Used 2004 Chevrolet Suburban Consumer Reviews

Love my "Burban"

Handles and rides like any good luxury car. Heated seats are great in the winter. Very comfortable and roomy . I wouldnt drive anything but an SUV or a four door pickup. Update; I sold the Burban a few months ago, to a nice family and it's still going strong.@263000 miles.

The Best in it's Class Fuel Economy

First off, Why are all of you marking this vehicle down for Fuel Economy? For what this thing tows and hauls, including people, you would need 2 Toyota camarys to haul 8 people. Some interior parts are cheap and come loose from time to time, but the space is better than any of the full size imports. This Vehicle is bullet proof Mechanically, and except for the steering shaft problem ($74 at Autozone) This is the toughest, most economical, Extra-Large SUV on the market, and gets the best fuel economy of all of them (non-Hybrid) We moved from a mini van to this and our fuel expenses only increased about $400 a year, that's only $33 per month. Go Drive one, you will be impressed.

Not so great!

My Suburban runs great it is the little thing that cost a great deal that annoy me and Chevy hasn't done anything about it. The power windows going out the heated seats stop working the paint on the dash peeling the cheap plastic in the back. And the biggest problem of all is the Back glass disengaging from the vehicle if this glass falls on a small child it could be very dangerous there have been several complaints about this particular problem including myself, but Chevy has done nothing to correct the problem. Oh yeah you can't just replace the glass the whole unit has to be replaced so you are looking at about $1,200 part and installed. To bad for me and several others.....

What a great truck!

This has just been one of the best vehicles I have ever owned! Super reliable, still looks good, never a problem. It drives great, almost like a car and yet it can haul big trailers with horses in it. Just a great, great truck. I LOVE our Suburban. We're buying a new one now and will miss it.

Never again....

Update: we've now had the Suburban for 4 years. It has 161k miles on it with all maintenance done regularly and it s never towed anything heavy (over 4k lbs) and the transmission and transfer case have both gone out. Thus, leaving the vehicle undriveable. After talking with the dealer and several shops, this is a common thing that happens that is unavoidable. The transmission is $2,650 and the transfer case is $1600. What a joke. My decision now, do we fix it or sell it as is and cut our losses. As I've stated in my original review, the quality is non-existent in any Chevy/GM product and I'll never be purchasing another American made pile of garbage vehicle ever again. If you read online, these are 85% outsourced to Mexico and the rest is supposedly built here in America (but who knows). Run away, far away from anything American! We purchase our Z71 Suburban used from the original owner with 125k miles. 3 weeks after purchase we started having major problems. Its now been 1.5 years and I'm into it over $3k out of pocket in repairs alone! The 4wd and complete A/C system went out and cost a fortune to repair, It eats brakes, replaced the battery twice, exhaust leak that kills the power, the list goes on and on.The front speakers for the stereo only work, the interior is cheap plastic that rattles like crazy. GM build quality in these is non-existent. If Anyone in the pursuit for a full size family SUV, run away from Chevy/GMC!

over 100,000 miles on the original tires

We had a 97 Tahoe we traded in on the suburban because we needed more room I have driven chevys for over 30 years this is the best one yet it pulls well it rides great and is the most comfortable one yet this is one great suv

poor fuel milage/ok vehical

My wife and I bought our '04 suburban with the Z71 package. at first we loved this vehicle (and still really like it). but we feel the fuel mileage is horrible! It left us stranded 30 miles in the wilderness after a camping trip with no phone services when the ground wire to the ECM (computer) broke. It cost us $400 at a dealer to fix a wire and re-flash the computer. the battery and alternator also needed replaced but I was OK with that considering its age and mileage. just figured it was normal maintenance. the brakes have always felt week even after replacing them and flushing the old fluid out. the power of the 5.3L I feel is undersized for this size of vehicle.

stay with my chevy SUV

I have owned Chevy SUV's since the ''90's. I am not impressed with the new models.....too small. Glad too see Chevy increased size again but why the cost hike? My 2003 is still running with 327,000.00 miles on it! Yes, for real! I have a 2004 with 162,000.00. Need an updated model, as I cart show dogs but the prices are ridiculous. JUst cannot go to a Nissan NV 3500......nor a Ford....nor a Lincoln......all of those brands are inferior in smoothness and hauling capacity.

the do everything truck

This is the best truck we have ever owned it hauls like a big truck and rides like large car. The engine is powerful and very smooth. This is the longest production run of a SUV and it shows. Chevy suburban has it all .

3/4 Ton

This is my 4th 3/4 ton suburban and like all of the rest, it is the best typr of car I have owned. The 1/2 ton has weak brakes and is underpowered for the size and weight and I wouldn't buy another (after 3 tries). One ride in a 3/4 ton was all it took. I've never taken one oast 60,000 miles because of the cheap interest rates in the past few years, but I have never had repairs other than tune-ups. I have never replaced brakes on a 3/4 ton -- not even pads, while the 1/2 tons need pads every 12000 miles.

Unbeatable

For the costs, the towing ability, comfort! Comfort! You cant beat it. Easy to get parts, Highly reliable, this vehicle is unmatched.

Feels like it's falling apart

I have put over 63,000 miles on my Suburban since buying it off lease. Unfortunately, it has been a constant source of problems. Starting around 60- 70,000 miles, things just started falling apart. I replaced multiple suspension parts, a window regulator, a fuel pump, water pump, and some other miscellaneous items, and I am now faced with a transmission job costing over $2500. All this with only 93,000 miles. The interior is about as bad as they come, with badly fitting plastics and cheap everything. The gas mileage is horrible. The power is nice, and the towing capacity is also a plus, and mine seats nine. These cannot, unfortunately, outweigh the cost of poor reliability.

Comfortable, but poorly made

I have a love hate relationship with this vehicle. I love how it drives, feels and looks, but hate its overall quality and dependability. Since 2004 this vehicle has slowly fallen apart due to cheap materials and design. I have another non GM vehicle I have had since 2000 which has fared so much better and looks so much newer. Starting with the big ticket items this vehicle has had 2 new engines and 2 new transmissions, neither under warranty of course. The engine due to main bearing failures and the transmissions due to the fact that one seems to lead to the other.With at least this model of Suburban it seemed like they started designing and building a good vehicle and then gave up at some point and put whatever cheap stuff they could to cut costs. Things that they know you would be touching or handling 50 times a day like the stereo knobs have become broken and badly worn. The electronic controls for the climate system have gone wacky and replaced a couple of times. The overhead DVD system has fallen out of its mount twice due to poor design of the bracket and screws. And not a big deal, but what is with Chevy and offset steering columns on these vehicles? Another very annoying issue is the seat belts. This was the model year that they added the bell to remind you if someone in the front does not have on their seat belt. The thing will jump all over you quickly and incessantly. I have no issue with this except the seat belt themselves can tell you they are latched via the warning sound stopping and then you hit a bump or move around and the belt suddenly becomes unlatched while driving down the road. Not well designed or very safe. The great part is it drives like a dream. It drives much smaller than its size with decent handling and acceleration. Breaking can be a bit weak, but acceptable. It also looks great. At least to me it is one of the better looking Suburban designs. The interior, although very cheaply made overall, has huge space for people with tons of storage room. On a long trip this thing is a dream. Well except for the gas mileage, but for this size of vehicle it is acceptable to me. Overall I would never recommend anyone buy one of these used or even new for that matter unless you plan on buying a new one every 2 to 3 years before they start to come apart. GM seems to design for "initial quality" these days. That is why you hear all the best initial quality awards on TV and in magazines. They design them to last just long enough for you to lease or buy a new one in 3 or so years. If not for the fact I can find other similar vehicles that last much longer then that would be ok.

Great Car

As a owner of a 2004 suburban, I have only one simple problem, the battery went out the day after I got it. I have had no real problems with, the vehicle runs great, take care of it, and will take care of you.

2nd in a row with transmisson problems

It is easy to drive with great performance and gas mileage that I accept, but the thing was slapped together design-wise and put together poorly with cheap materials. The coat hook is placed in the wrong place and most all of the plastic covers for the seat tracks and one rear door light cover fell off. The rear door lights never have worked. The transmission soon failed after the 35,000.00 mile warranty ended and cost over $1,800.00 to rebuild. The ignition switch failed; that cost was $600.00 plus the car rental. A power window motor failed. The leather seat has not torn and has not come loose at a seam, but it is of such thin, poor quality it has worn though.

Chevy Suburban

I drive this vehicle regularly. It is comfortable and handles well. I get 18.5 hw/15city (actual not by epa). The Bose speakers great. Same basic design as old Suburban (center console, seat fold down or come out). The body is solid, chrome bumpers, minimal use of plastic. The maintenance/service is cheap, cheap, cheap.

Great SUV

Just bought a used Suburban with only 45K miles to tow my boat and haul the kids. So far, my family and I love it. The gas mileage is not very good (avg 13.5 mpg), but no one's buying this truck to commute anyway. I love the exterior design. Leather seats are good, XM radio is great. The kids love the DVD player. Very roomy, and plenty of power to tow a boat and the whole family. Parking brakes are flaw designed; I found lots of complaints about them. Mine ain't working either. Interior plastics look cheap, but I don't mind. Replacing OEM rims with larger chrome rims and low profile tires makes the truck look awesome.

A good 1

Our Suburban has served us well, with little complaints.The gas mileage is great for an SUV of its size.Handles winter weather like a dream and is smooth as a BMW. Backing up is challenging and takes some getting used to.

Farm and Family Friendly

Purchased used with 19000 miles. Live on horse ranch and need a reliable 4x4 vehicle to haul family of 5 and 3 dogs. Suburban has been great until 2010 and now it is in the shop more than on the road with expensive repairs, will purchase a newer Suburban in the near future, great overall vehicle for our needs, just need to trade every 5 years instead of 8. MPG for us is 18 hwy and 14 city.

Z71 Suburban

Numerous mechanical problems that should not be present in a vehicle of this price or age. Not the first Chevrolet but maybe the last I own. Dealer support for these problems not very good at all.

The Grocery-Getter From Hell

Vehicle choices for those of us with multiple children are limited. We have 5 kids and wanted something that offered more room, comfort, and power than our minivan. Due to the $4/gallon gas prices in July '08 folks were dumping their SUVs like hot cakes. Ours was originally stickered just shy of $50k, but I got it for $15k. What a deal! Our 'Burb decked out: moon roof, leather heated memory seats, heated mirrors, XM 6 disc changer, 17" wheels, rear DVD, you name it! It drives like no other truck I've ever driven and is super comfortable. This is technically my wife's vehicle but I find excuses to drive it. We love it and will buy another when this one is worn out.

Our 4th Chevrolet Suburban

We just bought our 4th Chevy Suburban. The first time we bought a Suburban I was total against buying it. It looked huge compared to my station wagon. And I didn't want to drive it. Well that fear didn't last long ha ha. As I have been the main driver of all our suburbans. Our first two suburban was used to take our(3)kids and their sporting equipment to games, haul our travel trailer & boat. As we do a lot of family things. All our suburbans handled well on and off the road. Two of our suburbans had over two hundred and fifty thousand miles on them when we sold them. We have never had any serious problems with any of our suburbans. No kids home but still buy suburban

Bullet Proof

Extremely roomy very comfortable. Very durable well put together and mechanically almost impossible to kill it. This here generation by far the best ever built. Hard to find because of its dependability everyone wants to get their hands on them. Like a Rock!!!

Awesome

This car is awesome. I can crush everything. In comfort.

small tiffs over an expensive vehicle

small annoyances are the brake pedal and gas pedal seem to be far apart and have to move my entire foot from one to the other all the time. ajustable steeing wheel blocks my view of the speedometer when it is down all the way. dimmer switch can't be found at night because it is the only thing not lighted! finally, can't tell if the seat belt is latched when we clip in the kids car seat because it doesn't click when latched.

"Burban's" are Excellent!

I'd never owned anything like this before! First I bought a '96 with just 129,000 miles on it and I used it to haul a 17' travel trailer and it did just fine. It wasn't as fast as I'd like it to be but you have to consider the size and the weight of them. They're dependable and very comfortable even to sleep in. They feel "safe" to drive and the gas mileage doesn't seem to be that bad really. I just fill it up when it's empty! I had to replace all the door handles and they're just cheap plastic "crap" basically, but every vehicle has it's down sides. That's one of the suburban's... crappy door handles! The air conditioning pump was out, which I hear is common and it's a $30 fix if you get a used one and only 4 bolts to swap it out, so no big deal. I was pleasantly surprised with this vehicle to the extent of selling it and an hour later I went and bought another one. This one is a 2004 and much prettier inside and out. It has a service brake cannister message on on the dash but nothing seems to be wrong with the brakes so am assuming it's a glitch of some sort, and the immissions idiot light is on on the dash also. It runs and drives just fine though and I really like it so far. The people I bought it from have had it for 15 years and had no major problems with it. I just hope it wants to serve me with the same reliability and durability as it did them! It's pretty and comfortable and you can use them for all kinds of things. In my opinion they are a really good truck! I wouldn't have thought I'd like it and I was right because I actually LOVE it! They made me a Chevy girl for sure!

2004 Suburban LT

My Suburban was given to me by my father in law in 2016 with 130K miles on it. We used it only sparingly for a couple years, but last year I decided to ditch the car payment, pocket the extra cash and use some of the money to fuel and drive the Suburban, which I owned outright. I have now been driving the Suburban only for the last 18 months (25K miles) in a very urbanized area with heavy traffic. I’m in love with this vehicle. The ride is plush (though I probably need new shocks), the engine is strong, the amenities are nice, and for the price (value?) of this truck you can’t find a better ride. My cost of ownership has been much lower than my former car payments, but I have had to replace a couple big ticket parts including a transmission after 145K miles when I hauled a trailer from Daytona to VA Beach. I don’t plan to haul that much again. The plastic trim door protectors are a little yellowed, but otherwise the exterior finish is in good condition, if a bit dated in appearance. The drivers side heated mirror kept getting burned up, so I had to disconnect the heating element on that side, but everything else inside still works. There are no leaks or drips from underneath. If you’re thinking about buying this truck, I understand why. It’s a great vehicle, especially if you can budget for the cost of the “150K Repairs” (Repairs common for many high-mileage vehicles, often including parts like timing chain/belt, transmission, suspension, steering, and sensors) - those can be a big hit if you’re not expecting them. But for the cost on the open market, just a few thousand dollars could land you a gem in the rough. Based on other reports, 2-300K miles isn’t an unrealistic expectation. I’m going for it.

Big, Powerful and Fun to drive

The Suburban is the workhorse of the SUV line. Although this vehicle is spacious it handles quite nimbly -- almost like a small sized car. The acceleration is excellent and on the highway you really get your money's worth. This vehicle packs a lot of muscle but is extremely fun to drive. I forgot to mention that you can haul just about anything in this vehicle.

Oil consumption problems, resolve early!

I have a 2004 Suburban which suffered from an oil consumption problem. The dealer tossed it off as standard operation/consumption. The motor failed completely at 38,000 miles. Luckily I had it fully documented and they were forced to replace the entire engine due to cylinder wall scoring. My recommendation is to hold your ground on any problem, as they will try to hold you off until the warranty has expired. It is one of the most disappointing experiences I have had. It astounded me as to how brazen they could be.

excellence

try to keep ladies away too much fun, time flies. interior material still look new. all bottons still function like new. z71 package a must. on star is amazing.

Great Vehicle

2004 Chevolet Suburban

I bought my 2004 Suburban to transport mygrand children. It has become the car pool vehicle for my friends going to events around town. We can get 8 people in it plus luggage. The third seat comfort is not the best but good for short trips.

03 Chevy Z71 Suburban

My 4th one. It doesn't get any better. Vacations are a breeze. Barn doors make loading easier than hatchback and increase capacity. Almsot drives itself down the road. Easy to have a heavy foot.

RATING

EXCELLENT SATISFACTION FOR OVER 35 YEARS WITH SUBURBAN

our seventh suburban

what can i say...our seventh suburban.. the only vehicle that could "really" handle four kids, two parents, gear... and friends. our newest, the "z" is sportier...but just as reliable.the kids are growing and we are having a difficult time scaling down. we travel a lot and the third seat has come a very long way...but why not a 3rd seat option light?!?!?..we miss the movable head rests A LOT!!

very nice

love it,glad to own it,love the color i choosed,cant waite to see what else they come up with

Great car!!

I love this thing!!!!!!! its so much fun to drive aroundin with my family.

Excellent

The best truck on the market. You can fit comfortably with 7/8 passengers. This is the perfect family car for the value.

AZSUB

Very comfortable! We tow our ATV's and a good size trailer. The 5.3L does okay, the 6.0L would be preferred. The gas mileage difference is minor between the 2. If you have a large family, this vehicle will accomodate everyone with comfort!

sub

i love this car it is cool it is fun to drive an lookes great

Z-71 Surburban --Exceptional

Without a doubt, the most functional vehicle I have ever owned. In fact, we liked it so much, 3 days after purchasing this vehicle, we purchased another one exctly like it for my wife.

Suburban Z-71

Excellent features, excellent value, real nice looking and fun to drive machine. The vehicles comfort and towing capacity are superior to anything else.

Disappointment

I found Suburban & Expedition drove and rode very similarly. I had considered buying a Suburban when purchasing the Expedition about 10 months back. After renting, I'm glad I saved about $8,000. My two biggest disappointments were poor and shoddy use of plastics, doors weren't aligned well, and rarely closed tightly. Been waitng to see when Chevy would make for a simply fix for folding down rear seat in the Suburban. Still waiting. The Expedition has a 60/40 fold down rear seat, which is utilitarian. The fold over, unbolt, remove and sit in the garage approach isn't what I want in a $40,000 vehicle.

SECOND ONE

THIS IS MY SECOND SUBURBAN. THE NEW I HAVE DRIVEN TWICE TO FLORIDA FROM IL. FOR THE WINTER AND IT IS A JOY TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY. I USE IT FOR BOTH BUSINESS AND PLEASURE.

travel anywhere

we go everywhere and anywhere with confidence. great family car!

8.1Liters of Power and Fun

Still in the first 500 miles of ownership. Got the 8.1 liter engine ... not too many out there to be had ... can't have enough power/torque for towing. Overall, this SUV is an excellent ride - smooth, comfortable, user friendly and quiet. Really love it. LT package is an excellent value option.

Oh What Fun!!!!

We chose the 2WD with locking differential and the resulting fuel economy is remarkable. I average nearly 18mg, just wish I would have opted for leather interior.

p

I love my Chevy Suburban. It gets me where I need to go. Not as fast as my 1991 GMC Syclone, though.

EXCEPTIONALLY NICE TRUCK

I'VE DRIVEN THIS SUBURBAN FOR 27,000 MILES AND NOT A SQUEAK OR A PROBLEM. VERY SMOOTH, VERY POWERFUL, VERY COMFORTABLE. I CARRY FIVE TO EIGHT PEOPLE AND ALL ARE HAPPY -- MUCH QUIETER INSIDE THAN HONDA MINIVAN I'VE DRIVEN. VERY EASY TO DRIVE, CONSIDERING LARGE SIZE, BUT SIGHTLINES ARE GOOD. MILAGE? I GET 17 TO 18 ON THE HIGHWAY AND NEVER LESS THAN 15.5 IN CITY. PULLING TRAILER AT 80 MPH IN MOUNTAINS I WAS GETTING 17 MPG. NO KIDDING. I THINK THAT'S PRETTY GOOD, CONSIDERING THE THING IS HUGE. MY OLD VW VAN ONLY GOT ABOUT 15 MPG, AND THAT HAD A 60 HP MOTOR AND COULDN'T GO

Better than expected!

Great vehicle, smooth ride & very comfortable. Even gas mileage is better than expected @ over 15 mpg average(city). Great highway cruiser, quiet and terric tunes. Seats are very comfortable, I'm 11 inches taller than my wife & both have no problem getting comfy. Pretty good off the line, plenty of torque. Oh, dealer experience was better than Mercedes, much better (we have a 320e).