2004 Gmc Canyon
The Verdict
The 2004 Gmc Canyon has 80 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are body (39 complaints) and electrical (22 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 78/100, it earns a "Solid Pick" rating. If you're shopping for a Gmc Canyon, consider the 2025 model year which has 90% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2025 has 90% fewer complaints
View the 2025 Gmc Canyon dashboard →
Klunk Score: Solid Pick
Fewer complaints than most vehicles. Generally dependable, but check the top problems below.
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
The frame has rust through and broke on rear front leafspring mount of frame on both side . A very know problem with almost every one of these trucks
Frame front passenger cracked while driving. Was able to avoid near accident with another vehicle.
The contact owns a 2004 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that after work was completed on the tires, the independent mechanic informed him that due to severe undercarriage corrosion, the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The contact also took the vehicle to a dealer who provided the same information as the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was then notified of the failure and informed him that there were no open recalls on the vehicle. No additional assistance was offered. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.
THE CHASSIS HAS BECOME SEVERELY RUSTED ON LEFT SIDE WHERE FRONT OF LEAF SPRING IS BOLTED TO IT. IT IS ABOUT TO BREAK OFF AND IT HAS BEEN DENOTED AS "UNSAFE TO DRIVE" BY THE LOCAL GMC DEALERSHIP. TRUCK HAS BEEN WELL-MAINTAINED AND IS IN GOOD CONDITION OTHERWISE. IT HAS BEEN GARAGE-KEPT FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS. I BOUGHT IT NEW 9/2004. THE DEALERSHIP JUST DISCOVERED PROBLEM TODAY WHEN I WAS HAVING OTHER ROUTINE WORK DONE.
WE HAD SOME REPAIR WORK DONE AND WERE TOLD THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED OUT SO BADLY IT WAS READY TO BREAK IN HALF, LEAVING US WITH A CAR THAT IS UNDRIVEABLE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH OTHER MODELS OF GMC TRUCKS AND THE ISSUE IS NOT BEING ADDRESSED. MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC CANYON. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR FRAME. THE CONTACT DROVE HOME AND THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT THE FRAME WAS SEVERELY CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 119,730. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.
AFTER READING A POST FROM THE 116 AFFECTED GMC CANYON OWNERS I HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. LAST MONTH JUNE 2019 WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK MY AC JUST QUIT WORKING (HOT WEATHER IN SACRAMENTO), NO MATTER WHAT SPEED IT WAS ON 1 THROUGH 4. I ALSO SMELT A BURNING SMELL. TODAY WHILE DRIVING MY TRUCK TO THE REALER TO GET IT ANALYZED I HIT A BUMP AND THE BLOWER STARTED WORKING AGAIN ON SPEED 4. BOB FROM JOHN L SULLIVAN CHEVY JUST CALLED TO CONFIRM THE DIAGNOSIS...THE CONNECTOR THAT CONNECTS TO THE BLOWER WAS MELTED AND THE RESISTER WAS BURNT.
REAR FRAME HAS RUSTED COMPLETELY OUT. NOW SITTING AND CANNOT DRIVE. I LOVE DRIVING THIS TRUCK BUT NOW IT IS JUST SITTING. HOPE GM WILL SELL ME A FRAME AT COST SO I CAN FIX IT.
UNDERCARRIAGE RUST CAUSED SPARE TIRE/WHEEL TO FALL FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE.
THE GMC PASSLOCK LOCKOUT FEATURE IS A PAIN IN THE REAR OF NEARLY EVERY CAR/TRUCK OWNER HAVING THIS FEATURE. TODAY, FOR THE UMPTEENTH TIME, MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT START WHEN I TRIED TO START IT UP AFTER FUELING. MY TRUCK WAS STUCK AT THE GAS PUMPS, OBSTRUCTING OTHER PATRONS WAITING TO GAS UP. I SAT WAITING FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES AND TRIED STARTING IT AGAIN, WHILE GETTING DIRTY LOOKS FROM OTHER PEOPLE WAITING TO GAS UP. OF, COURSE IT DIDN'T START BECAUSE I HADN'T WAITED THE REQUISITE 10 MINUTES. FINALLY, I GOT OUT AND PUSHED THE TRUCK AWAY FROM THE PUMPS BY MYSELF (I AM 72 YEARS OLD) AND THEN WAITED 10 MINUTES AND FINALLY RE-STARTED MY VEHICLE. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS AGGRAVATION OF MY VEHICLE NOT STARTING MANY, MANY TIMES DURING THE 14 YEARS THAT I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER GMC PRODUCT! GMC SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO ISSUE A RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM ONCE AND FOR ALL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC CANYON. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED AT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME WAS CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000. *TT *JB
FRAME IS RUSTING AND COLLAPSING IN AREA BETWEEN CAB AND BED ON BOTH SIDES I HAD ATOYOTATACOMA WITH THIS CONDITION AND MANUFACTURER BOUGHT IT BACK . MY VEHICLE WAS NEVER IN A COLLISION. 95000 MILES
THE DASH WARNING FOR SEATBELT IS LIT UP
BRAKE LIGHTS STOPPING WORKING AND DOOR LOCKS AND CONTROLLABLE TO AND WINDOWS TO
TRUCK FRAME HAS TOTALLY RUSTED OUT WITH ONLY 80,000 MILES ON THE TRUCK. BODY SHOWS NOTHING, BUT THE FRAME IS DISINTEGRATING. I RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS BASED ON PICTURES WHICH SHOWED AN EXTREMELY CLEAN BODY AND INTERIOR (TRUE). GOT IT DELIVERED TO MY MECHANIC WHO CALLED ME TO SHOW ME THE HOLES IN THE FRAME!
THE FRAME HAS TOTALLY RUSTED AND IS BREAKING APART WHILE THE REST OF THE TRUCK IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION. SEE PHOTOS. THIS WAS NOTICED ON 09-18-17. I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK NEW IN 2004 AND AS YOU CAN TELL BY THE MILEAGE IT HAS BEEN DRIVEN VERY LITTLE. PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC CANYON. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR SUBFRAME AND THE TRUCK BED WERE SEVERELY CORRODED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE AND SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN. THE LOCAL DEALER STATED THAT THERE WERE ISSUES REPORTED ABOUT RUST TO THE REAR SUBFRAME OF SOME SIMILAR VEHICLES; HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO RECALLS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154,000.
FRAME ROTTED OUT WHERE LEAF SPRING CONNECTS TO FRAME
A PORTION OF THE FRAME HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE REAR TIRE ON THE DRIVER SIDE. WATER MUST HAVE GOTTEN TRAPPED INSIDE OF THE BOX FRAME DUE TO LACK OF DRAINAGE HOLES AND A 12 INCH SECTION ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OFF. ONE OF THE VERTICAL WELDS GOING UP THE SIDE OF THE FRAME HAS ALSO RUSTED THROUGH IN THIS SPOT. THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY DRIVEN ON PAVED ROADS IN URBAN MINNESOTA.
MY 2004 GMC CANYON CAUGHT FIRE YESTERDAY ABOUT 1:12 PM AND BURNED UP. THE FIRE DEPT. INDICATED A STRONG SMELL OF GAS. THIS EVENT HAPPENED ABOUT 20 MINUTES AFTER I ARRIVED HOME IN THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT BY THE EASTSIDE FIRE DEPT UNDER INCIIDENT NUMBER 17-1594. THEIR PHONE NUMBER IS 425-313-3200.
80 total