IllustrationLEFT FRONT BRAKE CALIPER FAILED CLOSED AND CAUSED EXCESSIVE WEAR REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF CALIPERS AND ROTORS ON BOTH SIDES AS ABS SYSTEM COMPENSATED FOR FAILURE THIS DISGUISING THE PROBLEM. DT
1999 GMC Sonoma
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 GMC Sonoma do not stand out strongly from 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
10–25K
825–50K
750–75K
075–100K
5100–150K
3150K+
24 reports with mileage · 33 unknown
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.
- Power Train. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seats. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports1 fire reports5 injury reports
What owners actually said
57 reportsWHILE DRIVING 30MPH RECLINING SEATBACK HANDLES ON BOTH SIDES BREAK OFF. REPLACED AND PROBLEM REOCCURRED.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED VEHICLE HYDROPLANED INTO A TREE AND NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
DRIVERS SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE HUB BEARINGS FAILED. *AK
BRAKE LIGHTS ARE INOPERABLE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, BLOWING THE IGNITION FUSE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THIS CONTINUED UNTIL THE WIRING IN THE STEERING COLUMN SHORTED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL IN TRAFFIC, SMOKE CAME FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AND FROM UNDER THE HOOD.
THE DRIVERSIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT RECLINER LEVERS IN MY VEHICLE HAVE BROKEN FOUR TIMES. WHEN THESE BREAK, THE SEAT LAYS FLAT BACK AND YOU CANNOT MOVE IT UP AND DOWN. I HAD THE ORIGINALS REPLACED AT DIFFERENT TIMES, AND NOW AGAIN THEY ARE BOTH BROKEN. THE PART IS JUNK, AND NEEDS REMODELING. IT IS VERY UNSAFE TO HAVE THIS…
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THE DRIVERSIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT RECLINER LEVERS IN MY VEHICLE HAVE BROKEN FOUR TIMES. WHEN THESE BREAK, THE SEAT LAYS FLAT BACK AND YOU CANNOT MOVE IT UP AND DOWN. I HAD THE ORIGINALS REPLACED AT DIFFERENT TIMES, AND NOW AGAIN THEY ARE BOTH BROKEN. THE PART IS JUNK, AND NEEDS REMODELING. IT IS VERY UNSAFE TO HAVE THIS LEVER BROKEN, BECAUSE THEN THE SEAT IS BROKEN. WILL THE SEAT BELT WORK CORRECTLY IF I GET INTO AN ACCIDENT? GENERAL MOTORS HAS TOLD ME TO PAY FOR THE PARTS, BUT I BELIEVE THE PART IS FAULTY AND THEY SHOULD RE-DESIGN AND FIX THE PROBLEM AFTER FOUR TIMES.
DRIVERS FRONT SEAT TRACK INSIDE PLASTIC COMPONENT HAS BROKEN, CAUSING SEAT TO REMAIN IN A UNLOCKED POSITION. CONSUMER HAS REPLACED TRACK. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
FRONT BRAKES LOCKED UP WHILE TRAVELING LESS THAN 30 MPH AND APPLYING 'GENTLE' BRAKE PRESSURE. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE AND COULD NOT DETERMINE A CAUSE. AFTER LEAVING DEALERSHIP AND DRIVING ONLY A FEW MILES, PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN. CONSUMER'S WIFE MENTIONED THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED TO HER THREE MONTHS PRIOR TO THE RE…
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FRONT BRAKES LOCKED UP WHILE TRAVELING LESS THAN 30 MPH AND APPLYING 'GENTLE' BRAKE PRESSURE. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE AND COULD NOT DETERMINE A CAUSE. AFTER LEAVING DEALERSHIP AND DRIVING ONLY A FEW MILES, PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN. CONSUMER'S WIFE MENTIONED THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED TO HER THREE MONTHS PRIOR TO THE RECENT INCIDENT IN SAME VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
VEHICLE WOULD SHIMMY AND FRONT END WOULD SHAKE VISIBLY. DEALER REPLACED FRONT BALL JOINTS/ IDLER ARM AND TIE ROD ENDS AT34000 MILES. AT THIS TIME, SAME 3 COMPONENTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED PLUS FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS. THE VEHICLE HAD SAME PROBLEM AS IN AUG 2000. ALSO, TIRES WERE WEARING OUT ON THE OUTSIDE. 3 DIFFERENT GMC DE…
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VEHICLE WOULD SHIMMY AND FRONT END WOULD SHAKE VISIBLY. DEALER REPLACED FRONT BALL JOINTS/ IDLER ARM AND TIE ROD ENDS AT34000 MILES. AT THIS TIME, SAME 3 COMPONENTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED PLUS FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS. THE VEHICLE HAD SAME PROBLEM AS IN AUG 2000. ALSO, TIRES WERE WEARING OUT ON THE OUTSIDE. 3 DIFFERENT GMC DEALERS TOLD CONSUMER THAT GMC WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.*AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.