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
Fuel System, Gasoline complaints
7 reportsENGINE 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
FUEL TANK RUSTED THROUGH, RESULTING IN FUEL LEAKAGE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK
DEBRIS THAT FALLS BETWEEN TRUCK CAB AND BED BECOMES LODGED BETWEEN GAS TANK AND FRAME AND ALSO BETWEEN TANK AND ROCK SHIELD. THIS DEBRIS BECOMES SOAKED FROM RAIN AND SNOW WITHOUT ANY MEANS TO FLUSH OUT OR DRY OUT. RESULTING IN GAS TANK CORROSION AND EVENTUAL LEAKS. GM HAS REMEDIED THIS SITUATION ON THE SUV FAMILY BUT NOT ON TH…
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DEBRIS THAT FALLS BETWEEN TRUCK CAB AND BED BECOMES LODGED BETWEEN GAS TANK AND FRAME AND ALSO BETWEEN TANK AND ROCK SHIELD. THIS DEBRIS BECOMES SOAKED FROM RAIN AND SNOW WITHOUT ANY MEANS TO FLUSH OUT OR DRY OUT. RESULTING IN GAS TANK CORROSION AND EVENTUAL LEAKS. GM HAS REMEDIED THIS SITUATION ON THE SUV FAMILY BUT NOT ON THE S10 / S15 CLASS PICKUPS. THE CURRENT 2000 MODEL PICKUPS STILL USE STEEL TANKS WHEREAS THE SUV'S NOW HAVE PLASTIC GAS TANKS. I'VE REPORTED THIS TO MY LOCAL GM DEALER AND THE AREA GM REPRESENTATIVE TO NO AVAIL. GM WILL NOT HONOR ITS 100,000 RUST THROUGH WARRANTEE NOR CONSIDER THIS AS A SAFETY DEFECT. ONE SPARK WITH A SOAKED UNDERSIDE OF GASOLINE AND THE VEHICLE COULD IGNITE OR WORSE EXPLODE.
THE FUEL TANK HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE BECAUSE IT SPLIT OPEN FROM THE BOTTOM. THE ORIGINAL FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED IN MAY OF 1999. THE USED FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED IN AUGUST OF 1999. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AROUND AND KEPT SMELLING GAS COMING FROM THE VEHICLE, LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND SAW FUEL COMING FROM THE TANK. SAW GAS ON THE GROUND, AND DISCOVERED THERE IS A HOLE ON THE UPPER SIDE ON THE GAS TANK, AND THE GAS TANK STARTED TO GET RUSTY. CONTACTED DEALER, AND GOT THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. *AK
FUEL PUMP FAILED. *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