2004 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 Engine cooling Problems
- Complaints
- 9about this part
- Share
- 5%of 182 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 80,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 9 complaints about the engine cooling of the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 1500, 5% of the 182 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 80,000 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“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.”
NHTSA complaint #10234443, filed 2008-07, 54,000 miles“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.”
NHTSA complaint #10416275, filed 2011-07, 152,000 miles“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #10281833, filed 2009-08, 80,000 miles“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #10325760, filed 2010-04, 45,000 miles“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 complaint #10598821, filed 2014-06, 120,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10251887Mar 14, 2024This bulletin advises the technician of possible location of an internal coolant leak from a specific cylinder head and location.
- 10251890Mar 13, 2024This 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…
- 10250775Feb 22, 2024This 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…
- 10249579Jan 12, 2024This PI bulletin advises the technician on the proper way to install the pistons in an engine.
- 10245395Nov 6, 2023This service bulletin provides a vibration analysis worksheet the technician can use in conjunction with the appropriate Vibration Analysis-Road testing procedure when diagnosing…
- 10242843Sep 1, 2023The 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…
- 10242262Aug 24, 2023This service bulletin provides graphics, information and guidelines for engine component wear to assist service personnel as a guideline to perform necessary engine repairs and…
- 10240344Jul 31, 2023This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.
- 10235802Apr 24, 2023This diagnostic tip bulletin provides additional information on how to diagnose a possible valve, lifter or camshaft issue.
- 10234141Mar 23, 2023This diagnostic tip bulletin provides additional information on how to diagnose a possible valve, lifter or camshaft issue.
Engine cooling: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 6% |
| 2025 | 2 | 6% |
| 2008 | 1 | 1% |
| 2007 | 13 | 7% |
| 2006 | 1 | 3% |
| 2005 | 3 | 3% |
| 2004 | 9 | 5% |
| 2003 | 6 | 3% |
| 2002 | 10 | 8% |
| 2001 | 2 | 2% |
| 2000 | 1 | 1% |
| 1999 | 3 | 4% |
| 1997 | 1 | 6% |
Other parts of the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 1500
84 complaintsBrakes
38 complaintsSteering
13 complaintsVehicle speed control
11 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
10 complaintsTires
9 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
8 complaintsFuel system
6 complaintsBody and structure
5 complaintsWheels
4 complaintsEngine
3 complaintsExterior lighting
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2004 Chevrolet Suburban 1500
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology