IllustrationCOOLING LINE INTO AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION RUSTED OFF CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK OUT.
1993 GMC Sonoma
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1993 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: 0 of 58 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 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
8 crash reports3 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
58 reportsANTI LOCK BRAKES FAILED SEVERAL TIMES, REPAIRS MADE HOWEVER STILL EXPERIENCING UNPREDICTED STOPPING DISTANCES AND FAILURES.
DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT 35MPH, WENT TO APPLY BRAKES (ABS), PEDAL CONTINUED TO FLOOR; VEHICLE DID NOT STOP, BUT SLID & THEN HIT WALL AT GAS STATION. *AK
WHEN BRAKES APPLIED, IR SEEMS A STHOUGH THERE WAS A TERMPORARY LOSS OF VACUUM. THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER PROBLEMS TO THIS DATE. *AK
ANTI-LOCK BRAKES LOCK UP ON OCCASION AND PEDAL GOES ALMOST TO FLOOR BEFORE STOPPING VEHICLE.
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT ANY LOW SPEED ON THE DRY WEATHER THE BRAKES WORK FINE, BUT WHEN THERE IS ANY WET SURFACE ON THE ROAD, THE BRAKES LOCK UP, MAKING THE CONSUMER LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THEN BRAKES GRAB, NOT LETTING VEHICLE OPERATE. *AK
WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES (ABS), CAN FELL THE BRAKE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR. THIS WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO HAVE AN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. IT'S INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. SOMETIMES THERE IS A GRINDING NOISE WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. DEALER CANNOT LOCATE PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT30 OR 40 MPH THE CONSUMER TRIED TO STEP ON THE BRAKES, TO STOP FOR A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO STOP VEHICLE. *AK
EA-94-038, THE DEFECTIVE ABS SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND THE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR. DEALER REPLACE BRAKING SYSTEM. PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. *AK
REAR ANTI-LOCK BRAKES LOCK UP/FAIL DURING A HARD STOP/PANIC STOP. *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.
94V093000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
May 16, 1994
SIGNIFICANT WEAR CAN DEVELOP ON THE LOW AND REVERSE CLUTCH PREVENTING THE PARK PAWL FROM ENGAGING. THIS CAN PREVENT A "NO PARK" CONDITION TO OCCUR WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING, CAUSING UNINTENTIONAL MOVEMENT OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT OPERATOR ACTION. (THE "NO PARK" CONDITION WILL NOT OCCUR WHILE THE ENGINE IS OFF.)
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: UNINTENTIONAL VEHICLE MOVEMENT COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT AND INJURY TO PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THE VEHICLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL CHECK THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FOR CONTAMINATION WHICH WILL INDICATE IF THE LOW OR REVERSE CLUTCH IS WORN. IF THE TRANSMISSION FLUID SHOWS CONTAMINATION, THE TRANSMISSION WILL BE REPLACED.
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