The Lemon IndexAll cars · Chevrolet · Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD
2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD problems, engines and recalls.
Owners filed 409 complaints with the government about the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD, most often about brakes (46%).
Which engine is in it
348 of the 409 complaints have a VIN we could decode, which tells us the engine.
| Engine | Share | Complaints | What they name most |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0 V8 gas | 51% | 179 | too few to split |
| 6.6 Duramax LLY diesel | 23% | 80 | brakes 36%, electrical 29%, fuel system 15% |
| 6.6 Duramax LB7 diesel | 18% | 62 | brakes 42%, electrical 29%, fuel system 16% |
| 8.1 V8 gas | 7% | 24 | too few to split |
| 3.5 6-cyl gas | 1% | 3 | too few to split |
Each diesel's page: Duramax LLY · Duramax LB7.
Nearby model years
What owners complain about
Share of this year's complaints that name each area.
When problems show up
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 49,000 and 103,000 miles; the middle report was at 71,000 miles (370 complaints with a mileage).
How serious
| Crashes | Fires | Injury reports | Death reports | Towed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 4 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA, not verified.
In owners' words
Cant remember what happened I black out and woke up with cops around me. the front end of the truck is wrecked. airbags did not deploy.
2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD owner · NHTSA complaint 11353349
Brake lines failed after having already been replaced. factory lines corroded through and truck was scary to slow down. was fortunate to be going at low speeds in a residential area - but glad there were no kids around and I needed to brake quickly!
2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD owner · NHTSA complaint 11218655
Federal couraga mt tire tread separation at freeway speeds without warning. not even at half of the tread life no signs of damage or cracking prior to this. all other tires look ok but have been replaced for concerns over the safety of the tires and manufacturing quality
2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD owner · NHTSA complaint 11184040
Recalls
NHTSA lists no recalls for this model year under these names.
Quick answers
Is the 2004 Silverado HD reliable?
We can't score it per truck (heavy-duty sales aren't reported apart from the half-ton). Owners filed 409 complaints about it, most often about brakes (46% of them). Compare the diesel generations on their engine pages.
What engine does the 2004 Silverado HD have?
By the VINs in owner complaints: 6.0 V8 gas (51%), 6.6 Duramax LLY diesel (23%), 6.6 Duramax LB7 diesel (18%), 8.1 V8 gas (7%), 3.5 6-cyl gas (1%).
How many recalls does the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD have?
0. Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check the truck's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
The whole-line score for 2004, mostly half-tons: 2004 Chevrolet Silverado.
No Lemon Index score: automakers report heavy-duty pickup sales together with the half-ton (one F-Series, Ram or Silverado number), so there is no honest per-truck denominator. These are counts and shares of owner complaints, not failure rates. Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints filed under the truck's 2500/3500 (F-250/F-350) names, all years filed, one per complaint number. Engine: decoded from the complaint's VIN (position 8 is the engine code) with NHTSA's vPIC decoder. Complaints filed as just “Silverado” or “Sierra” are left out (they mix 1500s and HDs). Older trucks have had more years to collect complaints, and popular years draw more because more were sold.
Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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