2004 Chevrolet Express 3500
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Chevrolet › Express 3500 › 2004
These records cover every 2004 Chevrolet Express 3500. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Owner complaints
16 complaints1 involved a fire
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Service brakes
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.
- Tires
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…
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.
- Structure › Body › Door · Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and attachments
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.
- Service brakes
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…
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
- Fuel/propulsion system
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.
- Steering
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 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
- Fuel system, gasoline
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.
- Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly › Filler pipe and cap
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…
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
- Fuel system, gasoline
Dangerous as gas tank rusted through on top and left side after only rougly 100,000 miles. *tr
- Service brakes, hydraulic
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…
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.
- Electronic stability control (esc) · Service brakes, hydraulic
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
- Steering
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…
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.
- Steering › Linkages › Arm › Idler and attachment
2004 chevy express with broken steering idler. Consumer IS pleased because the dealer fixed the problem. *kb **nar**
- Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and attachments
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
- Steering
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…
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
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc › Rotor
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.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 11010544This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.
- 11007208This 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 should not use the information that is provided by the antilock braking system tire size selection.
- 11006621Vehicle 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 completed in parallel instead of the technician needing to update one module at a time. This allows a more streamlined approach for dealers and customers.
- 11006421GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities. The damage is being caused either in the removal process by the technician, or inadequate packaging or shipping. This bulletin advises the dealers to be more careful not to damage the transmissions during removal and to package the core properly for return.
- 11004761This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with DTCs, and explains how Top Tier fuels should be used to reduce carbon build-up.
- 11004557This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as a Product Allegation Resolution (PAR) claim.
- 11002312This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming System (SPS) Error Codes E4398, E4399, E4401, E4403, M4404, M4413, M6954, M6955, E4414, E4423, E4491, E4492, or E6961 and resolution information.
- 11000576This Warranty Administration bulletin provides retail and wholesale service personnel with the policies/procedures and the warranty transaction submission procedures that support the Personal Property Damage process.
- 10252735This bulletin provides information for electrical ground repairs using new General Motors replacement fasteners with conductive finish.
- 10252163XM Audio Traffic And Travel Link Availability And Operation.
- 10251890This technical bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with DTCs, and explains how Top Tier fuels should be used to reduce carbon build-up.
- 10250775This service bulletin provides service information to technicians on guidelines to replace Oil Cooler, Oil Cooler Lines and Oil Tank if the engine was replaced where large amounts of debris has flowed throughout the oiling system.
- 10249590This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as a Product Allegation Resolution (PAR) claim.
- 10249579This PI bulletin advises the technician on the proper way to install the pistons in an engine.
- 10249011This informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Headlamp, Tail Lamp, License Lamp or Fog/Driving Lamp Damage.
- 10248444Vehicle Recalls
- 10247681Information On Requests To Add OnStar Bluetooth Option.
- 10247552This service bulletin provides information on Concerns or Questions Regarding Installation of Dealer Installed Accessories.
- 10246952Programming And Activation Of Replacement OnStar Modules.
- 10246951Programming And Activation Of Replacement OnStar Modules.
- 10246631Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
- 10245951Canadian Customers Unable To Place Calls And Turn By Turn Inoperative In The United States.
- 10245950Canadian Customers Unable To Place Calls In The United States
- 10245395This service bulletin provides a vibration analysis worksheet the technician can use in conjunction with the appropriate Vibration Analysis-Road testing procedure when diagnosing vibration concerns.
- 10244274This service bulletin provides information about the Hunter wheel Road Force balancers that should be utilized for all repairs requiring balance and Road Force measurement.
- 10244214This informational bulletin provides information for the IPC odometer programming method quick reference guide.
- 10244201This service bulletin provides information for dealers on how to submit a product information report (PIR) (Canada Only).
- 10242843The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is opened rapidly and advises the customer that it is normal for the delay.
- 10242262This service bulletin provides graphics, information and guidelines for engine component wear to assist service personnel as a guideline to perform necessary engine repairs and prevent unnecessary engine replacement.
- 10242252This technical bulletin provides information and a solution to a condition of Brake Pedal Moves or Self Applies at Full Turns.
- 10240344This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.
- 10235802This diagnostic tip bulletin provides additional information on how to diagnose a possible valve, lifter or camshaft issue.
- 10235799This service bulletin provides information about the Hunter wheel Road Force balancers that should be utilized for all repairs requiring balance and Road Force measurement.
- 10234141This diagnostic tip bulletin provides additional information on how to diagnose a possible valve, lifter or camshaft issue.
- 10234110This service bulletin provides service information on new torque specification and installation procedure for ACDelco Spin-On Oil Filters.
- 10232287This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
- 10232156This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on OnStar Module 2G Sunset Information.
- 10232136This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Exterior Lamp Condensation and Water Leaks and Replacement Guidelines.
- 10230605This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on OnStar Module 2G Sunset Information.
- 10228906This Warranty Administration bulletin provides retail and wholesale service personnel with the policies/procedures and the warranty transaction submission procedures that support the Personal Property Damage process.
Every Chevrolet Express 3500 model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.