Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 16 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2004 Chevrolet Express 3500. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–16 of 16
2004 CHEVROLET EXPRESS COLLINS SCHOOL BUS WHILE DRIVING AT 15 MPH ON AN INCLINED RURAL COUNTRY ROAD ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE NOTICED PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR AND WAS STOPPED BY FURTHER DOWN SHIFTING AND APPLYING EMERGENCY BRAKE. INFORMED BY REPAIR SHOP THE RIGHT FRONT HYDRAULIC LINE RUBBED THROUGH THE METAL BRAKE LINE CAUSING THE FAILURE. FAILURE MILEAGE 43,997.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500 EQUIPPED WITH TOYO OPEN COUNTRY H/T TUFF DUTY TIRES, SIZE: LT245/75/R16 TIRES. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES HAD CRACKS AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, MULTIPLE PARTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,187 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,982.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE DOOR HINGES WERE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING DOWN A MOUNTAIN ROAD APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE EXCESSIVELY AND THE BRAKE DISCS OVERHEATED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR WAS THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,000. UPDATED 08/11/14*LJ UPDATED 08/18/2014 *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THE FUEL FILLER NECK TUBE WAS CORRODED, CAUSING FUEL TO LEAK WHEN REFUELING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V388000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
ON JUNE 08, 2013 MY HUSBAND HAD PARKED THE VAN ALONG SIDE THE ROAD - HE WAS OUT OF IT WORKING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RUNNING - WHEN A COWORKER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE VAN. THE COWORKER RAN OVER TO THE VAN AND SEEN THAT THE FIRE WAS IN THE STEERING COLUMN. WITHIN MINUTES THE ENTIRE VAN WAS ON FIRE. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS VAN HAD BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH SOMETHING SECURITY. ALL OF THE GAUGES WOULD SHUT DOWN AND IT WOULD DISPLAY "SECURITY " ON THE DASH. I PERSONALLY HAD CONTACTED OUR LOCAL CHEVY DEALER TO INQUIRE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HOW TO TAKE CARE OF IT. THE LOCAL DEALER SUGGESTED A NEW KEY MADE AT THE DEALERSHIP USING THE VIN NUMBERS. THIS MADE NO DIFFERENCE AS IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME MY HUSBAND WENT TO A DEALERSHIP IN NORWALK, OHIO INQUIRING ABOUT THE PROBLEM - THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE SOLUTION WAS EITHER. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE DEALERSHIPS HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE "SECURITY" IS OR HOW TO FIX IT......ALSO I AM WONDERING IF THIS "SECURITY" ISSUE IS THE REASON THAT I LOST MY VAN TO THE FIRE ON JUNE 08, 2013. I CONTACTED GM BUT THEY BLEW ME OFF SAYING I HAD OWNED THE VEHICLE TOO LONG TO GET ANY MONEY FOR MY LOSS. THESE VANS ARE DESIGNED TO CARRY LOTS OF PEOPLE AND IF MY FAMILY HAD BEEN IN THIS VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TIME TO GET EVERYONE OUT SAFELY AND THAT WORRIES ME GREATLY. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK PIPE WAS SEVERELY RUSTED AND WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
GASOLINE AND GASOLINE VAPOR WAS ESCAPING FROM THE FUEL FILLER PIPE LEADING TO THE FUEL TANK ON A 2004 CHEVY EXPRESS VAN 3500 SERIES. THE FILER PIPE WAS RUSTED THROUGH. THERE WAS A SEAM ON THE PIPE WHERE THE RUST THROUGH OCCURRED. GASOLINE WAS DRIPPING FROM THIS HOLE DURING GASOLINE FILL UP AND VAPORS WERE ENTERING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. WE HAD IT REPLACED BY A CERTIFIED MECHANIC BECAUSE IT WAS A POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE SITUATION, ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC. THIS WAS REPORTED TO GM. THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THIS PART, SO GM REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT PART AND LABOR. THE REPLACEMENT PART IS NOW PLASTIC. SO GM MUST HAVE RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM (BUT FAILED TO RECALL) AND CHANGED THE PIPE TO A RUST-PROOF MATERIAL. *JS
DANGEROUS AS GAS TANK RUSTED THROUGH ON TOP AND LEFT SIDE AFTER ONLY ROUGLY 100,000 MILES. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET CARGO EXPRESS VAN 3500. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH HE HAD ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE AND NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE COULD ONLY BE STOPPED BY MANUALLY DOWN SHIFTING THE GEARS. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE COOLANT LINE RUBBED THROUGH TO THE BRAKE LINE. THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL PRIOR TO THE FAILURE IN THE FRONT AXLE AREA OF THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 66445.
THE BRAKES ON MY 2004 CHEVY EXPRESS 3500 ACTIVATE WITHOUT WARNING, STOPPING THE VEHICLE IN TRAFFIC. A WARNING LIGHT INDICATED A FAILURE OF THE STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM. FAULT CODE C0196 WAS RECORDED. MY DEALER REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO OCCUR. I WAS ALMOST REAR-ENDED WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING IN TRAFFIC. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKING ABILITY. SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. SHE SHIFTED INTO A LOWER GEAR AND WAS ABLE TO COMPLETELY STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO TURN OFF AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NUMEROUS DEALERS AND SHOPS, BUT THEY ALL CONFIRMED THAT THE HYDRO BOOST FAILED. THERE WAS A RECALL, IN WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. NO RECALL COULD BE FOUND FOR THE CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500 ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT IF THE FAILURE WAS COMMON, A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 60,000.
2004 CHEVY EXPRESS WITH BROKEN STEERING IDLER. CONSUMER IS PLEASED BECAUSE THE DEALER FIXED THE PROBLEM. *KB **NAR**
FAULTY HINGE PINS ON SIDE DOORS OF 2004 CHEVY 3500 EXPRESS VAN CAUSE SEVERE BINDING OF HINGES. THIS COULD CAUSE EXIT DIFFICULTY FOR CHILD OR ELDERLY TRYING TO EXIT IN CASE OF ACCIDENT OR EMERGENCY. IT IS A PROBLEM WITH MULTIPLE YEARS AND PINS HAVE BEEN REDESIGNED. CHEVY WILL ONLY REPAIR AT CUSTOMERS EXPENSE. THIS IS NOT FROM DAMAGE OR NEGLECT. I HAVE TRIED TO LUBRICATE WITH NO SUCCESS. *JB
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500. WHILE DRIVING 5-10 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE AND THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STEERING IDLER ARM WAS CRACKED. THE MANUFACTURER DENIED THE REPAIR AS PART OF RECALL NUMBER 07103 BECAUSE THE CRACK ON THE IDLER ARM WAS NOT LOCATED IN THE CORRECT SPOT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 46,000. UPDATED 10/09/07. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT VARIOUS SPEEDS FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME WITH BRAKES DEPRESSED, THE STEERING WHEEL VIOLENTLY SHOOK. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO TURNED THE BRAKE ROTORS. AFTERWARDS, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO AS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
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