IllustrationCONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 15MPH INSIDE OF A SHOPPING PARKING LOT AND THERE WAS THUMPING NOISE UNDERNEATH VEHICLE WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. VEHICLE BRAKES DIDN'T HOLD. *AK BRAKE LOSS WAS DUE TO SPEED SENSOR FAILURE AND WAS REPLACED. WIPER NOISE WAS DUE TO WIPER MOTOR FAILURE WHICH THE DEALER REPLACED. *YH
1995 GMC Sonoma
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Sonoma years
Owner complaints for the 1995 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: 7 of 213 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 80 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 52 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
27 crash reports0 fire reports12 injury reports
Service Brakes, Air complaints
5 reports1. I HAD JUST LEFT THE HOUSE TO GO TO WORK. I PULLED OUT ON TO THE MAIN STREET WHERE A NORMAL AMOUNT OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WAS STAGED. ADDITIONALLY, ROAD WORK WAS BEING DONE, SO VEHICLE SPEED WAS VERY SLOW. I COASTED FORWARD ABOUT 10 FEET AND PLACED MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES. WHEN I DID NOTHING HAPPENED, IT DID NOT STOP. IN ADDI…
Read full complaint
1. I HAD JUST LEFT THE HOUSE TO GO TO WORK. I PULLED OUT ON TO THE MAIN STREET WHERE A NORMAL AMOUNT OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WAS STAGED. ADDITIONALLY, ROAD WORK WAS BEING DONE, SO VEHICLE SPEED WAS VERY SLOW. I COASTED FORWARD ABOUT 10 FEET AND PLACED MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES. WHEN I DID NOTHING HAPPENED, IT DID NOT STOP. IN ADDITION, THE IDLE RACED SLAMMING ME INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. DAMAGE WAS DONE TO MY TRUCK BUMPER, BUT NOT TO THE VAN IN FRONT OF ME. ALSO, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE BRAKES WENT HIGH AND HARD AND THE BRAKES EXPERIENCED TOTAL FAILURE. FORTUNATELY, THE LATE AFTERNOON RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC HAD AFFORDED ME AN OPENING TO THE RIGHT. I TURNED THE KEY OFF AND DRIFTED OVER. MANY PEOPLE COULD HAVE DIED THAT DAY HAD I NOT HAD GOD AND QUICK REFLEXES.
ABS FAILURE WHILE DRIVING 35-40 MPH. HARD BRAKE APPLIED AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND VEHICLE DROVE STRAIGHT AHEAD AND REARENDED VEHICLE AHEAD. AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT.
DURING LAST OF SEVERAL BRAKE FAILURES, UNDER WET DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO STEER OR STOP THE VEHICLE. DRIVER LOSS CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND CRASHED.
#EA95-026, WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, THE ABS ANTI-LOCK BRAKES LOCK UP ONLY WHEN SNOWING WEATHER . *AK
Official recalls
399V193000 · 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.
98V150001 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer
Jul 1, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, 2 AND 4-WHEEL DRIVE. SOLDER JOINTS NEAR THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR CAN CRACK CAUSING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN INOPERATIVE WIPERS, REDUCING A DRIVER'S VISIBILITY, AND INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD AND COVER.
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
2EA97022 · Windshield Wiper Failure
Opened Oct 23, 1997 · Closed Jul 2, 1998
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility
There is no summary currently available
Additional source detail variants (2)
Visibility
There is no summary currently available
Visibility
There is no summary currently available
PE97028 · Windshield Wiper
Opened Jun 17, 1997 · Closed Oct 23, 1997
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility
DURING THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION, OVER 400 ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS WERE FURNISHED BY GM.IN ADDITION GM REPORTED OVER 3000 WIPER SYSTEM WARRANTY REPAIRS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.