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 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Rusted out/ corroded brake lines burst while stopping for a deer running out on the road. Was warned of this problem upon purchase of the vehicle in 2010 and personally coated all brake lines b4 winter every year...never saw worse lines! I own classic cars that are twice as old with shiney original brake lines. The fuel lines also rotted out spilling fuel over the top of the fuel tank and on the ground while filling up. All fuel lines and fuel pump connections were severely rotted. Worst I have seen. Dash consistently changes languages rendering odometer non functional. Speedometer is inaccurate some times not even working especially on cold days. Hmmmm rotted brakes+no speedometer+leaky fuel lines=crash,bang boom!..and I have a car seat in my vehicle! Luckly I perform preventative maintenance and drive safely. Still wonder how these issues got swept under the rug.
I had purchased my Sierra 1500 from chesrown dealership of delaware ohio. I had the truck for less than 60 days. I loved the truck very much but was very upset when an electrical fire started in under my hood. This happened the day after thanksgiving and since I had the factory stereo system I had no explanation for the start of the fire. It took the fire department a couple of minutes to get there and by that time the fire had spread from the engine throughout the wires down the firewall and into my trucks entirer. All that I could do was watch in horror as my truck was engulfed in flames from a far. I attempted to stop the fire from spreading inside and my hand was burnt. When the police used the the fire extinguisher from their cruiser it seemed to give it oxygen and spread it faster. I was devastated.
The speedometer on my 2004 GMC pu failed on a recent trip from me to fl. As I pulled onto the ma trpk, I noticed that the speedometer was reading 85 MPH. At the time, I was probably going 60 - 65. It then read higher and higher on the trip and the needle was buried at times. When I stopped, the needle would drop a little. A few days after the trip was concluded, the needle returned to zero when stopped and currently records accurately. Obviously, it is a safety hazard when your speedometer fails, especially in the middle of a long trip. I recently asked a local dealer if there has been a problem, and was told that they have had to replace "lots" of speedometers ($350). I then asked if the replacements failed and was told "not yet". GM has not offered to fix this problem (I was just out of warranty) and should be forced to do so and recall all faulty units. …
Tl contact owns a 2004 GMC Sierra 1500. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the contact applied pressure to the brake pedal and noticed increased stopping distance. The brake pedal depressed very easily when the pressure was applied. The failure occurred whenever the contact applied pressure to the brake pedal so he replaced the brakes himself. The failure continued so he notified an authorized dealer and was informed his vehicle was not included in the recalls associated with NHTSA campaign id numbers 05V043000, service brakes, hydraulic or 04V045000, service brakes, hydraulic. The vehicle was not repaired. He also stated that his speedometer and oil gauge on the instrument panel displayed incorrect improper readings. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000 and the current mileage was approximately 48,000.
I have a 2004 GMC Sierra that has an electrical issue with the ABS or brake system. The brake light, ABS light and service brake system light goes off at random times. Might have something to do with the air conditioning because the A/C draws power from the battery and I can see that a certain level the indicators go off. Most of the time the lights chime and blink when I apply the brake but it also has happened when just turned the truck on. I've replaced the rotors and pads to still have the problem. I'm not sure if it's a ground or sensor that is failing. I've found TSB for regrounding, failing sensors, or ecbm. Still haven't found the correct diagnosis. I just hope the ABS functions when I need it.
2004 GMC Sierra 2500hd, instrument panel started showing the RPM's to be in the red zone, then the speedometer would quite working, then the gas gage would quite working, then the temperature gauges quite working, to begin with it would happen periodically till it quite working completely. Took it to repair shop and had fixed. I know two other people that this has happened to also with the same vehicles only a year or two apart. All of which happened between 80,000 and 110,000 miles. Feel it is a safety concern, when I was doing 75mph on the highway and saw my RPM's pegged in the red and was in a hurry to pull off to the side of the road to prevent my engine from blowing up. Same with the temp gauges.
The 2004 GMC Sierra speedometer started acting up: stuck on MPH when not driving then while driving it acted as if MPH started on 0 but recorded as for example: 90mph...(it stuck on 30mph then when driving it recorded going 90mph when actually traveling 60mph) we took the truck in a few different times to be checked and the final conclusion was that the instrument cluster was bad and needed to be replaced. I have since learned that a large volume of trucks this year, make and model have had the same problem. I feel there should be some sort of recall on this and that GM needs to have this problem taken care of.
The speedometer of my 2004 GMC Sierra will often not show the correct speed. Sometimes it goes way up, sometimes way down - even to zero. I have contacted my local dealer who says it will cost at least $600 to repair and I have contacted GMC who says there is nothing they can do - they report no recall. My wife's 2004 Chevy monte carlo had the same problems soon after we bought it new - it was repaired under warranty. From my research online, this speedometer problem seems to be very widespread with GM products. I believe a faulty speedometer is a very serious safety issue that should be addressed by GM.
Speedometer and gauge cluster have worked intermittently for the past few weeks and have now completely failed. I have talked to several other GM truck owners and apparently this an extremely common occurrence. Some of them were lucky enough to have gotten it covered. I see from the complaint search that there are a number of complaints here as well. GM charges an outrageous amount to fix this issue as it requires complete replacement of the cluster. If a total failure of a cluster including the speedometer isn't a safety hazard, I don't know what is.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 GMC Sierra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, all of the instrument panel lights failed. The contact mentioned that the failure would recur intermittently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the entire instrument cluster needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 84,000.
Electrical complaints in other Sierra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2004 GMC Sierra?
NHTSA has 41 complaints about the electrical system of the 2004 GMC Sierra, 21% of the model year's 199 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (20 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 GMC Sierra electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2004 GMC Sierra, though it has 7 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 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 2 fires and 1 injury 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.