Most common 2004 GMC Sierra 2500 problems
Share of the 143 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
GMC Sierra 2500 complaints by model year
Best Sierra 2500 years: 2012, 2014, 2013. Years to avoid: 2024, 2025, 2020, 2021, 2022. Compare all years →
2004 GMC Sierra 2500 recalls (1)
Equipment adaptive/mobility
On certain vans equipped with sure-lok wheelchair securement systems, the sprocket teeth of the retractor assembly is out of alignment.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the wheelchair securement retractors as necessary. Sure-lok will handle the repairs for this campaign.
What 2004 GMC Sierra 2500 owners say
Brakes all 56 →
I was traveling south on I-75 highway about 70 MPH, in motion, in northern michigan and had to stop fast when an accident occurred in front of me. I slammed/mashed my foot on the brake pedal only to feel it fall to the floor, the metal hydraulic line failed and I now have no brakes at all!! I began to press on the parking brake and down shift the transmission to assist in the slowing of the vehicle. I also steered around the stopped cars into the side and ditch of the road. I luckily had the right reactions but not all people do or cannot act as fast. This is a dangerous issue with this GMC Sierra 2004. Please have it recalled. I had to have the repair shop replace all the metal brake lines as they were corroded. I have never had a vehicle fail its brake lines like this. My vehicle only has 48,000 miles on it and is garage kept super clean.
I live in south east ma. Were sault is use always and it has rotted my brake lines at the ABS controll a line let go on my truck with family and my grand babies I am a heavy truck operator with a cdl so I know not to panic I got my truck stopped without a crash but if my wife was driveing or my young daughter they wouldnt be so lucky we in the saulting states should have staneless steal for safty cant be to much to ask for young lifes at stake or people who panic what should I do at the time I was in the city of taunton I was coming to a heavily traveled street in rush hour trafic the brake line to rear brakes falled because of rot on inspion I see they are all rotting and need to be repaired I dont have body rot or frame rot of any kind always car wash after storms on nice days.
Electrical system all 48 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 GMC Sierra 2500 hd. While the contact was driving between 55-60 MPH, smoke expelled from the instrument panel and air vents. The vehicle was driven to the side of the roadway. The engine was turned off. The contact waited several minutes before restarting the engine. The vehicle resumed operation without the smoke failure. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired for the malfunction. There was a recall on the 2006-2009 GMC Sierra models, the NHTSA campaign id number was 10v24000 (electrical system). The contact experienced the identical failures as mentioned in the recall defect. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Tl contact owns a 2004 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact was warming up his vehicle with a portable compressor hooked up to the auxiliary power in the center of the dashboard to inflate a tire. He noticed smoke near the windshield on the driver's side. The contact unplugged the compressor, shut off the vehicle, opened the hood, and disconnected the battery. The front of the vehicle, underneath the dashboard and the cabin were engulfed in flames. The fire department extinguished the fire. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The current and failure mileages were 63,000.
Engine & cooling
My vehicle had brake lines replace two times with less than 65,000 miles because breaks stop working. Fuel line replaced under 55,000 miles because it made check engine light come on speedometer erratic,oil pressure gauge high and low,fuel gauge erratic under 65,000 miles. Loud noise from engine service technician reported the exhaust manifold bolts has broken to call a white smoke from the motor. Everything happened with consider to be low mileage in talking to GM they don't care because enough report has not been made.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated that the vehicle had a massive oil leak. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel injectors were defective, which filled the crankcase full of fuel and was a known issue. The vehicle would have been repaired per an extended warranty; however, it fell outside of the parameters of the extended warranty, increasing the risk of an engine compartment fire. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 112,000.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 GMC Sierra 2500 a good car?
Based on 143 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 Sierra 2500 rates avoid: 2.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Sierra 2500 at the same age. It is one of the Sierra 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 GMC Sierra 2500?
The brakes — 56 complaints, 39% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the electrical system (48) and engine & cooling (18).
How many recalls does the 2004 GMC Sierra 2500 have?
There is 1 recall for the 2004 GMC Sierra 2500, the most recent from November 26, 2004 (equipment adaptive/mobility). 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 Sierra 2500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2012, 2014 and 2013. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2025, 2020, 2021 and 2022. See the full GMC Sierra 2500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 GMC Sierra 2500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 60,000 miles; 33% 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.