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 2500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
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.
The instrument panel cluster gauges don't always work. We were on freeway when we noticed speedometer had failed as well as fuel gauge , temp gauge all gauges inoperative. This is third time cluster panel is being replaced; first two under warranty third time we had to pay $204.
Vehicle dies from time to time, and will not start from 10 to 45 minutes later after the engine dies. When this happens there is no electrical to any of the starting circuits. The first failure happened on an interstate highway, speed set at 70 MPH, in left lane. Power steering lost, power braking lost control of the vehicle was critical, median was wooded so had to steer dead vehicle to right lane and off highway. This condition has happened 11 times and the last two were in traffic, with the next to last being in a curve on a 4 lane undivided state highway and coming within inches of a rear end collision. The vehicle was found to have loose pins at connector, but the mechanic said he was unsure that this was the problem, this was at the first failure in 2004. The last time it died was in heavy traffic on dallas north tollway, resulting in dodging traffic. …
My truck is a work truck driven by an employee, I have just recently become aware of a condition regarding the instrument cluster, wherein the whole panel does not work, I was advised by the employee that this happened quite some time ago, but was never made aware. I contacted GMC but apparently, because this is considered a special policy recall (only if someone complains - and within a specified time period 7 yrs or 80,000 miles) they will not repair this defect. I never received a notice, nor was I aware of the problem within that time period. I was further informed by my worker that at the time the panel went out, the fan for the heater/air condition unit appeared to smoke and now it does not work. Here again, I have not received any recall notices for this defect either. …
Instrument cluster malfunction. To the best of my knowledge the only gauges working properly are the tachometer and fuel gauge. It began with intermittent speedometer malfunction. Took it in as warranty work but the service dept. Could not duplicate the issue. After the warranty expired the issue resurfaced. I asked about any recalls or complaints regarding the cluster gauges malfunctioning at every visit for service. No recalls or complaints received according to them. Did some research on the subject. Found a few similar complaints in blogs but no action from GM. The problem began to cascade and soon all gauges except for the tach and fuel began to fail. Not fix as of yet. GM has a notice out on it but refuses to repair my truck due to having too many miles. They even found documentation at the dealership service dept. …
Tl contact owns a 2004 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated that the speedometer did not function properly and it would indicate a faster speed than he was actually driving. The oil pressure gauge also malfunctioned. The contact previously replaced both driver and passenger side carrier bearings that are associated with the four wheel drive. The contact was able to elevate the vehicle and move the wheel about a half inch in both directions. The vehicle had not been inspected when the complaint was filed. The contact called the manufacturer but was offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact confirmed that the vehicle was a 2005 model produced in 2004; however, the VIN displayed that the vehicle was a 2004. The current mileage was approximately 150,000. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Letter on behalf of constituent requesting assistance in difficulties dealing with GM regarding a manufacturer's defect in the electrical circuits in his 2004 GMC k2500 pickup truck. The consumer stated the vehicle stalled for no reason while driving 70 MPH on the highway. He lost all electrical circuits, power steering and brakes. After 45 minutes, the vehicle restarted. The next day, the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, where the mechanic found loose pins on the wiring harness connectors at c107 and c108. The mechanic stated he didn't believe that was the cause of the vehicle stalling, but they were loose. Since, the first failure, there have been 10 more failures. The consumer took the vehicle to another dealer where it has been since July 2, 2009 without a specific cause being found.
2004 GMC Sierra slt duramax 2500hd. 92,000 miles. Well -maintained. With no warning speedometer read forty miles too low. We thought we were entering the freeway at 60, while in fact we were going 20. We almost got rammed by a truck. It is illegal to go 20 on an interstate. This required speedometer cluster replacement costing $529. GM refused any coverage of the cost. I suggested they cover half the cluster part, $175. Their customer service said, "no." if there is a safety issue, this would be it! I understand there are several lawsuits regarding these speedometers. Our VIN is on their "silent recall" list. National highway safety traffic administration should be responsible for issuing open ended recalls for safety items such as these. The mission is to protect the public?
Electrical complaints in other Sierra 2500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2004 GMC Sierra 2500?
NHTSA has 48 complaints about the electrical system of the 2004 GMC Sierra 2500, 34% of the model year's 143 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (27 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 GMC Sierra 2500 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2004 GMC Sierra 2500, though it has 1 recall 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 2500 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 56,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 3 fires 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.