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#BS-2004-CHESUB-5236

2004 Chevrolet Suburban

Based on reports from 264 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
264
Crashes
14
Fires
7
Recalls
6
TSBs
795
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 264 complaints, 14 crashes, 7 fires, and 6 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

knocking with any turn of wheel

19 complaints • Severity 6.9/10

$X,XXX
2

speedometer stops working

13 complaints • Severity 6.8/10

$X,XXX
3

blows hot air on passenger side

5 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panelHIGH

41 owners reported electrical system: instrument cluster/panel issues — failures commonly reported around 65K miles.

!Inspect the BrakesMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

40
0–30K
47
30–60K
41
60–90K
34
90–120K
20
120–150K
29
150K+

Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (47 reports) • Median: 65K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel (41 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel41 (16%)
Brakes41 (16%)
Electrical25 (9%)
Speed Control11 (4%)
Steering10 (4%)
Engine10 (4%)
Stability Control8 (3%)
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump7 (3%)

2004 Chevrolet Suburban: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel Issues

Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel complaints account for 16% of all reports filed for the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban, with 41 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 65,250 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 65K-mile mark.

Brakes Issues

Brakes complaints account for 16% of all reports filed for the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban, with 41 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to brakes-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban, with 25 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Speed Control Issues

Speed Control complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban, with 11 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to speed control-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

17
04
38
05
22
06
47
07
19
08
11
09
6
10
18
11
19
12
6
13
22
14
12
15
7
16
3
17
2
18
4
19
3
20
2
21
3
22
2
23
1
24

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (6 recalls)

04V045000Jun 2004

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, PICKUP TRUCKS, AND PASSENGER VANS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 135, ?PASSENGER CAR BRAKE SYSTEMS.? SOME OF THESE VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITH AN OUT-OF-SPECIFICATION BRAKE HYDRO-BOOST HOUSING RELIEF VALVE BORE.

05V043000Mar 2005

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

CERTAIN TRUCKS, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND VANS EQUIPPED WITH BOSCH HYDRO-BOOST BRAKE ASSEMBLIES, THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER PRESSURE ACCUMULATOR MAY CRACK AND SEPARATE FROM THE HYDRO-BOOST ASSEMBLY DURING NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS.

05V163000Jul 2005

SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

ON CERTAIN CREW CAB PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE 2ND ROW CENTER OCCUPANT SEAT BELT ROUTING MAY MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO POSITION THE LAP PORTION OF THE SAFETY BELT LOW AROUND THE HIPS OF OCCUPANTS, ESPECIALLY SMALLER OCCUPANTS, SEATED IN THIS POSITION. APPROPRIATE USE OF A CHILD SEAT OR BOOSTER SEAT, AS RECOMMENDED FOR SMALL CHILDREN, DOES IMPROVE THE FIT CONDITION FOR THIS USER GROUP. IN ADDITION TO INSTRUCTIONS ON PROPER INFANT AND YOUNG CHILD RESTRAINT (WITH CHILD SEATS OR BOOSTERS), SPECIAL VERBIAGE FOR RESTRAINING OLDER CHILD IS INCLUDED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. ALSO, THE SUGGESTED SEAT BELT FIT/ROUTING FOR ADULTS, IRRESPECTIVE OF SEATING POSITION, IS DESCRIBED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL TEXT.

06E026000Apr 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

06E043000Oct 2006

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18, 2005, THROUGH MARCH 21, 2006, SOLD FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE AND ON CERTAIN SCHOOL BUSES. (TO SEE THE SCHOOL BUS ENGINE SIZES, CLICK ON "DOCUMENT SEARCH" AND THEN "BUS APPLICATIONS"). THE CONNECTOR ON THE FUEL FILTER WAS NOT MANUFACTURED TO HONEYWELL'S SPECIFICATION. AS A RESULT, THE O-RING MAY NOT SEAT CORRECTLY ON THE FUEL LINE.

+ 1 more recall in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Chevrolet Suburban is the 2009 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

2004 Chevrolet Suburban vs. Class Average (Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD)

This vehicle

264

Class avg

375

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other sport utility vehicle - 2wd vehicles from 2004.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 264 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Chevrolet Suburban Model Years

20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981197919781977
View all Chevrolet Suburban years →

2004 Chevrolet Suburban: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban is related to the electrical system: instrument cluster/panel, with 41 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban reliable?
The 2004 Chevrolet Suburban has 264 complaints, 14 crash reports, and 7 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2004 Chevrolet Suburban problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban have any recalls?
Yes, the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban has 6 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Chevrolet Suburban problems start?
Based on 211 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 65,250 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 264 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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