ChevroletOptra2004Overview/chevrolet/optra/2004/base/

2004 Chevrolet Optra

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2004 Optra.

Transmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2004 Chevrolet Optra pairs a 4-speed automatic transmission with EPA ratings of 20 mpg city, 28 highway, and 22 combined. As the first year of the 2004–2007 generation, it established a strong reliability baseline, logging only one owner complaint—centered on exterior lighting—and zero recalls. This makes the 2004 model the most trouble-free of the lineup, a notable contrast to the peak of 6 complaints in 2005.

Model year201220112010200920082007200620052004

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

EPA fuel economy20/28/22 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 86 · 640 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 86 · 640 CCAOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length177.2 in
Overall width68.1 in
Overall height57.1 in
Wheelbase102 in
Curb weight2756 lb
Track (front / rear)58.3 / 58.3 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)62/38

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined20 / 28 / 22 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume95 cu ft
Cargo volume12 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

Torque the oil drain plug to 15.0 ft-lbs.

Engine torques

Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug15.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Standard BCI Group Number86
Standard BCI Cranking Performance640 cca

Service checks

Engine Compression100 Minimum psi
Engine Compression215 Nominal psi
Engine Compression100 Minimum psi

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket70 ft-lbs / 20 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle100 ft-lbs / 41 ft-lbs
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0004 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.003 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From0.95 in / 0.4 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To0.95 in / 0.4 in
Rotor Discard at or Under0.87 in / 0.31 in

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 60,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miBrake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Clutch Hydraulic System (drain & refill) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Evaporative Canister (inspect) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect)
Every 60,000 miSpark Plug Wires (replace) · Timing Belt (replace)
Every 90,000 miFuel Filter (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2004 Chevrolet Optra sits at the beginning of this generation with the lowest complaint count (1) and zero recalls or investigations, making it notably cleaner in the federal record than model years that followed. The data shows a clear upward trend in issues after 2004: complaints peaked at 6 in 2005 (with 1 recall), while 2006 saw 2 recalls and 2007 maintained elevated recall activity at 1 recall. Technical Service Bulletins also increased progressively from 221 in 2004 to 319 by 2007, suggesting growing awareness of service needs as the generation aged. The sole complaint area in 2004—Exterior Lighting—did not escalate to crash or fire-related incidents. This pattern indicates that while the 2004 model avoids the accumulated problems of later years, it predates the recall activity that addressed issues discovered in subsequent production. Given its position at the generation's outset with minimal documented problems, the 2004 model represents the cleaner entry point in this generation's lifecycle.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
221
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
1
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.

Exterior Lighting1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 221 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIP5601C2025-07-18Unknown Or OtherThis PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIT3271P2024-09-06Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
General Communication2024-08-26Electrical SystemVehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It…
24-NA-1412024-07-24Power TrainGM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman…
16-NA-3832024-06-27Fuel/Propulsion SystemThis service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Optra. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

Does the 2004 Optra have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Optra get?

EPA figures are 20 city / 28 highway / 22 combined mpg.