2004 Chevrolet W-Series Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2004 Chevrolet W-Series, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes250.0%
- Electrical250.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE WAS BEING USE OFF THE ROAD CLIMBING A STEEP BANK. WHEN IT BROKE TRACTION THE DRIVER APPLIED BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE BOTTOM AND WITH NO BRAKING EFFECT. IT HIT A TRUCK FOLLOWING IT DAMAGING THE REAR OF THE TRUCK. THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN TO THE CHEVROLET SERVICE DEPT AND DEEMED TO BE NORMAL. WE TESTED THE TRUCK ON A SIMILAR BANK AND FOUND THE BRAKES FAILED AGAIN UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES. WE THEN TRIED FIVE OTHER CHEVYS (2003 &2004 MODELS) AND FOUND THE SAME BRAKE FAILURE IN ALL FIVE EVERY TIME TRACTION WAS BROKEN. WE HAD REPRESENTATIVES FROM CHEVROLET WITNESS OUR TEST AND ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A PROBLEM BUT THEIR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SAID THE BRAKES ARE NORMAL. WE CALLED CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AND DIDN'T GET A DIRECTION FROM THEM. WE ARE WRITING CHEVROLET/GM, BUT DON'T KNOW WHERE OR WHO TO SEND THE COMPLAINT TO. SO FAR WE HAVE HAD NO RESULTS TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM.
THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY NOT FIXED, IT IS A CHEVY 2500HD DURAMAX DIESEL. THE VEHICLE HAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES FAILING TO STOP! WE HAVE TAKEN SAID VEHICLE TO, TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS, NEITHER COULD FIND PROBLEM AND CONTINUE TO TRY DIFFERENT PARTS. THE VEHICLE HAS A HYDRALIC POWER BOOSTER ON ORDER TO SEE IF THIS RECTIFY'S THE PROBLEM. WHEN THE BRAKES FAIL ITS LIKE PUSHING YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND MEETING FORCE, BY USING EXTREME FORCE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL YOU CAN BYPASS THE FORCE, HOWEVER THIS CAUSES A PANIC STOP.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
SPEEDOMETER BASELINE IS NOW 100 MPH. GOES UP FROM THERE BUT NOT BELOW. TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE DOES NOT RESET IT. *TR
MY VEHICLE IS A 2004 ALLEGRO MOTORHOME BY TIFFIN BUILT ON A CHEVY WORKHORSE CHASSIS. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHICH HAS A SMALL LCD DISPLAY FOR ODOMETER, OIL PRESSURE, AND MPG READOUTS. THE DISPLAY HAS MOSTLY FAILED AND THE INFORMATION DISPLAYED IS NOT READABLE. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ASSEMBLY IS MADE BY ACTIA CORP. AND I HAVE RECEIVED NO HELP FROM THEM OR CHEVY OR TIFFIN CONCERNING THIS FAILURE. WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME? *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .