Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 GMC Sierra 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My truck is my back-up vehicle that sits in the side driveway most of the time but I drive when I'm transporting large items or moving to a new home. I recently drove it and noticed the speedometer not working and went searching for information about related issues on the internet when I found a recall notice posted on GMC's website but they are saying it's past the "time" allowed to get the problem fixed. I didn't even know that there was a problem or a time frame to get this done because I don't drive this truck much. Now I have to pay for the dealership's inspection of the instrument panel only to have them tell me that it's indeed broke and that they are not going to repair it under the recall. …
2004 GMC Sierra crew cab - burning odor, soot on dashboard, rear windows fail to operate. No blown fuses. Taken to thompson's GMC dealership in placerville ca for repair on October 20. GM service department states: wiring harness for rear windows and door locks passes under and rubs against arm of parking brake pedal, leading to short circuit and failure of rear windows. Wiring harness replaced by GM service department. I can see that the new wiring harness also comes into contact with arm of parking brake pedal! I have the old part. Consequences: burned wiring, loss of vehicle for 8 days, $772.04 in repair cost.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that there was a burning electrical odor inside the vehicle. The contact reached out to the manufacturer regarding the failure of the blower fan resister and was informed that the extended warranty had expired. The contact stated that he never received the notification. The vehicle was taken to cotters GMC (435 hall ave, st mary's, pa 15857, [phone]) and they provide a verbal diagnosis of the blower resister fan and electrical harness failure. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 102,000.
Instrument cluster works intermittently. Speedometer, fuel gauge etc, do not work at random times. (while operating the vehicle, or not) the lights on the instrument cluster also dim, flicker, and sometimes go out completely. This particular vehicle has very low mileage, (used as a recreational vehicle, not primary transportation) it was purchased new and has been well maintained.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 GMC Sierra 1500. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the instrument panel failed without warning. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 GMC Sierra 1500. While operating the vehicle, the instrument cluster gauges flashed off and on and, at times, completely stopped operating. The failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but the local dealer was not notified. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was 97,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 GMC Sierra 1500. While operating the vehicle, the speedometer failed to operate or display a speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the speedometer cluster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 31,000.
Own a 2004 GMC Sierra bought brand new had numerous problems steering gear box went out completely dealer r/r part as a recall / steering problem knocking in wheel took to dealer four times installed grease pack in intermediate shaft last a couple of months problem recurs dealer states recall on shaft but wont r/r part hav problem with d/s door speaker blown twice dealer r/r part n/c d/s seatbelt squeaks r/r part dealer n/c now I have a another serious problem with the engine goes into rest mode while driving at 50 MPH u drive up a hill and will only go two to five MPH this is very dangerous so I have to find a place to pull over and turn vehicle off ECM resets and then is OK till next morning same thing dealer is still under investigation on problem I currently have 53,000 miles on it transmission is making clunking noise also while shifting from park into gears ? …
I have been having trouble starting my 2004 GMC, sometime when I turned the key it would do nothing, I had it towed in and spent over $500 to repair it, alternator, battery etc, and it did not fix the problem. When I got it back, and it did it again, I found that if I moved the steering wheel up and down with the lever, it would then start. Yesterday I went out to start my truck in my driveway, and the key will not turn in the ignition. It feels like the ignition came apart or something inside. The steering wheel is not locked. It is ridiculous that I will have to pay to have this vehicle towed in again and pay to repair the ignition, when GM has been having huge problems with ignitions! I have had other problems with this vehicle to include a fire under the dash. …
I received a letter from GM stating my vehicles instrument cluster May give false readings. If your vehicle is doing this, take this letter to your GM dealer and they will fix the problem if it's not then you don't need to. It also stated that the warranty for this is 70,000 miles and they would not replace the cluster if it was not giving false readings. At 93,721 my fuel gauge started malfunctioning, and at 94,066 miles my speedometer reading was over 120mph, and I was not even moving. Now when I drive through a school zone or neighborhood I have no idea how fast I'm going. I didn't even have 100,000 miles on the vehicle when these problems started happening. When I took my vehicle in to get it fixed under the warranty they told me it was out of warranty and would not cover the parts. So much for GMC professional grade. The logo they use when selling there vehicles on tv. …
Electrical complaints in other Sierra 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2004 GMC Sierra 1500?
NHTSA has 81 complaints about the electrical system of the 2004 GMC Sierra 1500, 38% of the model year's 212 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (47 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 GMC Sierra 1500 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2004 GMC Sierra 1500, though it has 2 recalls for other components. 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 GMC Sierra 1500 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 53,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to electrical system 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.