IllustrationWHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES (ABS), CAN FELL THE BRAKE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR. THIS WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO HAVE AN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. IT'S INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. SOMETIMES THERE IS A GRINDING NOISE WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. DEALER CANNOT LOCATE PROBLEM. *AK
1993 GMC Sonoma
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1993 GMC Sonoma do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 57.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sonoma years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 0 of 58 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
8 crash reports3 fire reports3 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
31 reportsEA-94-038, THE DEFECTIVE ABS SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND THE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR. DEALER REPLACE BRAKING SYSTEM. PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. *AK
REAR ANTI-LOCK BRAKES LOCK UP/FAIL DURING A HARD STOP/PANIC STOP. *AK
CONSUMER CAN BE DRIVING AT APPROX 25-40 MPH HEARS/FEELS THUMPING NOISE, REPLACED BRAKES TWICE. *AK
OWNER HAS ABS BRAKES, HE STATES THAT BRAKES FAILED AND VEHICLE HIT A POLE CAUSING MILD DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE . PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED. *AK
PURCHASED NEW, THE FRONT PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, TOOK TO DEALER SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG . *AK
ABS: BRAKES GRAB; WEARS UNEVENLY; ERRATIC STEERING; NO WARNING. TT
FRONT BRAKES FAILED AT 13K MILES, REPLACED FRONT BRAKE PADS AT 13K. TT
THE ABS BRAKES DO NOT SLOW THE TRUCK DOWN. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
ABS BRAKING SYSTEM FAILURE. TT
Official recalls
299V193000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip
Jul 19, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN 4-WHEEL DRIVE PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ABS (ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM) MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 1989 THROUGH AUGUST 1996. UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS THE SWITCH WHICH SIGNALS THE ABS SYSTEM WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS IN 2-WHEEL OR 4-WHEEL DRIVE CAN MALFUNCTION CAUSING INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES DURING ABS STOPS WHILE IN THE TWO-WHEEL DRIVE MODE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS OCCURRED AT A TIME WHEN MINIMUM STOPPING DISTANCE WAS REQUIRED, A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE OR REPAIR THE 4-WHEEL/2-WHEEL DRIVE SWITCH.
94V093000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
May 16, 1994
SIGNIFICANT WEAR CAN DEVELOP ON THE LOW AND REVERSE CLUTCH PREVENTING THE PARK PAWL FROM ENGAGING. THIS CAN PREVENT A "NO PARK" CONDITION TO OCCUR WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING, CAUSING UNINTENTIONAL MOVEMENT OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT OPERATOR ACTION. (THE "NO PARK" CONDITION WILL NOT OCCUR WHILE THE ENGINE IS OFF.)
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: UNINTENTIONAL VEHICLE MOVEMENT COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT AND INJURY TO PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THE VEHICLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL CHECK THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FOR CONTAMINATION WHICH WILL INDICATE IF THE LOW OR REVERSE CLUTCH IS WORN. IF THE TRANSMISSION FLUID SHOWS CONTAMINATION, THE TRANSMISSION WILL BE REPLACED.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE94046 · Abs Braking System Fails
Opened Jun 17, 1994 · Closed Oct 31, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
There is no summary currently available