The 2004 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 was the 5th stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 49th iteration of the event.

The Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 would therefore move to the fall and be lengthened to 500 miles, making the race the new Southern 500.

Kasey Kahne would win the pole with a 28.638 second lap, with an average speed of 171.716 miles per hour (276.350 km/h).

[7] Stanton Barrett of W. W. Motorsports would be the only driver not to qualify due to the provisional system set in place by NASCAR at the time.

Pre-race ceremonies would start with Darlington Raceway chaplain Harold King giving out the invocation.