Most common 2004 GMC Canyon problems
Share of the 80 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
GMC Canyon complaints by model year
Best Canyon years: 2011, 2012, 2019. Years to avoid: 2024, 2015, 2016, 2023, 2017. Compare all years →
2004 GMC Canyon recalls (3)
Child seat
GM is recalling certain model year 2004-2011, Chevrolet colorado, GMC canyon, model year 2006, Isuzu I-280/I-350, and model year 2007-2008, I-290/I-370, regular cab vehicles and extended cab vehicles without a rear seat and equipped with a front 60/40 split bench seat.
Remedy: Dealers will cut a hole into the back panel trim cover to allow access to the top tether anchor for the front center seat position and will provide supplemental information as to use in the owner's manual.
Exterior lighting › Brake lights › Switch
GM is recalling 185,903 model year 2004-2009 colorado, GMC model year 2009-2004 canyon, model year 2006 I-280, I-350, model year 2007-2008 I-290, and I-370, passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of alabama, arizona, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, nevada, new Mexico,…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the necessary components as specified in the recall bulletin free of charge. GM anticipates that parts will be available by June 2010.
Exterior lighting › Brake lights › Switch
Certain pickup trucks May experience the permanent loss of brake lamp function or brake lamps that are illuminated at all times. The center high-mounted stop lamp (chmsl) is affected in both instances. Also, if equipped, the cruise control will become inoperative.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake lamp switch assembly. The recall began on December 5, 2006. Owners May contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; GMC at 1-866-996-9463 or Isuzu at 1-800-255-6727.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2004 GMC Canyon:
Brake lamp switch malfunction
On July 28,2009, GM initiated a regional recall campaign on certain model year (my) 2004-2009 Chevrolet colorado and GMC canyon vehicles and my2006-2008 Isuzu I-series vehicles.the states and U.S. Territories involved are al, az, fl, ga, hi, la, ms, nv, nm, pr, sc, tx, vi and ut.a total of 185,903 vehicles will be recalled with 92,272 vehicles within the scope of this investigation.in addition, a special…
Inadvertent front airbag deployment
All reports indicate inadvertent deployment during ignition start-up (key-on) and with the vehicle not in motion.reported injuries were minor and consist of skin abrasion and bruises.the incident dates ranged from July through November 2004.odi has received no additional reports since opening this investigation.
What 2004 GMC Canyon owners say
Body & structure
The contact owns a 2004 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that after work was completed on the tires, the independent mechanic informed him that due to severe undercarriage corrosion, the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The contact also took the vehicle to a dealer who provided the same information as the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was then notified of the failure and informed him that there were no open recalls on the vehicle. No additional assistance was offered. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.
On October 5, 2016, I took my truck over to my mechanic to have my brake lines bled as I replaced the right front caliper. When they took the right front tire off, they had shown me that the lower left control arm mount was going to fail. There was no failure as of yet and the vehicle was stationary when the problem was found. It was severely rusted out and cracked, as well as the frame and area around it was severely rusted and holes were visible. So I drove it home and took it over to a welder that has done repairs on the truck before and he said that it was too close to the suspension components and he wasn't going to fix it. So, as of now, I am looking for someone who specializes in automotive welding, but there not too many people here in my area who specialize in this kind of work. Inspection is coming up and I doubt it passes. …
Suspension
The contact owns a 2004 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that after work was completed on the tires, the independent mechanic informed him that due to severe undercarriage corrosion, the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The contact also took the vehicle to a dealer who provided the same information as the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was then notified of the failure and informed him that there were no open recalls on the vehicle. No additional assistance was offered. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.
On October 5, 2016, I took my truck over to my mechanic to have my brake lines bled as I replaced the right front caliper. When they took the right front tire off, they had shown me that the lower left control arm mount was going to fail. There was no failure as of yet and the vehicle was stationary when the problem was found. It was severely rusted out and cracked, as well as the frame and area around it was severely rusted and holes were visible. So I drove it home and took it over to a welder that has done repairs on the truck before and he said that it was too close to the suspension components and he wasn't going to fix it. So, as of now, I am looking for someone who specializes in automotive welding, but there not too many people here in my area who specialize in this kind of work. Inspection is coming up and I doubt it passes. …
Electrical system
The GMC passlock lockout feature is a pain in the rear of nearly every car/truck owner having this feature. Today, for the umpteenth time, my vehicle would not start when I tried to start it up after fueling. My truck was stuck at the gas pumps, obstructing other patrons waiting to gas up. I sat waiting for about 5 minutes and tried starting it again, while getting dirty looks from other people waiting to gas up. Of, course it didn't start because I hadn't waited the requisite 10 minutes. Finally, I got out and pushed the truck away from the pumps by myself (I am 72 years old) and then waited 10 minutes and finally re-started my vehicle. I have experienced this aggravation of my vehicle not starting many, many times during the 14 years that I have owned this vehicle. I will never buy another GMC product! GMC should be required to issue a recall and fix this problem once and for all.
I went to work this morning and my 2004 GMC Canyon truck was running fine, about 2 hours later I ran an errand, still no issues with the truck. Around 2:00 pm I went to run another errand and smelt something like burning plastic, I opened my truck to find that my front passenger side door was smoldering. The truck was full of smoke and there is now a hole in the side of my door from where the plastic melted! I have no idea how this could have happened, but this is my only source of transportation and I often take my granddaughters on trips with me. I plan to take it to a GMC dealership and have them look at it so maybe they can tell me what caused this problem. Also, the back seats in this truck block a lot of the view out of the rear window causing major blind spots. Since I have only had this truck about 2 months I plan to address these issues and sell the darn truck!
2004 GMC Canyon engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.8L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 18 / 24 / 21 |
| 3.5L 5-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 17 / 23 / 19 |
| 2.8L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 22 / 19 |
| 2.8L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 23 / 18 |
| 3.5L 5-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
| 2.8L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 21 / 18 |
| 3.5L 5-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 21 / 18 |
| 3.5L 5-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 21 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 GMC Canyon a good car?
Based on 80 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 Canyon rates use caution: 1.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the Canyon at the same age. It is one of the Canyon 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 GMC Canyon?
The body & structure — 16 complaints, 20% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body. Next are the suspension (13) and electrical system (13).
How many recalls does the 2004 GMC Canyon have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2004 GMC Canyon, the most recent from November 18, 2010 (child seat). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the GMC Canyon?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2011, 2012 and 2019. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2015, 2016, 2023 and 2017. See the full GMC Canyon years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 GMC Canyon problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 74,000 miles; 32% 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.