RoadVitals

2004 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest Sep 29, 2014
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
6%
of 182 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistanceEngineSteering
Filed Sep 29, 2014

BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE FIRST INCIDENT. I DROVE IT HOME FROM OVER TWO HOURS AWAY, DROVE IT ALL AROUND THE DAY BEFORE, NO PROBLEMS. THEN I WAS DRIVING DOWN A BYPASS AT ABOUT 60 MILES AN HOUR AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF! I HAD NO POWER STEERING, NOTHING! I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, SHUT IT OFF AND ONCE I TURNED IT BACK OVER IT WAS JUST FINE. SO I CAUTIOUSLY STARTED DRIVING, IT HAPPENED AGAIN A FEW MILES DOWN THE ROAD ONLY THIS TIME IT STALLED THEN REGAINED POWER AND QUICKLY SHUT OFF AGAIN. ONCE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED, IT WAS FINE, IT DID THIS TO ME 5 TIMES WITHIN 5 MILES. I ALMOST GOT HIT TWO OF THOSE TIMES BY OTHER VEHICLES, ONCE WHEN I WAS TURNING ONTO A ROAD. I AM GLAD MY KIDS WERE NOT IN IT. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE ON TWO LANE ROADS WITHOUT ROOM TO PULL OVER. *TR

NHTSA ID
10639720
Incident
Sep 28, 2014
Mileage
174,348 mi
Engine
Filed Sep 4, 2014

EXHAUST MANIFOLD LEAK CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON BOLTS BROKEN ON EXHAUST MANIFOLD. *TR

NHTSA ID
10630648
Incident
Jun 18, 2014
Mileage
224,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jun 17, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STARTING THE IGNITION, A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE ENGINE. IN ADDITION, COOLANT WAS DISPENSED INTO THE RADIATOR RESERVOIR EVERY TWO DAYS WITHOUT COOLANT VISIBLE ON THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE WATER PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

NHTSA ID
10598821
Incident
May 1, 2014
Mileage
120,000 mi
Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Feb 16, 2012

AT RANDOM YOU WILL JUST BE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND A MESSAGE COMES ON THAT SAYS REDUCE ENGINE POWER AND THE T/C LIGHT COMES ON ALONG WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, IS VERY UNSAFE, AND IS GETTING WORSE. WE HAVE HAD WORK DONE TO TRY AND FIX THE PROBLEM BUT ITS STILL HAPPENING. WE DON'T HAVE TONS OF MONEY TO FIX THIS, LIVE IN THE COUNTRY, AND HAVE 5 KIDS. THIS IS OUR ONLY TRANSPORTATION AND WE HAVE A RATHER LARGE LOAN ON THE THING AND ITS TURNING INTO YARD ART. *TR

NHTSA ID
10448270
Incident
Aug 9, 2011
Mileage
120,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectricalEngine
Filed Aug 21, 2011

2004 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN GOES INTO REDUCED POWER ENGINE W/O REASON CHANGE THE ENGINE, BECAUSE HIGH MILES, CHANGE TRANSMISSION, CHANGE THROTTLE BODY,CHANGE GAS PEDAL MODULE, CHANGE CATALYTIC CONVERTER SPEND OVER 4,000 ON THE TRUCK WITHOUT COUNTING THE ACCIDENT CAN OCCUR IN THE INTERSTATE 78 WEST BECAUSE OF THE LOST OF POWER, DEALERS DON'T KNOW WHAT IS THE PROBLEM NEITHER THE LOCAL MECHANICS CAN YOU PLEASE TAKE ACTION IN THIS MATTER AND READ AT EDMONDS.COM AND SEE ALL THE COMPLAINS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM

NHTSA ID
10421869
Incident
Aug 1, 2011
Mileage
350,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jul 29, 2011

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ONE DAY AND REDUCED ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. MY SUBURBAN SLOWS TO ABOUT 35MPH AND WILL NOT GO ANY FASTER. THIS OCCURS ABOUT 15 TIMES A MONTH. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE DRIVING BEHIND ME WHEN IT COMES TO A SUDDEN SLOW IF I CAN NOT GET OFF THE ROAD. WE HAVE BROUGHT IT TO A DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES. THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG. WE HAVE CHANGED THE THROTTLE PEDAL POSITIONING SENSOR, MAP SENSOR, CRANK SENSOR, KNOCK SENSOR, SPARK PLUGS, SPARK PLUG WIRES. NOTHING HAS WORKED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10416275
Incident
Nov 11, 2010
Mileage
152,000 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 14, 2010
Fire reported

I BOUGHT A NEW 2004 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500 LS IN EARLY SEPTEMBER 2005. ONE EVENING I WENT TO A RESTAURANT TO EAT, WENT INSIDE AND WAS SEATED. MAYBE 5 MINUTES PASSED, COULD HAVE BEEN LESS. THE OWNER BEGAN YELLING THAT A VEHICLE IN THE LOT WAS ON FIRE. I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A CAR NEXT TO MINE BELLOWING SMOKE. I RAN OUTSIDE TO MOVE MY 2004 SUBURBAN AWAY FROM THE BURNING CAR AND TO MY AMAZEMENT DISCOVERED IT WAS MY SUBURBAN! THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO PRIOR INDICATION OF ANYTHING WRONG SUCH AS AN OVER-HEATED ENGINE. NO INDICATION OF ANY MALFUNCTION WHATSOEVER. THE ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY OFF WHEN THIS FIRE STARTED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10325760
Incident
Apr 10, 2010
Mileage
45,000 mi
Engine
Filed Aug 26, 2009

I HAVE A 2004 CHEVY SUBURBAN 1500 WITH 90K MILES. IN NOVEMBER 2008 AT 80K MILES I NOTICED THE HEATER WASN'T HEATING. CHECKED AF TO FIND IT WAS A GAL LOW. NO LEAKS DETECTED ANYWHERE AND NO SMOKING FROM EXHAUST. A FEW WEEKS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED. AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO 3 GARAGES INCLUDING ONE AUTHORIZED GM DEALER, ALL DIAGNOSTIC TEST WERE NEGATIVE FOR CRACKED HEADS OR HEAD GASKETS. SUGGESTIVE OF PROBLEM BUT NOT DEFINITIVE. THE GM DEALER STARTED AN OIL CONSUMPTION STUDY D/T HAVING TO ADD 1 - 1.5 QUARTS OIL EVERY 1500 - 2000 MILES. IN AND OUT OF THE SHOP UNTIL JUNE 2009 WHEN WE EXPERIENCE SUDDEN LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE, ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING BUT NOT SMOKING. I CHANGED THE OIL AGAIN AND DROVE THE VEHICLE THE NEXT MORNING. MADE IT 25 MILES WHEN OIL PRESSURE DROPPED AGAIN AND ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING. I ACTUALLY DROVE THE VEHICLE BACK HOME UNDER FULL POWER BUT ALARMS GOING OFF AND NO OIL PRESSURE. I PULLED THE OIL PAN OFF AND FOUND THE ROD BEARINGS BURNED AND CRYSTALLIZED. NOW LOOKING AT NEW ENGINE. GM DENIES PROBLEM WITH THAT MODEL ENGINE AND REFUSES TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. JUST PRIOR TO EXPERIENCING THE ENGINE PROBLEMS WE DID HAVE TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. ALL OF INSTANCES STARTED AROUND 80K MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10281833
Incident
Nov 28, 2008
Mileage
80,000 mi
Engine
Filed Nov 25, 2008

THE COOLANT LEVEL IN THE RESERVOIR CONTINUED TO DROP, PROMPTING ME TO REFILL IT WEEKLY. SERVICE SHOP WORKED ON THIS ON AND OFF FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. AFTER SEVERAL ENGINE OVERHEATING SITUATIONS, WE TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT SHOP. TURNS OUT OUR HEADS ARE CRACKED. THEY WERE MANUFACTURED BY CASTECH AND ARE KNOWN TO BE DEFECTIVE ACCORDING TO GM BULLETIN #06-06-01-019B (DOCUMENT ID 1986750). THERE IS NOW SO MUCH ANTI-FREEZE IN OUR ENGINE THAT THE ENTIRE MOTOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE CORROSIVE NATURE OF THE FLUID. GM SAID THAT THEY WOULD PAY NOTHING TOWARDS OUR REPAIR. THE ENGINE ONLY HAS 91K MILES AND NOW NEEDS TOTAL REPLACEMENT B/C OF AN ISSUE THAT GM KNEW ABOUT SINCE 6/12/07 BUT NEVER CONTACTED US ABOUT. HAD THE REPLACED THE HEADS BACK IN 2007, WE MOST CERTAINLY WOULDN'T BE FACING TOTAL MOTOR REPLACEMENT AT THIS TIME. *TR

NHTSA ID
10249759
Incident
Jul 15, 2008
Mileage
80,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jul 15, 2008

MY 2004 CHEVY SUBURBAN JUST DIES WHILE DRIVING, I LOOSE POWER STEERING & MY BRAKES. IT HAS HAPPENED 2X IN 2 DAYS. IT PRESENTS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, FOR MYSELF & OTHER DRIVERS. WHEN A DIAGNOSTIC IS RUN IT IS NEGATIVE, NOTHING SHOWS UP. ALL OF THIS OUT OF NOWHERE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10234443
Incident
Jul 14, 2008
Mileage
54,000 mi
Engine
Filed Oct 2, 2006

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE WAS PUT IN PARK, AND WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. IT WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, HOWEVER THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.

NHTSA ID
10169776
Incident
Sep 30, 2006
Mileage
20,790 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .