IllustrationANTILOCK BRAKES HAVE NOT WORKED PROPERLY SINCE TRUCK WAS NEW WHEN BRAKING /WINDSHIELD MOTOR HAS BEEN INTERMITENT SINCE TRUCK WAS NEW SOME TIMES IT WORKS THEN WILL SHUT OFF AT ANY GIVEN TIME THEN COME BACK ON
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 reportsWHEN MAKING NORMAL STOPS, DRIVER WILL HEAR NOISE AND THEN VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP,TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKES, DRIVER MUST BEAR DOWN IN ORDER TO STOP. *AK
ABS ACTIVATES CONTINUALLY. MJS
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES VEHICLE DID NOT STOP WITH FOOT PERMANENTLY ON BRAKES. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE BEFORE AND CANNOT FIND THE CAUSE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH APPLIED THE BRAKES, AND PEDAL WAS HARD AND GOT SOFT. ABS SYSTEM DIDN'T KICK IN, AND THE BRAKES WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. PROBLEM REPAIRED AT DEALER. *AK *ML
POWER DOOR LOCKS AND WINDOW ON DRIVERS DOOR FAIL CONSTANTLY. ABS BRAKES LOCKEDAND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.*AK
RIGHT FRONT ABS WHEEL SENSOR RUBBED AGAINST THE RIM, CAUSING PEDAL TO BECOME ROCK HARD, AND DID NOT STOP VEHICLE.*AK
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM HAS A DESIGN DEFECT THAT CAUSES LONGER THAN NECESSARY STOPPING DISTANCES AND ON SOME SIMILAR MODELS MAY CAUSE FMVSS105 STOPPING DISTANCE FAILURES. THE ABS SYSTEM DURING ANY 4WD ABS EVENT WILL COMPLETELY RELEASE THE REAR BRAKES, AND KEEP BRAKE PRESSURE AT ZERO DURING THE ENTIRE STOP. NORMALLY ABS IS NOT…
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ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM HAS A DESIGN DEFECT THAT CAUSES LONGER THAN NECESSARY STOPPING DISTANCES AND ON SOME SIMILAR MODELS MAY CAUSE FMVSS105 STOPPING DISTANCE FAILURES. THE ABS SYSTEM DURING ANY 4WD ABS EVENT WILL COMPLETELY RELEASE THE REAR BRAKES, AND KEEP BRAKE PRESSURE AT ZERO DURING THE ENTIRE STOP. NORMALLY ABS IS NOT ACTIVATED DURING FMVSS105 COMPLIANCE TESTING SO THE MANUFACTURES TEST RESULTS WILL NOT SHOW THIS EFFECT. THE INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE IS UNECESSARY AND UNSAFE. THE VEHICLE ALSO DOES NOT HAVE AN ACCELEROMETER OR G-SWITCH FOR REFERENCE VELOCITY IN FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WHICH CAN CAUSE THE ABS TO ALLOW THE WHEELS TO LOCK AT A SIGNIFICANT SPEED AND THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL. *AK
THE PROBLEM I AM HAVING IS THAT THE BRAKES ON THIS VEHICLE DO NOT WORK VERY WELL. I HAVE REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER,BRAKE SHOES AND PADS AND BRAKE FLUID. THE BRAKE SYSTEM IS STILL INADEQUATE. THE PEDAL BOTTOMS OUT ON THE FLOOR AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP. PLEASE HELP ME AND THE MANY CONSUMERS WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM THESE …
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THE PROBLEM I AM HAVING IS THAT THE BRAKES ON THIS VEHICLE DO NOT WORK VERY WELL. I HAVE REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER,BRAKE SHOES AND PADS AND BRAKE FLUID. THE BRAKE SYSTEM IS STILL INADEQUATE. THE PEDAL BOTTOMS OUT ON THE FLOOR AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP. PLEASE HELP ME AND THE MANY CONSUMERS WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM THESE PROBLEMS. GM HAS TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF US AND IS ENDAGERING THE LIVES OF IT'S CUSTOMERS AND OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD. THEY NEED TO FIND A SOLUTION AND I THINK A RECALL IS WARRANTED.
WHILE DRIVING OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD ABS SYSTEM FAILS. DEALER HAS BEEN TRYING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *ML
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