IllustrationTHE HEADLIGHT BLINKERS ARE NOT FUNCTIONING. THEY CALLED GM, AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOT A RECALL. THEY FELT THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. *AK THE GAS TANK GAUGE WENT OUT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL AND WOULD NOT FIX IT. *SC *JB
1997 GMC Sonoma
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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: 27 of 111 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 35 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
14 crash reports0 fire reports9 injury reports
Exterior Lighting complaints
3 reportsWE HAVE A 1997 GMC SONOMA WITH A VOTREC 4.3 X. OVER 2 YEARS AGO, WE STARTED GETTING MISFIRES. WE TRIED EVERYTHING WE COULD THINK OF, TO NO AVAIL. IN THE PAST MONTH I'VE PUT OVER $500 ALONE. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING IT UP ON-LINE, AND HAVE REALIZED, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ISSUE. THERE HAS EVEN BEEN A RECALL IN CALIFORNIA, BUT…
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WE HAVE A 1997 GMC SONOMA WITH A VOTREC 4.3 X. OVER 2 YEARS AGO, WE STARTED GETTING MISFIRES. WE TRIED EVERYTHING WE COULD THINK OF, TO NO AVAIL. IN THE PAST MONTH I'VE PUT OVER $500 ALONE. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING IT UP ON-LINE, AND HAVE REALIZED, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ISSUE. THERE HAS EVEN BEEN A RECALL IN CALIFORNIA, BUT ONLY THERE. GM TOLD ME THEY HAVE DIFFERENT GAS OUT THERE. ANOTHER MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE HAS BEEN THE WIPER MOTOR FAILURE, THAT HAD A RECALL. GM TOLD ME MY VIN # WAS NOT ON THE LIST, BUT I BATTLE MY WIPERS AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH. I HAVE TO YANK THE BLADES HALF WAY UP THE WINDOW BEFORE THEY GRAB AND START TO WORK. ONE MORE PROBLEM THAT I NOW KNOW I AM NOT ALONE ON IS THE ISSUE WITH DEX-COOL. WE HAVE FLUSHED AND REFILLED THE SYSTEM AT LEAST THREE TIMES, ONLY TO HAVE IT GUNK-UP AGAIN. PLEASE HELP ME AND ALL THE OTHER CUSTOMERS WHO GOT TRAPPED WITH JUNK VEHICLES. WE HAVE HAD TOO MANY OTHER FAILURES TO COUNT!*AK
I HAVE A 1997 GMC SONOMA S.N. [XXX]. I HAVE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF THINGS WRONG WITH IT. AIR CONDITIONER (A/C) WENT OUT, THE MOTOR MOUND BROKE, THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN, THE BRAKES FAIL, THE VALVES ARE TAPPING, MAIN FRONT BEARING SEAL IS LEAKING, BLINKERS ARE NOT WORKING,OIL IS LEAKING ON TOP OF ENGINE BY A/C, WATER IS LEAKING FR…
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I HAVE A 1997 GMC SONOMA S.N. [XXX]. I HAVE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF THINGS WRONG WITH IT. AIR CONDITIONER (A/C) WENT OUT, THE MOTOR MOUND BROKE, THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN, THE BRAKES FAIL, THE VALVES ARE TAPPING, MAIN FRONT BEARING SEAL IS LEAKING, BLINKERS ARE NOT WORKING,OIL IS LEAKING ON TOP OF ENGINE BY A/C, WATER IS LEAKING FROM HEATING COIL, WATER PUMP IS OUT NOW,GOD THAT IS ONLY SOME OF THE THINGS. I HAVE HAD IT 1YR. 7 MON. WHAT CAN I DO? I GOT THE WARRANTY. AND THANK GOD I DID. *LA INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Official recalls
297V146001 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
Sep 11, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PASSENGER PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH 4.3L ENGINES. THE FRONT BRAKE LINE CAN CONTACT THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE ENGINE OIL PAN CAUSING THE BRAKE LINE TO WEAR TO THE POINT OF BRAKE FLUID LOSS DURING BRAKE APPLICATION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: BRAKE FLUID LOSS CAN REDUCE BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS AND INCREASE STOPPING DISTANCES RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE OIL PAN AND THE BRAKE LINE. IF THE CLEARANCE IS 6MM OR LESS, DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN ADDITIONAL BRAKE LINE CLIP AND IF THERE WAS CONTACT BETWEEN THE OIL PAN AND BRAKE LINE, THE FRONT BRAKE LINE WILL BE REPLACED.
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
2RQ04002 · Driver's Seat Belt Buckle Assembly
Opened Feb 18, 2004 · Closed May 27, 2004
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:front; Seat Belts:front:webbing
ON FEBRUARY 18, 2004, ODI OPENED THIS RECALL QUERY (RQ) BASED ON TWO FATALITY REPORTS INVOLVING MY 1997 GM S-10 PICKUP TRUCKS.EACH REPORT ALLEGED THAT THE BELTED DRIVER OCCUPANT WAS EJECTED IN A MULTIPLE-ROTATION ROLLOVER CRASH.THE MY 1997 S/T SERIES PICKUPS USE AN ENERGY-ABSORBING LOOP IN THE DRIVER SEAT BELT THAT ALLOWS THE WEBBING TO ELONGATE UP TO 10 INCHES (TO MITIGATE DRIVER INJURY IN FRONTAL CRASHES).GM ALSO USED THIS ENERGY-ABSORBING LOOP SEAT BELT DESIGN IN MY1997 S/T SERIES UTILITY VEHICLES (CHEVROLET BLAZER, GMC JIMMY AND OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA).GM CONDUCTED A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN (03V-117) TO REPLACE THE DRIVER SEAT BELT IN THESE UTILITY VEHILCES BASED ON A HIGHER FATALITY RATE OF EJECTED BELTED DRIVERS IN ROLLOVER CRASHES.BOTH FATAL CRASHES ARE SEVERE ROLLOVER CRASHES (MULTIPLE-ROTATION ROLLOVER) AND BOTH VEHICLES SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE ROOF STRUCTURE.ODI REVIEWED THE FIELD DATA PERFORMANCE OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AND COMPARED THEM TO PEER VEHICLES USING NHTSA'S FATALITY ANALYSIS REPORTING SYSTEM (FARS) DATABASE.THE FARS DATA DID NOT INDICATE A FIELD PERFORMANCE TREND FOR THE SUBJECT VEHICLE.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL MONITOR THIS ISSUE AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Seat Belts:front
ON FEBRUARY 18, 2004, ODI OPENED THIS RECALL QUERY (RQ) BASED ON TWO FATALITY REPORTS INVOLVING MY 1997 GM S-10 PICKUP TRUCKS.EACH REPORT ALLEGED THAT THE BELTED DRIVER OCCUPANT WAS EJECTED IN A MULTIPLE-ROTATION ROLLOVER CRASH.THE MY 1997 S/T SERIES PICKUPS USE AN ENERGY-ABSORBING LOOP IN THE DRIVER SEAT BELT THAT ALLOWS THE WEBBING TO ELONGATE UP TO 10 INCHES (TO MITIGATE DRIVER INJURY IN FRONTAL CRASHES).GM ALSO USED THIS ENERGY-ABSORBING LOOP SEAT BELT DESIGN IN MY1997 S/T SERIES UTILITY VEHICLES (CHEVROLET BLAZER, GMC JIMMY AND OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA).GM CONDUCTED A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN (03V-117) TO REPLACE THE DRIVER SEAT BELT IN THESE UTILITY VEHILCES BASED ON A HIGHER FATALITY RATE OF EJECTED BELTED DRIVERS IN ROLLOVER CRASHES.BOTH FATAL CRASHES ARE SEVERE ROLLOVER CRASHES (MULTIPLE-ROTATION ROLLOVER) AND BOTH VEHICLES SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE ROOF STRUCTURE.ODI REVIEWED THE FIELD DATA PERFORMANCE OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AND COMPARED THEM TO PEER VEHICLES USING NHTSA'S FATALITY ANALYSIS REPORTING SYSTEM (FARS) DATABASE.THE FARS DATA DID NOT INDICATE A FIELD PERFORMANCE TREND FOR THE SUBJECT VEHICLE.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL MONITOR THIS ISSUE AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Seat Belts:front:webbing
ON FEBRUARY 18, 2004, ODI OPENED THIS RECALL QUERY (RQ) BASED ON TWO FATALITY REPORTS INVOLVING MY 1997 GM S-10 PICKUP TRUCKS.EACH REPORT ALLEGED THAT THE BELTED DRIVER OCCUPANT WAS EJECTED IN A MULTIPLE-ROTATION ROLLOVER CRASH.THE MY 1997 S/T SERIES PICKUPS USE AN ENERGY-ABSORBING LOOP IN THE DRIVER SEAT BELT THAT ALLOWS THE WEBBING TO ELONGATE UP TO 10 INCHES (TO MITIGATE DRIVER INJURY IN FRONTAL CRASHES).GM ALSO USED THIS ENERGY-ABSORBING LOOP SEAT BELT DESIGN IN MY1997 S/T SERIES UTILITY VEHICLES (CHEVROLET BLAZER, GMC JIMMY AND OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA).GM CONDUCTED A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN (03V-117) TO REPLACE THE DRIVER SEAT BELT IN THESE UTILITY VEHILCES BASED ON A HIGHER FATALITY RATE OF EJECTED BELTED DRIVERS IN ROLLOVER CRASHES.BOTH FATAL CRASHES ARE SEVERE ROLLOVER CRASHES (MULTIPLE-ROTATION ROLLOVER) AND BOTH VEHICLES SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE ROOF STRUCTURE.ODI REVIEWED THE FIELD DATA PERFORMANCE OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AND COMPARED THEM TO PEER VEHICLES USING NHTSA'S FATALITY ANALYSIS REPORTING SYSTEM (FARS) DATABASE.THE FARS DATA DID NOT INDICATE A FIELD PERFORMANCE TREND FOR THE SUBJECT VEHICLE.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL MONITOR THIS ISSUE AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
EA94038 · Abs Braking System
Opened Oct 31, 1994 · Closed Feb 28, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
THIS INVESTIGATION RESULTED IN A SAFETY RECALL, 99V-193, AND A SERVICE CAMPAIGN, 99I-006.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
THIS INVESTIGATION RESULTED IN A SAFETY RECALL, 99V-193, AND A SERVICE CAMPAIGN, 99I-006.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
THIS INVESTIGATION RESULTED IN A SAFETY RECALL, 99V-193, AND A SERVICE CAMPAIGN, 99I-006.