IllustrationWHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE IN THE MORNINGS IT WILL NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARDS. CONTACTED DEALER. *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
Power Train complaints
10 reportsNO REVERSE,BUT ALL FOWARD GEARS STILL WORK. *AK
CRANKSHAFT ROD AND PIN FAILED. NLM
WE ARE CURRENTLY HAVING A PRESSURE BUILD-UP IN THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING THE FLUID TO PUSH THROUGHT THE DIP-STICK CAP. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE TRANSMISSION RE-BUILT AND ARE WANTING TO KNOW IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL OR IF THERE IS POSSIBLE A HIDDEN WARRANTY WE SHOULD FIND OUT ABOUT. *AK
HALF THE TIME THIS TRANSMISSION WILL NOT, WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! I HAD GM LOOK AT IT TELL IT FINALLY WENT OUT OF WARRANTY. I THINK GM STOPPED USING THIS T-5 AFTER '94'. FIGURES. WELL, THANKS FOR LISTENING AND THAT TAKES CARE OF THAT ! !
COSIDERING MY LONG EXPERIENCE WITH THE GM PRODUCT LINE I AM DISAPPOINTED WITH THE EARLY FAILURES OF THESE COMPONENTS. I SPECIFICLY CONTACTED GM ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE RECEIVED VERY LITTLE SUPPORT OR SATISFACTION FROM THEM. *AK
ABS BRAKES; BRAKES FAIL INTERMITTENTLY ON ONE OCCASION BRAKES LOCKED.TT CONSUMER STATES ON FOUR OCCASIONS HE WOULD HIT THE BRAKES HARDS AND THE RIGHT FROT TIRE LOCKED UP, ON DRY PAVEMENT, CONSUMER ALSO STATES TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO BE SLIPPING GOING FORN 1ST GEAR TO 2ND WHEN THE VEHICLE IS WARMING UP.*JB
WHEN RAINING THE ABS BRAKES LOCK UP AND WILL NOT STOP THE TRUCK. TT CONSUMER STATES THAT AFTER THE TRUCK SITS IN RAIN OVERNIGHT OR FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS, THE ABS WILL LOCK, PROBLEM OCCURS WITH LITTLE PRESSURE APPLIED AND CLEARS UP AFTER FIRST COUPLE MILES OF THE TRIP, DEALER HAS MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT PROBLEM, HOWEVE…
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WHEN RAINING THE ABS BRAKES LOCK UP AND WILL NOT STOP THE TRUCK. TT CONSUMER STATES THAT AFTER THE TRUCK SITS IN RAIN OVERNIGHT OR FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS, THE ABS WILL LOCK, PROBLEM OCCURS WITH LITTLE PRESSURE APPLIED AND CLEARS UP AFTER FIRST COUPLE MILES OF THE TRIP, DEALER HAS MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT PROBLEM, HOWEVER HAS BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED. THERE IS A NOISE IN THE THROW OUT BEARING. *SLC
ANTI-LOCK BRAKES LOCKED UP 5 TIMES, ALSO PULLS TO THE RIGHT UPON BRAKING.
4-WHEEL DRIVE ACTIVATES WITHOUT ASSISTANCE.
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