2004 Chevrolet C4500: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
3 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
9,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2004 model year. Data updated: . 3 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 3 complaints (66.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 2 | 66.7% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 2 |
| Wheels | 1 |
Electrical System: 2; Wheels: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 3 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 3; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (3). 0 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 3 |
2012: 3
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10473894 · 2012-09-05 (September 5, 2012)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET C4500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 62 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL VIBRATED ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 37,000.
Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10473894 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10488835 · 2012-12-14 (December 14, 2012)
CONTINUAL WIRING PROBLEMS SINCE PURCHASE. TRUCK SHUTS DOWN WHILE IN TRANSIT. VERY DANGEROUS. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 9,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10488835 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10488836 · 2012-12-14 (December 14, 2012)
TRUCK SHUTS OFF IN TRANSIT WITH NO WARNING. REPAIRED BY DEALER ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS SINCE NEW BUT CONTINUED ELECTRICAL/WIRING PROBLEMS. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 10,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10488836 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
3 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 240.0%ODI 10091633WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE, AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE TEMPERATURE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND REPLACED IT. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED, AND VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER . MECHANIC REPLACED THE COMPUTER SENSOR, AND THE PROBLEM RECURRED AGAIN. *AK | 266.7%ODI 10488835 · 9,500 miCONTINUAL WIRING PROBLEMS SINCE PURCHASE. TRUCK SHUTS DOWN WHILE IN TRANSIT. VERY DANGEROUS. *TR | 150.0%ODI 10441687WE LOST A BABY VIA DNC ON THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING 2010 AND THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING MY HUSBAND WENT TO LEAVE WORK TO COME HOME AND STARTED THE TRUCK TO LET THE ENGINE WARM AND NEXT THING HE KNEW THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE TRUCK. IT WAS RAINING SO AT FIRST HE ASSUMED IT WAS CONDENSATION BURNING OFF THE EXHAUST. NEXT THING HE KNEW THE DASH WAS ON FIRE AND WE LOST OUR TRUCK. THE BODY SHOP AND INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED THAT THE "BRAKE RELAY BOX" HAD SHORTED OUT CAUSING THE FIRE. IT TOOK MONTHS TO SETTLE WITH THE INSURANCE COMPAN… | 116.7%ODI 10160581 · 211 miDT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START RIGHT AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP. THE NEXT DAY, THE DEALER JUMP STARTED THE VEHICLE HOWEVER WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN HOME IT WOULD NOT START AGAIN. AFTER DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKE SERVICE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THERE WAS DIFFICULTY APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE. ALSO, THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED TO READ THE APPROPRIATE MILEAGE AND THE GAS GAUGE WENT UP AND DOWN. THE BRAKES HAD TO BE PUMPED TO MAKE THE BRAKES FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS EVEN D… | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 240.0%ODI 10048790 · 38,000 miCONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT AN ENGINE PROBLEM. IT DID NOT MAINTAIN THE THROTTLE. ENGINE WENT INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT A CAUSE. ALSO, A SUSPENSION PROBLEM DUE TO BOLTS PLACED IN UPSIDE DOWN POSITION WHICH CAUSED VEHICLE TO FLIP. WIRES AND PLASTIC BOLT HOLDERS MELTED.*AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 233.3%ODI 10355916 · 62,000 miRECENTLY, THE FAN EXPLODED ON MY 2006 CHEVROLET C-4500 AND DESTROYED THE COWLING AROUND THE FAN AND TORE HOLES IN THE RADIATOR AND HOSES INTO THE INTERCOOLER. I WAS PULLING A HEAVY 5TH WHEEL RV. GLAD IT DID NOT HAPPEN WHEN I WAS CHANGING THE FUEL FILTER A FEW DAYS BEFORE. UPDATED 09/23/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE FAN BLADE FAILED. THE OUTER RING CAME APART AND DESTROYED THE COWLING AROUND THE FAN AND MADE HOLES IN THE RADIATOR CAUSING ANTI-FREEZE TO LEAK OUT. UPDATED 09/24/10 *TR | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 10441687WE LOST A BABY VIA DNC ON THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING 2010 AND THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING MY HUSBAND WENT TO LEAVE WORK TO COME HOME AND STARTED THE TRUCK TO LET THE ENGINE WARM AND NEXT THING HE KNEW THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE TRUCK. IT WAS RAINING SO AT FIRST HE ASSUMED IT WAS CONDENSATION BURNING OFF THE EXHAUST. NEXT THING HE KNEW THE DASH WAS ON FIRE AND WE LOST OUR TRUCK. THE BODY SHOP AND INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED THAT THE "BRAKE RELAY BOX" HAD SHORTED OUT CAUSING THE FIRE. IT TOOK MONTHS TO SETTLE WITH THE INSURANCE COMPAN… | 116.7%ODI 10160581 · 211 miDT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START RIGHT AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP. THE NEXT DAY, THE DEALER JUMP STARTED THE VEHICLE HOWEVER WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN HOME IT WOULD NOT START AGAIN. AFTER DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKE SERVICE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THERE WAS DIFFICULTY APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE. ALSO, THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED TO READ THE APPROPRIATE MILEAGE AND THE GAS GAUGE WENT UP AND DOWN. THE BRAKES HAD TO BE PUMPED TO MAKE THE BRAKES FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS EVEN D… | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 116.7%ODI 10417110 · 60,200 miACCELERATING FROM STOP LIGHT, 5:45 CST, 92 DEGREES/HUMID, 15MPH, 150' INTO INTERSECTION LOUD NOISE. COOLING FAN DISINTEGRATED & TOOK OUT ALL HOSES, RADIATOR & BOTH RADIATOR SHROUDS. CURRENTLY AT DEALER, LOWER RADIATOR HOSE NO LONGER MADE. *TR | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System | 120.0%ODI 10091633WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE, AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE TEMPERATURE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND REPLACED IT. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED, AND VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER . MECHANIC REPLACED THE COMPUTER SENSOR, AND THE PROBLEM RECURRED AGAIN. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 120.0%ODI 10424221 · 65,000 miAFTER MONTHS OF HARD STARTING THE ENGINE, THINKING IT WAS THE COLD WEATHER, OLDER GLOW PLUGS, IT TURNED OUT TO BE NOT ENOUGH PRESSURE IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE FUEL INJECTORS ARE LEAKING DIESEL FUEL INTO THE CRANKCASE. CHEVY HAS KNOW OF THIS PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME. THEY WANT 4500.00 TO REPLACE THE INJECTORS. THE OIL IS CONTAMINATED AND CAN CATCH ON FIRE. I DO NOT KNOW IF THERE IS FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE CYLINDERS OR PISTONS OR OTHER COMPONENTS DUE TO DRIVING WITH CONTAMINATED OIL. CHEVY SAYS TO BAD. ROLL THE DICE ON THE REPAIR OR BUY A NEW TRUCK. E… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Seat Belts | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | Too few reports for a range | 10,000 mi | 2 (sparse) | ODI 10488835 · 9,500 miCONTINUAL WIRING PROBLEMS SINCE PURCHASE. TRUCK SHUTS DOWN WHILE IN TRANSIT. VERY DANGEROUS. *TR ODI 10488836 · 10,500 miTRUCK SHUTS OFF IN TRANSIT WITH NO WARNING. REPAIRED BY DEALER ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS SINCE NEW BUT CONTINUED ELECTRICAL/WIRING PROBLEMS. *TR |
| Wheels | Too few reports for a range | 100 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10473894 · 100 miTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET C4500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 62 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL VIBRATED ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 37,000. |
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2007: 0 complaints · 2009: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Electrical System | Wheels |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | — | 0 |
| Wheels | 0 | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.