2004 Chevrolet Avalanche
The Verdict
The 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche has 318 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are electrical (127 complaints) and brakes (82 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 42/100, it earns a "Proceed with Caution" rating. If you're shopping for a Chevrolet Avalanche, consider the 2012 model year which has 83% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2012 has 83% fewer complaints
View the 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche dashboard →
Klunk Score: Proceed with Caution
About average for complaint volume. Research the specific issues before buying.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
By Category
By Severity
Worst Problems
Complaints
N/a
The brake pressure modulator valve leaks the transmission has problems and service airbags is on
Tire brand and size is cooper Discoverer stt 33×12.50R20LT. I was coming home on my lunch break and it blew out I didnt hit anything in the road or anything I have another tire the same brand and it started to separate on sidewall also but I felt a vibration so I took the tire off and put my other spare on and the vibration stopped.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the brake warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rear brakes needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired however, the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic who replaced the parking brakes and the brake fluid; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the brake pedal would hesitate to respond when depressed, causing a 100-feet in stopping distance delay. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V045000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) since the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 178,000.
VEHICLE LOOSES POWER AND BRAKES GO OUT THEN DIES,DOESN'T MATTER SPEED. IF SLOWING DOWN AND PRESS THE BRAKES, THE LOCKS, LIGHTS, AND SECURITY GOES CRAZY. THIS IS DANGEROUS AS IT IS IN INTERSECTIONS AND CAUTION FOR COLLISION. THE VEHICLE HAS TO BE OFF FOR A TIME FRAME AND RESTARTS FINE AND CAN GO. HAPPENED WHEN COMING FROM RAMP AND IN MIDDLE OF ROAD WITH SEMI TRUCK COMING DOWN BY US.
THIRD BRAKE LINE FAILURE DUE TO CORROSION. AREAS OF FAILURE ARE HIDDEN FROM VIEW ABOVE OTHER COMPONENTS. UPON BRAKE LINE FAILURE, BACKUP BRAKING WAS INOPERATIVE IN ALL CASES. VEHICLE WAS ON A CITY STREET IN MOTION ATTEMPTING TO STOP. BRAKES FAILED SUDDENLY IN ALL CASES. BRAKES WERE VERY NOTICIBLY INOPERATIVE BEFORE ANY INDICATION ON DASH BOARD. PUMPING THE PEDAL DID NOTHING- THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. WAS TOLD MANUFACTURER NO LONGER SUPPLIES BRAKE LINES FOR THIS VEHICLE.
IT TAKES HALF AN HOUR TO FILL MY TANK IT KEEPS KICKING OFF LIKE IT'S FULL WHEN IT'S NOT
I HAD JUMPED MY DEAD BATTERY AND LEFT THE TRUCK RUNNING. ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER BEING JUMPED, THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE NEVER MOVED AND WAS SITTING IDLY IN PARK AND NOTHING TOUCHED THE VEHICLE. *TR
CLEAR COAT PEELING ON ALL HORIZONTAL SURFACES, UPPER DASH PANEL DEVELOPED MULTIPLE CRACKS CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD IF AIRBAG DEPLOYS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED TO START AND THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED A STRONG FUEL ODOR INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WENT TO THE FUEL STATION AND THE FUEL ODOR BECAME STRONGER WHILE ADDING FUEL TO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUBFRAME UNDER THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.
NEW BATTERY NEW ALTERNATOR HOWEVER THE VEHICLE IS NOT COMMUNICATING CORRECTLY TO HAVE THE ALTERNATOR CHARGE THE BATTERY. RESULT IS "BATTERY NOT CHARGING." THIS DURING ANY OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. BATTERY WILL DIE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE PUMP FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V043000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 250,000.
THE ABS SYSTEM ENGAGES AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN STOPPING ON DRY PAVEMENT. GENERALLY THE CONDITION IS LIMITED TO SPEEDS UNDER 10 MPH WHEN PARKING OR STOPPING AT STOP SIGNS. THIS CONDITION DISENGAGED THE BREAKS AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO MOVE BEYOND THE TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNAL AT A FOUR WAY INTERSECTION, NEARLY RESULTING IN A SERIOUS SIDE IMPACT COLLISION.
TAKATA INFLATORS AIRBAGS AND GAGES ON DASH. IN AN ACCIDENT AIRBAGS DIDN'T RELEASED.
DRIVER AND PASSENGER EXTERIOR DOOR LATCH DID NOT LATCH WHEN DOOR WAS CLOSED. WHILE THE DRIVER WAS TURNING RIGHT ON A VILLAGE STREET, BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOORS OPENED UNEXPECTEDLY. WHILE IN MOTION AROUND THE TURN THE DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE DOOR TO AVOID ONCOMING TRAFFIC. DURING THE ATTEMPT TO CLOSE THE DOOR, THE CAR HIT A TREE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. I SUSPECT THE STUCK LATCH WAS DUE TO WATER AND/OR DIRT GETTING IN THE LATCH HINGE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE CONTACT REAR ENDED THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DEALER WAS LATER CONTACTED (GORDON CHEVROLET IN PHILADELPHIA, PA) AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED AND TOWED TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 92,000.
ABS BRAKE WENT OUT ABOUT 8 YEARS AGO BEING TOLD BY SOME MECHANICS NO POINT IN REPAIRING IT SAME THING WILL HAPPEN AGAIN SEEMS THAT IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS VECHILE WHEN IT WENT OUT I HAD 50 000 MILES AND THE 36000 MILE AND 3 YEAR WARRANITY HAS ALREADY PASSED I HEARD A FEW WEEKS AGO THAT YOU ALL HAD A RECALL BUT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED THE VECHILE HAD BEEN PARKED AT A MALL WHEN I STARTED TO LEAVE THEIR THE LIGHT AND WARNING ALARM CAME ON
ALL THE FRAME IS RUSTED AND ALL BRAKE LINES AND FUEL LINES, AND FRONT END PARTS RUSTED
I WAS DRIVING HOME AFTER PICKING MY GRANDAUGHTER UP FROM SCHOOL I WAS DOING APPROXOMITALLY 55 MPH AND MY TRUCK CAME TO ALMOST A COMPLETE STOP MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND PANEL STATED THROTTLE REDUCTION OR SOMETHING TO THAT AFFECT I CHECKED FLUIDS AND BELTS AND RESTARTED TRUCK BECAUSE I WAS HALFWAY IN ROAD AT BUSY TIME OF DAY I THEN ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE TO SAFE SPOT AND CALLED FOR HELP THE TRUCK THEN RAN GREAT THAT EVE TRUCK DID SAME THING WENT TO SHOP AND AND HAD CHECKED OUT IT WAS THE FUEL ACTUATER CONTROL MOTOR CIRCUIT AT THIS TIME I HAVE NOT HAD IT REPAIRED THIS IS A DAGEROUS MALFUNCTION IM AM VERY LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT HIT BY OTHER TRAFFIC DUE TO NO WARNING OF ALMOST COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP IN BUSY TRAFFIC I RECEIVED A FEW FINGERS WAVED AT ME AND I DONT THINK IT MEANT WAS NUM 1 LOL
I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON HIGHWAY 144 GOING ABOUT 30 MILES ON OCTOBER 5TH AROUND 1130 AM. WHEN MY FRONT PASSENGER TIRE WITH AXLE INSIDE IT STILL CAME OFF AND ROLLED AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE. MY VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY BOTTOMED OUT AFTERWARDS. I WAS INFORMED BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER AFTER THE ACCIDENT THAT IT HAPPENED TO THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE AS WELL. THIS HAS LEFT ME
318 total