1999 GMC Sonoma

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1999 GMC SONOMA. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH ON A FLOODED DIRT ROAD, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A DITCH. AFTER THE CRASH, THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT WAS DELAYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A CRACKED PELVIS, BROKEN FACIAL BONES, OPTIC NERVE DAMAGE, AND OTHER SEVERE INJURIES TO THE FACE. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000. *TT THE CONSUMER STATED BACK WINDSHIELD EXPLODED AND FRAME WAS BENT. *TR

DURING A PANIC STOP THE BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON AND THE BRAKES FELT SOFT BUT STILL WORKED. DURING THE DRIVE THE BRAKES BECAME VERY WEAK. WHEN I CHECKED THE BRAKE FLUID IT WAS EMPTY. I REFILLED IT AND STARTED CHECKING FOR LEAKS. I FOUND THAT BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKE LINES WE FRACTURED BECAUSE OF THE PRESSURE DURING THE PANIC STOP CAUSING THE RUSTED LINES TO BURST. THIS SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN ( BUT NOT REPORTED) PROBLEM FOR THIS TRUCK IN THE NORTHERN AREA..

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 GMC SONOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING OVER UNLEVELED LAND. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE ORIGIN OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 GMC SONOMA. WHILE DRIVING 72 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED. AFTER THE VEHICLE STALLED, ALL THE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 156,000.

MY 1999 GMC SONOMA HAS HAD A FAULTY FUEL GAUGE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. IT WAS TAKEN INTO JIM CAUSLEY'S PONTIAC/GMC IN CLINTON TOWNSHIP MI ONCE FOR WARRANTY REPAIRS BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NEVER FIXED. SERVICE REP INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY A BAD VEHICLE GROUND. PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS TO THIS DAY. THE ONLY WAY I CAN AVOID RUNNING OUT OF GAS IS TO RESET THE TRIP ODOMETER EVERY TIME I FILL-UP. *TR

I HAVE ENCOUNTERED SEVERAL DIFFERENT CHEVY/GMC VEHICLES THAT ARE EXPERIENCING A LAGGING START AND IN SOME CASES NO START WITHOUT A BOOST. MY SONOMA HAS THE LAG AND I HAVE A FEW FRIENDS THAT HAVE BLAZERS AND FULL SIZE TRUCKS AS WELL. THE VARIATION OF ENGINE SIZES THAT ARE AFFECTED HAS ME PERPLEXED. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO RUN CODES WITH NO FAULT RESULTS. THIS OCCURS EVERY TIME I ATTEMPT A STARTUP. *TR

THIS MESSAGE WAS ORIGINALLY SENT TO MY BROTHER ADVISING HIM OF THIS PROBLEM. BELOW IS THE EXPLANATION. IMAGINE THE TRUCK HAS A COUPLE OF TOW HOOKS ON THE FRONT END LIKE MINE DID. I WOULD BE CAREFUL USING THEM TO PULL THE VEHICLE OUT OF A HOLE ,USING ANYTHING OTHER THAN A CHAIN. CONVERSELY THE SAME WOULD APPLY IF ON WAS USING THEM TO PULL SOMETHING.*AK I HAVE BEEN USING MINE TO PULL THINGS FROM TIME TO TIME BUT MOSTLY TO RAISE THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK FOR OIL CHANGES ETC. TODAY LIKE ALWAYS, I USED MY AIR BUMPER JACK TO ENGAGE THE TWO HOOKS AND LIFT THE VEHICLE TO WORK ON. BECAUSE THE AIR JACK IS OLD AND LEAKS, WHEN YOU GET TO THE HEIGHT YOU WANT, IN A MOMENT OR TWO, THE JACK WILL USUALLY SETTLE BACK DOWN A BIT UNTIL IT ENGAGES THE SAFETY STOP. THIS USUALLY RESULTS IN A CLUNK AND SOME G LOAD TO THE HOOKS WHEN IT STOPS. TODAY WHEN IT SETTLED ONTO THE STOP, BOTH HOOKS FAILED AT THE FIRST ATTACHING BOLTS! THE AIR JACK VAULTED INTO THE AIR AND THE TRUCK CAME CRASHING DOWN TO THE GROUND. IN ANOTHER MOMENT, I WOULD HAVE BEEN HALF UNDER IT PLACING THE JACK STANDS! WHEN I THINK BACK, THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN I CHANGED THE OIL AND DID OTHER SERVICE WORK ON IT WITH NO SAFETY STANDS, AS THE AIR JACK HAS A SECURE SAFETY LATCH AND THE JACK PADS AND THE TOW HOOKS HAVE A POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT. IN LOOKING AT THE FAILURE, THERE ISN'T MUCH MEAT IN THE HOOK ASSEMBLY WHERE THE ATTACHMENT BOLTS ARE THREADED INTO THE SHANK OF THE HOOK. THE MATERIAL IS QUITE HARD AS THERE IS NO VISIBLE DEFORMATION IN THE FAILURE AREA. I GUESS IN RETROSPECT, THE HOOKS ARE THERE FOR PULLING AND NOT LIFTING BUT IF YOUR TRUCK WAS DOWN IN A DITCH YOU WOULD USE THESE HOOKS TO PULL/LIFT THE VEHICLE OUT. I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE STANDING IN THE WAY IF ONE OF THEM FAILED AND LAUNCHED A HOOK OF CONSIDERABLE MASS INTO THE AIR. JOHN

THE DRIVER'S SEAT ADJUST FAILED. NO PRESSURE--COULD BE PUT ON THE SEAT WITHOUT IT MOVING TO THE FULL BACK POSITION. THE DEALER INITIALLY REPLACED THIS IN MAR 05 AFTER ME AND DEALER SPEAKING WITH GMC CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. GMC REIMBURSED ME FOR COSTS. 15 MONTHS [!!] LATER, IT FAILED AGAIN. THE DEALER HAD ONLY SEEN THIS ISSUE TWICE, BOTH TIMES WITH MY CAR. GMC INITIALLY DECLINED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THEN, AFTER DISCUSSION WITH ME, THEY OFFERED TO PAY FOR IT WITH ME UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY HAD NO LIABILITY AND WOULD NOT PAY FOR ANY FUTURE REPAIRS OR WOULD OFFER ME $500 CERTIFICATE DISCOUNT ON A NEW GMC TRUCK. WHEN I MENTIONED THE SAFETY ISSUE POTENTIAL, THEY WANTED ME TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF I ACCEPTED THE MONEY, I WOULD HAVE NO STANDING IN FUTURE PROBLEMS OF THE SAME NATURE. I DECLINE. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY POTENTIAL OF THIS. THEY HAVE TWICE CORRECTED THE SYMPTOMS. IS THERE AN UNDERLYING CAUSE??? ARE OTHERS HAVING SIMILAR ISSUES. I HOPE YOU CAN HELP TO GET A HANDLE ON THIS FOR ME AND, POTENTIALLY, FOR OTHERS, TOO. THANK YOU. *JB