IllustrationABS LIGHT IS ON AND DEALER CLAIMS MY 1994 GMC SONOMA NEEDS A $2,200 ABS COMPUTER REPLACED. THERE WAS RECALL ON THE ABS MODULE IN 7/00. I BELIEVE THIS RECALL AFFECTED THE ABS COMPUTER THAT NOW NEEDS REPLACING AND I'M ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE FROM GMC ON SHARING THE REPLACEMENT COSTS. *TR
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
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
131 reportsDT: THE CONSUMER OWNS A 1994 GMC SONOMA. THE CONSUMER IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. SOMETIMES WHEN SHE IS TRYING TO STOP, IT WILL EXCESSIVE FORCE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP WANTED TO CHARGE HER 125 DOLLARS TO LOOK AT IT. IN TWO MONTHS SHE HAS HAD THE BRAKES REPLACED THREE TIMES. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE ROTORS, P…
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DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS A 1994 GMC SONOMA. THE CONSUMER IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. SOMETIMES WHEN SHE IS TRYING TO STOP, IT WILL EXCESSIVE FORCE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP WANTED TO CHARGE HER 125 DOLLARS TO LOOK AT IT. IN TWO MONTHS SHE HAS HAD THE BRAKES REPLACED THREE TIMES. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE ROTORS, PADS, DRUMS, EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE AND NOTHING SEEMED TO HELP. THE ABS LIGHT HAS NEVER COME ON. GMC STATED THE CONSUMERS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN WITH THE RECALL BECAUSE HER VEHICLE WAS TOO OLD AND A LOT OF MILES ON IT. THE SHOCKS HAVE ALSO BEEN REPLACED. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS ARE 99I006000 AND 99V193000. *JB
DT: THIS IS A GMC S15 SONOMA 4 WHEEL DRIVE TRUCK. WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS ONE OF THE 4 WHEEL SPEED SENSORS. *JB
AT 35 MPH PASSANGER LOWER BALL JOINT FAILED AND RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE BEING DISABLED AND TOWED FROM FROM ROAD. 94 SONOMA 2.2 LITER WITH 180,000 MILES. I HAD NO CLUE AS TO THE PROBLEM AND THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO RUN FINE JUST BEFORE THE FAILURE.
EVERY TIME THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP IMMEDIATELY. *TT
THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THEH VEHICLE TO SLIDE INTO A FENCE AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO CONSUMER'S VEHICLE.*JB
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THAT THE BRAKE IS TO CLOSE TO THE ACCELERATION PEDAL CAUSING ACCIDENT. TS
ANTI-LOCK LIGHT GOES ON & BRAKES GO TO THE FLOOR HAD IT IN TO THE DEALER WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG, TOOK IT HOME LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN & NO BRAKES, TWICE I ALMOST KILLED MYSELF. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER THEY THEN FOUND THE PROBLEM, I WAS TOLD IT WAS HUB BEARING WORN & RUBBING ON THE ANTI-LOCK SENSOR. I DO NOT THINK THAT SHOULD MAKE…
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ANTI-LOCK LIGHT GOES ON & BRAKES GO TO THE FLOOR HAD IT IN TO THE DEALER WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG, TOOK IT HOME LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN & NO BRAKES, TWICE I ALMOST KILLED MYSELF. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER THEY THEN FOUND THE PROBLEM, I WAS TOLD IT WAS HUB BEARING WORN & RUBBING ON THE ANTI-LOCK SENSOR. I DO NOT THINK THAT SHOULD MAKE MY BRAKES GO TO THE FLOOR. MY BRAKES WERE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF NOISE OR WEAR ON THE HUB BEARINGS.*AK
THE ABS BRAKES THAT GMC PUT ON THIS PICKUP APPEAR TO BE MISS CALIBRATED OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THE BRAKES APPEAR TO WORK FINE AT HIGH SPEEDS. IT IS A DIFFERENT STORY WHEN YOU TRY TO STOP WHEN THE SPEED DROPS. DRY PAVEMENT WITH SAND ON IT THE STOPPING DISTANCE IS EXTENDED. THE LOCAL DEALER FOUND AN SPECIAL FACTORY ORDER AND REPL…
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THE ABS BRAKES THAT GMC PUT ON THIS PICKUP APPEAR TO BE MISS CALIBRATED OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THE BRAKES APPEAR TO WORK FINE AT HIGH SPEEDS. IT IS A DIFFERENT STORY WHEN YOU TRY TO STOP WHEN THE SPEED DROPS. DRY PAVEMENT WITH SAND ON IT THE STOPPING DISTANCE IS EXTENDED. THE LOCAL DEALER FOUND AN SPECIAL FACTORY ORDER AND REPLACED THE BRAKE BRAIN WHICH DIDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING. THE BRAKE PADS ON THE FRONT ARE NEW AND THE REAR SHOES ARE IN GOOD SHAPE. WHEN YOU TRY TO DRIVE ON THE ANTIFREEZE COMPOUND THE STATE AND CITY APPLY TO THE STREETS MAKES IT A REAL CHALLANGE TO EVEN SLOW DOWN WITH OUT FRONT BRAKE LOCK UP. I CARRY ABOUT 400# OF WEIGHT IN THE WINTER TO FACILTATE STARTING AND STOPPING. LAST WINTER I WAS COMING DOWN A HILL VERY SLOWLY AND APPLIED THE BRAKES AND FRONT WHEEL LOCKUP AND THE BACK WHEELS DIDN'T STOP BUT TURNED SLOWLY LEAVING TREAD MARKS. THE REARS DIDN'T SLIDE AT ALL AS I SLIDE OFF THE ROAD IN THE A SNOW BANK. I TRY NOT TO DRIVE THE PICKUP IN THE WINTER BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO CAUSE A WRECK. EVERY TIME I TRY AND STOP IN THE WINTER IT IS A THRILL. MY CAR HAS ABS AND I KNOW HOW ABS SHOULD WORK. THIS PICKUP IS THE GREATEST TRUCK I HAVE EVERY OWNED EXCEPT FOR THE BRAKES. I DO UNDERSTAND THAT MY TRUCK HAS MANY MILES ON IT, BUT IT IS WELL MAINTAINED. GMC SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME OUT WITH A FIX FOR THE BRAKES BEFORE SOMEBODY IS KILLED. I REALLY DON'T WANT TO PARK THE TRUCK OR JUNK IT. THANK YOU.
RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LINE, THAT GOES FROM METAL TUBING TO PLASTIC AND ATTACHES TO WHEEL, WORE THROUGH, CAUSING PEDAL TO GO TO THE FLOOR, AND RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *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