IllustrationFUEL TANK BEGAN LEAKING AT FRONT SEAM WHERE TANK IS PRESSED TOGTHER DUE TO CORROSION. CORROSION WAS FURTHER EXASBERATED BY LACK OF DRAINAGE HOLES IN PLASTIC FUEL TANK PROTECTIVE COVER WHICH ACCUMULATES WATER AND DEBRIS.*AK
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.
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: 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
What owners actually said
224 reportsTHE ABS BRAKES THAT GMC PUT ON THIS PICKUP APPEAR TO BE MISS CALIBRATED OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THE BRAKES APPEAR TO WORK FINE AT HIGH SPEEDS. IT IS A DIFFERENT STORY WHEN YOU TRY TO STOP WHEN THE SPEED DROPS. DRY PAVEMENT WITH SAND ON IT THE STOPPING DISTANCE IS EXTENDED. THE LOCAL DEALER FOUND AN SPECIAL FACTORY ORDER AND REPL…
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THE ABS BRAKES THAT GMC PUT ON THIS PICKUP APPEAR TO BE MISS CALIBRATED OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THE BRAKES APPEAR TO WORK FINE AT HIGH SPEEDS. IT IS A DIFFERENT STORY WHEN YOU TRY TO STOP WHEN THE SPEED DROPS. DRY PAVEMENT WITH SAND ON IT THE STOPPING DISTANCE IS EXTENDED. THE LOCAL DEALER FOUND AN SPECIAL FACTORY ORDER AND REPLACED THE BRAKE BRAIN WHICH DIDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING. THE BRAKE PADS ON THE FRONT ARE NEW AND THE REAR SHOES ARE IN GOOD SHAPE. WHEN YOU TRY TO DRIVE ON THE ANTIFREEZE COMPOUND THE STATE AND CITY APPLY TO THE STREETS MAKES IT A REAL CHALLANGE TO EVEN SLOW DOWN WITH OUT FRONT BRAKE LOCK UP. I CARRY ABOUT 400# OF WEIGHT IN THE WINTER TO FACILTATE STARTING AND STOPPING. LAST WINTER I WAS COMING DOWN A HILL VERY SLOWLY AND APPLIED THE BRAKES AND FRONT WHEEL LOCKUP AND THE BACK WHEELS DIDN'T STOP BUT TURNED SLOWLY LEAVING TREAD MARKS. THE REARS DIDN'T SLIDE AT ALL AS I SLIDE OFF THE ROAD IN THE A SNOW BANK. I TRY NOT TO DRIVE THE PICKUP IN THE WINTER BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO CAUSE A WRECK. EVERY TIME I TRY AND STOP IN THE WINTER IT IS A THRILL. MY CAR HAS ABS AND I KNOW HOW ABS SHOULD WORK. THIS PICKUP IS THE GREATEST TRUCK I HAVE EVERY OWNED EXCEPT FOR THE BRAKES. I DO UNDERSTAND THAT MY TRUCK HAS MANY MILES ON IT, BUT IT IS WELL MAINTAINED. GMC SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME OUT WITH A FIX FOR THE BRAKES BEFORE SOMEBODY IS KILLED. I REALLY DON'T WANT TO PARK THE TRUCK OR JUNK IT. THANK YOU.
WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR INTERMITTENT.. SHUTS DOWN BY ITSELF. SAME AS PROBLEM WITH '1995 - '1996 RECALL FOR SAME ITEM. THIS IS SECOND AC/DELCO WIPER MOTOR TO FAIL ON ME. SAME PROBLEM. MOTOR JUST STOPS WORKING FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. SEEMS LIKE MOTORS WORK WELL FOR APPROX. 3 TO 4 YEARS THEN GO INTO INTERMITTENT MODE. VERY HA…
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WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR INTERMITTENT.. SHUTS DOWN BY ITSELF. SAME AS PROBLEM WITH '1995 - '1996 RECALL FOR SAME ITEM. THIS IS SECOND AC/DELCO WIPER MOTOR TO FAIL ON ME. SAME PROBLEM. MOTOR JUST STOPS WORKING FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. SEEMS LIKE MOTORS WORK WELL FOR APPROX. 3 TO 4 YEARS THEN GO INTO INTERMITTENT MODE. VERY HAZARDOUS DURING HEAVY RAIN SITUATION.*AK
ENGINE WAS IDLING ROUGH AND STALLING. GMC FEELS IT'S OXYGENATED FUEL MAYBE CONTAMINATED. GMC ISN'T SURE, THIS WAS AN ASSUMPTION BASED ON ENVIRONMENT. PARTS ARE BEING SHIPPED.*AK
WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR HAS FAILED TWICE. WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL NOT MOVE AT ALL IN INCLEMENT WEATHER WHICH SERIOUSLY REDUCES DRIVER'S ABILITY TO OPERATE VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK
RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LINE, THAT GOES FROM METAL TUBING TO PLASTIC AND ATTACHES TO WHEEL, WORE THROUGH, CAUSING PEDAL TO GO TO THE FLOOR, AND RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK
DRIVER POWER WINDOW WOULD NOT OPERATE AFTER OPENING. INTERMITTENT (ONCE EVERY 3 MONTHS)
WHEN EGR VALVE FAILS (CAMPAIN NOTICE G96067) POWER BRAKES ARE VERY ERRATIC.
WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMITENTLY WORK WHEN WEATHER IS DAMP FOR 3 YRS. SAME AS RECALL FOR 1995 & 1996
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE I TRIED TO ADJUST PASS. SIDE MIRROR,MIRROR WOULD NOT MOVE SO SINCE I LIVE IN MICHIGAN I FIGURED MIRROR MIGHT BE FROZEN.A FEW MOMENTS LATER I EXITED MY VEHICLE AND SMELLED SMOKE AS I LOOKED AROUND TO SEE WHAT WAS BURNING I NOTICED SMOKE IN MY VEHICLE COMING FROM THE DRIVER DOOR PANEL.I MANAGED TO REMOVE THE …
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WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE I TRIED TO ADJUST PASS. SIDE MIRROR,MIRROR WOULD NOT MOVE SO SINCE I LIVE IN MICHIGAN I FIGURED MIRROR MIGHT BE FROZEN.A FEW MOMENTS LATER I EXITED MY VEHICLE AND SMELLED SMOKE AS I LOOKED AROUND TO SEE WHAT WAS BURNING I NOTICED SMOKE IN MY VEHICLE COMING FROM THE DRIVER DOOR PANEL.I MANAGED TO REMOVE THE COVER FROM THE SWITCH AND EXTINQUISHED THE FLAMES.HAD I NOT NOTICED THIS MY VEHICLE WOULD HAVE BURNED.I BELIEVE THEIR MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH THE SWITCHES USED IN THESE VEHICLES AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANY OTHER PROBLEMS LIKE THIS HAVE BEEN REPORTED. *AK
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.
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
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