Most common 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 problems
Share of the 20 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Suburban 2500 complaints by model year
Best Suburban 2500 years: 2000, 1999, 2008. Years to avoid: 2002, 2001, 2004. Compare all years →
What 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 owners say
Electrical system
First occurrence was in 02/2008. Power seat adjuster and seat heater quit working. Problem found to be high resistance in the electrical connector under drivers seat. Substantial burning and melting of the connector present. Second occurrence on 2/13/09, found same high resistance problem at the connector between body and rear hatch. Caused rear wiper and defroster to become inoperative. Both incidents raise concerns about a vehicle fire due to the extreme heat that is produced by current flowing through a high resistance connection. Both connectors have evidence of extreme heat and lead me to be less than confident that these two connectors are the only ones on this vehicle that are faulty. I submitted a complaint about the seat connector in February of 2008, but find no record of it at safecar.gov and have never been contacted about the complaint.
The speedometer on my 2004 Chevrolet Suburban does not read the correct speed. I am concerned that my 16 year old daughter is not experienced enough to realize that the speedometer is wrong, causing her to drive at an unsafe speed, increasing the risk of an excessive speed accident. Conversely, as the speedometer typically reads a speed higher than actual speed, I am concerned about creating a traffic hazard by impeding the flow of traffic and possibly being rear ended by a faster vehicle. I believe that these concerns are a safety risk with this vehicle that should be subject to a recall campaign.
Brakes
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 under normal pressure from foot. The incident/failure occurred during normal travel and during an attempted stop at red light. Brake system failure prevented a safe stop and the vehicle continued through the intersection running a red light. Fortunately, the intersection was clear and no accident occurred. The vehicle was parked immediately afterwards and a tow vehicle called. The vehicle is currently parked until repairs can be applied. Towing expense- 125.00 parts expense- 85.00 (replacing all affected lines, front braking system.) labor- 100.00 approx.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 2500. At low speeds, he would depress the brake pedal but the vehicle would not respond accordingly. It seemed that the ABS would activate and cause him to move a few feet forward. The ABS also increased the stopping distance and almost caused the contact to crash on two occasions. He took the vehicle to the dealer but there were no codes produced. The vehicle has not been repaired to-date. He called the manufacturer and asked if they could include his vehicle in recall 05V379000 but was informed that his model year was not included. The current mileage is approximately 80,300. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000. Updated 2/22/10 updated 05/17/10.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 a good car?
Based on 20 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 Suburban 2500 rates use caution: 2.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Suburban 2500 at the same age. It is one of the Suburban 2500 years we suggest avoiding. 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 Suburban 2500?
The electrical system — 7 complaints, 35% of all complaints for this model year, most often about instrument cluster/panel. Next are the brakes (6) and steering (2).
How many recalls does the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 2500. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Suburban 2500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2000, 1999 and 2008. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2002, 2001 and 2004. See the full Chevrolet Suburban 2500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 77,000 miles; 15% 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.