IllustrationWHILE DRIVING WOULD STEP ON BRAKE PEDAL BUT BRAKES WILL NOT ACTIVATE RIGHT AWAY, AND PEDAL WILL KICK IN. BRAKE SYSTEM HAD BEEN REPAIRED FOUR TIMES BEFORE.*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
What owners actually said
224 reportsBOTH PARTS HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPLACE WITHIN THE LAST 18 MONTHS. THEY WILL BE REPLACE A SECOND TIME BY THE END OF MARCH 2001. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. *AK
AFTER HAVING A RECALLED ITEM REPAIRED CONSUMER EXPERIENCED SAME PROBLEM A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER. *AK
NO REVERSE,BUT ALL FOWARD GEARS STILL WORK. *AK
WHENEVER DRIVING VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY ACCELERATE FOR NO REASON. COULD STAND ON BRAKES & VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. VEHICLE WAS NOT CONTROLLABLE. TRIED SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL ALSO FAILED. VEHICLE THREW A TIE ROD INTO THE MOTOR & DAMAGED IT. IT HAS BE REPLACED. SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAPPENED ON 26 AUGUST,2000 AND 23 SEPTEMBER 20 00…
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WHENEVER DRIVING VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY ACCELERATE FOR NO REASON. COULD STAND ON BRAKES & VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. VEHICLE WAS NOT CONTROLLABLE. TRIED SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL ALSO FAILED. VEHICLE THREW A TIE ROD INTO THE MOTOR & DAMAGED IT. IT HAS BE REPLACED. SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAPPENED ON 26 AUGUST,2000 AND 23 SEPTEMBER 20 00. TOOK VEHICLE TO DIFFERENT DEALERS FOR REPAIR DUE TO NOT BEING DRIVEABLE.*AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING IN RAIN. VEHICLE NOT TAKEN TO DEALER. THIS HAS HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY.*AK
FUEL TANK RUSTED THROUGH, RESULTING IN FUEL LEAKAGE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK
I HAVE HAD SEVERAL FIRESTONE TIRES THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED SEPERATION.THE LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER GAVE SEVERAL EXCUSES AS TO WHY THEY FAILED INCLUDING SOMEONE KNIFED THE TIRES.THEY TOLD ME THAT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM.I HAVE HAD 4 TIRES BLOW OUT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS.I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE TIRES WILL WEAR TH…
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I HAVE HAD SEVERAL FIRESTONE TIRES THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED SEPERATION.THE LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER GAVE SEVERAL EXCUSES AS TO WHY THEY FAILED INCLUDING SOMEONE KNIFED THE TIRES.THEY TOLD ME THAT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM.I HAVE HAD 4 TIRES BLOW OUT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS.I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE TIRES WILL WEAR THIN IN THE MIDDLE VERY QUICKLY AND SEPERATE A SHORT TIME LATER. THE ONE TIME I REPLACED 2 TIRES IN A 60 DAY PERIOD, BOTH FROM SEPERATION.THE FIRE HAWK TIRE LINE NEEDS TO BE CHECKED INTO QUICKLY AS ITS WHITE LETTER STYLE IS POPULAR WITH YOUNG DRIVERS WHO DRIVE FAST AND ARE INEXPERIENCED. I AM CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR DOCUMENTION ON MY TIRES,THEY ARE 14' .PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AS I BELEIVE THERE ARE SOME VERY BAD TIRES ON THE ROAD TODAY. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL QUIT OR STICK WHILE IN USE IN THE RAIN. SOMETIMES THEY WON'T COME ON AT ALL. SOMETIMES THE WIPERS WILL WORK IF YOU GET OUT AND TUG ON THEM, BUT ONLY FOR A SHORT WHILE AND THE WILL GET STUCK AND QUIT WORKING. IT GETS QUIT ANNOYING AFTER A WHILE, NOT KNOWING IF THE WIPERS WILL WORK OR NOT AND HAVING TO GE…
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WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL QUIT OR STICK WHILE IN USE IN THE RAIN. SOMETIMES THEY WON'T COME ON AT ALL. SOMETIMES THE WIPERS WILL WORK IF YOU GET OUT AND TUG ON THEM, BUT ONLY FOR A SHORT WHILE AND THE WILL GET STUCK AND QUIT WORKING. IT GETS QUIT ANNOYING AFTER A WHILE, NOT KNOWING IF THE WIPERS WILL WORK OR NOT AND HAVING TO GET OUT AND TUG ON THEM TO MAKE THEM WORK.*AK
CRANKSHAFT ROD AND PIN FAILED. NLM
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