time, this is only the second time in the 30 years that I have owned cars to find this problem.
The brake fluid lines rusted at the area under the driver side wheel, causing the fluid to leak unexpectedly, thus rendering no brakes. The leak happened on my vehicle and another in this same area. The mechanic said there could be is a problem in the manufacturing of the lines due to the construction and because its too close to the wheel salt and road conditions causes this area to rust more easily. He's had a number of Chevy sub. With this same problem in for repair/replacement.
I was driving down a two lane highway at 50 miles per hour a dog ran out in front of my SUV, I hit the brakes hard and noticed the pedal went to the ground. Drove the car home carefully. When I got it in the garage found rusted through brake lines going to the rear of the car leaking. There is excessive rust on the lines and an electrical harness that goes to the gas tank has rubbed a hole in the line.
The brake line from the front to rear rusted and ruptured resulting in virtually no braking. Upon further inspection the brake lines are all badly rusted and in need of replacement. Very unfortunate GM chose to use such an inferior material for such an important component. Very dangerous situation GM should be making owners aware of.
Complete failure of brakes while driving, coasted to stop with assistance of parking brake. Upon inspection it was found that all brake lines are severely rusted to a failure point, the one line that failed was for the rear brakes from the block device under the drivers side inner frame rail (ABS unit or booster) for a very well kept family vehicle with low miles and no substantial rust anywhere else but the brake lines, and this one area that gets constant road spray directly at the lines and block/booster/ABS on the inner frame drivers side. This was a shock to find, and now after looking online that NHTSA has the longest open case with Chevy for 99-02 and seems like it will spread to 07 something needs to be done for public safety. This Suburban weighs like 6000 pounds, a tank, and will crush anything in its way if the brakes do not work. …
2 separate incidents of brake failure with corroded brake lines of 2004 Chevy Suburban with under 100K miles. First was in January 2013, complete lose of brakes while driving in parking lot. Taken to repair shop and needed complete replacement of corroded front brake lines, calipers etc. At the time, we had the rear brake lines inspected and repair shop stated they seamed OK. Second incident happened on August 24, 2013. Traveling on I-495 in massachusetts (while pulling a boat trailer) and applied brakes to slow for traffic ahead and brake pedal immediately went soft and almost completely to the floor and then brake warning light came on. I had to swerve into breakdown lane to avoid slowed traffic ahead as only front brakes were working.(along with trailer brakes) and car could not slow enough to stop. …
On 8/30/14 I was driving down the road going about 25 MPH when a car came out from a street on the left side and pulled in front of me without looking, I pressed down on the brakes quick and swerved to the right to avoid hitting him, he had no idea as I was swerving out of the way to not hit him, he was making his turn, I got on the horn and he just pulled over to the right and gave me a wave as to say he was sorry. Anyway, when I pressed down on the brake fast, it went all the way to the floor, I had total brake failure, all the brake fluid leaked out from the driver's side near the chassis, there was no stopping this truck. I don't see how they can say you are still able to use the brakes, you can't pump them. It is now sitting at the mechanics getting fixed, so far he told me it would be $600-$800 labor, I have not gotten back the truck yet as I write this. …
My 2004 Suburban is extremely well cared for. The vehicle has only 51,000 miles and is kept in perfect running and physical condition. On 10/8/2011 I was performing an extensive visual check of the brake line on the vehicle after reading of some issues with similar vehicle. Upon inspection, I saw that the braking systems hydraulic lines are severely corroded in multiple areas. These lines must be replaced to avoid catastrophic failure. On a vehicle of this age and limited mileage this is highly worrisome. I have multiple other vehicles of considerably greater mileage and of older vintage that have not had this corrosion issue. I mention them because they have spent their entire service life, to date, in the same weather/driving conditions. There is no question that the materials used for these brake lines are of an inferior material. …
Brake complaints in other Suburban 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 1500?
NHTSA has 38 complaints about the brakes of the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 1500, 21% of the model year's 182 complaints. The component named most often is driveline › hydraulic › hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 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 Suburban 1500 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 112,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire 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.