IllustrationAFTER CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS HIT AT 35 MPH ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
1992 GMC Sonoma
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1992 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: 1 of 25 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 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
25 reportsTHE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN IT SUDDENLY ROLLED BACKWARDS AND KNOCKED THE CONSUMER DOWN. THE CONSUMER WAS NOT HURT. *NLM
IT WAS APPROX. 70 DEG. F. WE WERE GOING ABOUT 60 MPH. ON THE PA. TURNPIKE EAST OF PITTSBURGH. THE TIRES LOOKED FINE THE LAST TIME WE STOPPED. THEY HAD 80 PSI. IN THEM, WHICH IS MAX PRESSURE FOR THOSE TIRES. THE LEFT REAR OUTSIDE TIRE JUST EXPLODED, IT THREW THE ENTIRE TREAD OFF, LEAVING THE DEAD CARCASS ON THE WHEEL. I DON'T HAV…
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IT WAS APPROX. 70 DEG. F. WE WERE GOING ABOUT 60 MPH. ON THE PA. TURNPIKE EAST OF PITTSBURGH. THE TIRES LOOKED FINE THE LAST TIME WE STOPPED. THEY HAD 80 PSI. IN THEM, WHICH IS MAX PRESSURE FOR THOSE TIRES. THE LEFT REAR OUTSIDE TIRE JUST EXPLODED, IT THREW THE ENTIRE TREAD OFF, LEAVING THE DEAD CARCASS ON THE WHEEL. I DON'T HAVE THE DOT NUMBER BECAUSE WHEN WE GOT BACK, I WENT TO THE BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE COMPANY STORE IN MERRILLVILLE, IN. AND COMPLAINED. THEY REPLACED THE TIRE FREE OF CHARGE. MY FATHER BOUGHT THOSE TIRES IN 1997. THEY ARE THE SAME AS WHAT WAS ORIGINAL ON THE MOTORHOME. I AQUIRED IT FROM HIM IN AUGUST. THE BAD PART IS THE DAMAGE TO THE SHEET METAL THE TREAD DID UNDERNEITH THIS THING WHEN IT FLEW OFF. I HAVE TO FIX THAT MYSELF. BY THE WAY, THE TIRE HAD 14/32" TREAD DEPTH ON THE PIECE I BROUGHT BACK TO THEM. THE NEW TIRE MEASURED JUST UNDER 16/32" (TIRESIZE: LT21585R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: LT21585R16 )
RIGHT FRONT BRAKES WEAR EXCESSIVELY IN SHOR PERIOD OF TIME. BRAKING BECOMES DIFFICULT AND VEHICLE HAS TENDENCY TO VEER TO THE RIGHT WHEN BRAKING. MUST EXERT EXTREME PRESSURE ON BRAKE PEDAL TO BRING VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP. RESIDUE FROM BRAKE SHOES IS EVIDENT ON WHEEL
ON THE THREE OCCASIONS ,WHEN THE AIR TEMPERATURE IS HIGH AND IT IS QUITE HUMID WITH AIR CONDITIONER ON CLUTCH ASSEMBLY WILL FAIL TO THE POINT WHERE THE CLUTCH WILL NOT DISENGAGE THE GEARS. CONSUMER HAS TO TURN OFF IGNITION AND MUST WAIT ABOUT 15 MIN, SO IT CAN COOL DOWN. A PRIVATE TRANSMISSION GARAGE CLAIMED ENGINE WILL GET H…
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ON THE THREE OCCASIONS ,WHEN THE AIR TEMPERATURE IS HIGH AND IT IS QUITE HUMID WITH AIR CONDITIONER ON CLUTCH ASSEMBLY WILL FAIL TO THE POINT WHERE THE CLUTCH WILL NOT DISENGAGE THE GEARS. CONSUMER HAS TO TURN OFF IGNITION AND MUST WAIT ABOUT 15 MIN, SO IT CAN COOL DOWN. A PRIVATE TRANSMISSION GARAGE CLAIMED ENGINE WILL GET HOT, CAUSING HYDRALIC CLUTCH TO BOIL WHICH WILL CAUSE LOSS OF ABILITY TO MOVE CLUTCH PLATES ,NOT ALLOWING THE CLUTCH TO DISENGAGE.*AK
DEALER FAILED TO REPAIR WHEN WE COMPLAINED ABOUT FUEL/STARTING/ROUGH ENGINE ON 6/93;2/94;5/94. DLR REPLACED FUEL PUMP/PVC 10/94; COST $600+ FOR FUEL INJECTOR/PLENUM 9/98; AGAIN JUST COST $600+ 7/2000 FOR FUEL INJECTOR/PLENUM. ADVISED GMC HAS WEST COAST ONLY BULLETIN #99034A REF: PROBLEM. GAS EATS THE GASKET/PLENUM AND LOSS OF FU…
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DEALER FAILED TO REPAIR WHEN WE COMPLAINED ABOUT FUEL/STARTING/ROUGH ENGINE ON 6/93;2/94;5/94. DLR REPLACED FUEL PUMP/PVC 10/94; COST $600+ FOR FUEL INJECTOR/PLENUM 9/98; AGAIN JUST COST $600+ 7/2000 FOR FUEL INJECTOR/PLENUM. ADVISED GMC HAS WEST COAST ONLY BULLETIN #99034A REF: PROBLEM. GAS EATS THE GASKET/PLENUM AND LOSS OF FUEL REGULATION. NO NOTICE TO OWNERS. **PLENUM/FUEL INJECTOR SPRAYS PURE GAS AND IS FIRE HAZARD**. VEHICLE EMITS FUMES.*AK
FRONT BRAKES EVIDENCE EXCESSIVE WEAR IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. MORE THAN 50% WEAR IS LESS THAN 10,000 MILES. *AK
THE ORIGINAL EXHAUST MANIFOLD FAILED AND WAS REPLACED AT ABOUT 60,000 MILES. THIS WAS PAID FOR BY THE OWNER. THE REPLACED MANIFOLD FAILED IN THE WINTER OF 1998/99 AND HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED BECAUSE IT APPEARS TO BE A DEFECTIVE DESIGN.
WHILE DRIVING WHEN THE BRAKES APPLIED PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, WHICH EVENTUALLY RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY WHILE BRAKING, VEHICLE LUNGES FORWARD, AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE OCCURS, WHICH MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#. *AK
Official recalls
199V193000 · 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.
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