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1994 GMC Sonoma

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Sonoma years

Owner complaints for the 1994 GMC Sonoma are substantially higher than the model-year median of 57.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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: 14 of 224 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 131 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Visibility. Review the 53 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

18 crash reports2 fire reports3 injury reports

Visibility complaints

53 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Feb 22, 1999
Visibility

INTERMITTENTLY WINDSHIELD WIPERS MALFUNCTION WHILE IN USE, WHICH MAY CAUSE VISUAL DIFFICULTY. A RECALL FOR 1995 SONOMA 98V015000 FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT THE 1994S ARE NOT INCLUDED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #835141

Mileage unknown · Jan 28, 1999
Visibility

WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE WIPERS TO GET STUCK WHILE IN USE, WHICH MAY CAUSE VISUAL PROBLEMS. NEED TO MOVE THE WIPER BLADE PHYSICALLY IN ORDER TO BE OPERATING AGAIN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #834213

Mileage unknown · Jan 15, 1999
Visibility

WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE WORKING INTERMITTENTLY, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO HAVE PROBLEM SEEING WHEN DRIVING. *AK

NHTSA ODI #833644

Mileage unknown · Nov 19, 1998
Visibility

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES THE WIPERS MIGHT COME ON WHEN RAINING. CIRCUIT BOARD MAY BE DEFECTIVE STATES CHEVROLET AND GMC 800 RECORDING. DEALER CONTACTED, AND ARE NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #831056

Mileage unknown · Apr 29, 1998
Visibility

WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMITTENTLY FAIL.

NHTSA ODI #535012

Mileage unknown · Apr 23, 1998
Visibility

WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOP WORKING FOR A FEW SECONDS WHEN IT RAINS. HOWEVER, IT IS INTERMITTENT, HOWEVER, WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING ABOUT 6 TIMES SINCE VEHICLE WAS ACQUIRED. DEALER REFUSES TO FIX IT BECAUSE WARRANTY EXPIRED.

NHTSA ODI #534714

Mileage unknown · Nov 13, 1997
Visibility

WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOP WORKING IN RAINY CONDITIONS. OWNER NOTES THEY WILL WORK FOR AWHILE AND THEN STOP.VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO DEALER, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

NHTSA ODI #818973

Mileage unknown · Nov 12, 1997
Engine And Engine CoolingEquipmentExterior Lighting

PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR WITHOUT STOPPING VEHICLE OCCASIONALLY.

NHTSA ODI #524736

Mileage unknown · Nov 3, 1997
Visibility

WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY INCLEMENT RAIN WEATHER THE WINDSHIELD WIPER GETS STUCK IN MIDDLE , HAS TO GET OUT OF VEHICLE TO MOVE IT ,THEN IT WILL BEGIN TO WORK FOR ONLY 30 MINUTES. THEN WILL HAVE TO DO IT OVER AGAIN. THIS CAN RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ODI #818163

Mileage unknown · Aug 12, 1997
Visibility

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STRIP OUT BETWEEN THE WIPER ARM AND THE WIPER TRANSMISSION. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ODI #815302

Official recalls

2

99V193000 · 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.

97V096001 · Seat Belts

Jun 12, 1997

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: EXTENDED CAB PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH 60/40 FRONT BENCH SEATS AND EXTENDED CAB PICKUP TRUCKS AND 2-DOOR UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL LOCKING RECLINER BUCKET SEATS. THE OUTBOARD SAFETY BELT WEBBING ON THE DRIVER'S AND/OR PASSENGER'S SEAT CAN SEPARATE DURING A FRONTAL IMPACT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF A SEPARATION OCCURRED AND THERE WERE SECONDARY CRASH EVENTS OR VEHICLE ROLLOVER, THERE WOULD BE NO BELT RESTRAINT OF THE OCCUPANT AND INCREASED INJURIES COULD OCCUR.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PROTECTIVE COVER OVER THE RECLINER MECHANISM.

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

1

PE94046 · 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