2004 Gmc Sierra 3500 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (8) · Electrical System (3) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic (2)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Gmc Sierra 3500 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
22 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year (campaigns announced since 2010).
Service bulletins (172)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2025-07-18 · PIP5601C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from tac.
Unknown Or Other 2025-03-28 · 23-NA-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on onstar module 2g sunset information.
Engine 2024-12-18 · 03-06-01-023I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.
Engine 2024-10-07 · 03-06-01-023H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.
Unknown Or Other 2024-09-06 · PIT3271P · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. general motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized, tested and designed for the vehicle in question and its applications. technician s
Electrical System 2024-08-26 · General Communication · Service Campaign
vehicle wide programming (vwp) is a new process to update software on gm vehicles. it provides the ability via a single selection within techline connect to first identify which modules need updating and then proceed to updating affected modules (with some exceptions). the updating of modules is com
Showing the 6 most recent of 172 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2023-09-13 · Electrical System“the fan for the heater doesnt work on all speeds properly, stopped working entirely …”
2014-10-26 · Service Brakes · 74,000 mi“while pulling a camper-trailer, i applied the brakes and the pedal went completely to the floor. i was able to stop utilizing the brakes on the trailer. i was only a short distance from home and i was able to get the trailer back, keeping the transmission in 1st gear and the trailer brakes. i took the truck to a chevy dealer that was just a very…”
2014-03-19 · Service Brakes · 131,883 mi“i was traveling on the interstate towing a 5th wheel trailer and traffic came to an abrupt stop. i applied my brakes and had brakes than the pedal went to the floor and i lost braking power. i let off the brakes and reapplied the brakes and the pedal went to the floor with low breaking affect. i pulled the truck over and found brake fluid coming ou…”
2014-03-02 · Service Brakes · 164,000 mi“brake line rusted out and failed in two spots in the last month. *tr…”
2013-09-25 · Service Brakes · 105,000 mi“this past week, as i was driving to get gas for our camping trip, the brake pedal went straight to the floor with no warning. i was able to get the dually slowed down without incident, but was it ever close. after getting the truck back to my house, i began investigating the issue as i saw no leak and the reservoir was near full. i saw online th…”
2013-08-20 · Service Brakes · 131,883 mi“brakes failed due to a sudden brake line failure. there had been no prior fluid leaks. the rear metal brake line under the bed rusted at a clamp in front of the fuel tank. as i have looked further into this i have several friends that have had this problem and several shops said that they saw this often with these vehicles all failing in the same a…”
2012-11-30 · Service Brakes · 60,004 mi“i picked my stepdaughter at school and at the stoplight to leave the school there were no brakes. i used the curb to slow the truck enough to the lights to change. it was not a busy time and students were not present otherwise this would have been a disaster. i drove the truck home with flashers very slowly home on a back road downshifting and …”
2012-11-13 · Service Brakes · 133,000 mi“approaching a stop. when the brakes were applied, the brake pedal dropped almost completely to the floor and stopping was extremely difficult. discovered that the brake lines which run along the frame behind the driver side front wheel had corroded to the point where one of the lines failed and blew open. the lines are clamped against the frame in …”
2012-09-12 · Service Brakes · 81,000 mi“on highway multi-lane, heavy traffic ahead, suddenly slowed and a lot of lane changing going on as some debris was ejected from truck onto roadway. applied brakes, application had little effect. stood on the brakes, butt out of the seat standing on the brakes, truck veered off to right severely while ant lock pulsed. fortunately traffic got out of …”
2012-01-17 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 15,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2004 gmc sierra 3500. the contact stated that when depressing the brakes it would take longer than normal to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who advised him that he needed to replace the disk and rotors. the vehicle was repaired; however, within approximately 20 months the same failure recur…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.