Vehicles / GMC / Sonoma / 1994

1994 GMC Sonoma

224 federal complaints (297 component records) · 2 recall campaigns on file · 1 federal investigation · 13 service bulletins · 4 Canadian recalls
See all 16 model years of the GMC Sonoma →
Engine
2.2L 4-cyl
Fuel
Premium, Regular
Drive
RWD
EPA economy
17 city / 23 hwy
Federal complaints
224
Recall campaigns
2
Specifications show one example EPA configuration for this model year; other engines, drivetrains, and trims exist and the records below cover all of them.
How to read this file. Complaint records are unverified owner submissions to the federal safety agency. Counts are raw, not adjusted for sales volume or vehicle age. Recall campaigns apply to the model; only a VIN check shows whether this car is affected or repaired. Parts shown are named by an editorial note or listed as a search directory; none is a diagnosis. Full methodology.

Fault profile

Complaint-component records on this vehicle, grouped by family. A complaint naming two systems counts once in each.

Brakes
153
Glass & wipers
56
Engine & cooling
20
Speed control
13
Power train
12
Electrical system
11
Suspension
8
Fuel system
7
Complaints are owner-reported and not verified by the agency.

When it fails

The timing of this vehicle's reported failures, from the complaint file itself. A cluster tells you what to expect and when; it is shaped by reporting behavior as well as by the vehicle.

Vehicle age when the failure occurred

0 years old: 22 complaints01 years old: 26 complaints2 years old: 15 complaints3 years old: 22 complaints4 years old: 12 complaints5 years old: 13 complaints56 years old: 13 complaints7 years old: 13 complaints8 years old: 7 complaints9 years old: 8 complaints10 years old: 3 complaints1011 years old: 1 complaints12 years old: 0 complaints13 years old: 2 complaints14 years old: 1 complaints15 years old: 0 complaints1516 years old: 0 complaints17 years old: 0 complaints18 years old: 0 complaints19 years old: 0 complaints20+ years old: 1 complaints20+
Years between the model year and the owner's reported failure date. Based on 159 of 224 complaints with a usable failure date.

Known issues

The component families with the most complaint records against this vehicle. Counts, crash and fire figures belong to the whole family, not to any single named issue. Parts listed are related system parts, not a diagnosis.

Brakes

153 complaint records20 crash reports
"BRAKE FAILURE CAUSED PEDAL TO GO TO THE FLOOR, REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER STILL THE LIGHT CAME ON POSSIBLE THE ABS FAILURE. YH..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse brakes parts in the directory →

Glass & wipers

56 complaint records1 crash report
"WINDSHIELD MAKES CLICKING NOISE WHEN TEMPERATURE CHANGES AS IF IT WILL BREAK, SPOTS ON THE WINDSHIELD MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE...."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse glass & wipers parts in the directory →

Engine & cooling

20 complaint records
"WHILE DRIVING, THE ACCELERATOR STICKS, CAUSE UNKNOWN, ALSO REPLACED REA RLEFT POWER WINDOW MOTOR; MULTI-FUNCTION LEVER SHORTED OUT AND REAR MAIN ENGINE SEAL LEAKING. *AK..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse engine & cooling parts in the directory →

Federal defect investigations

Formal investigations opened by the federal safety agency into this vehicle. An investigation is the step between a complaint pattern and a recall; not every one results in one.

InvestigationStatusComponentSubject
PE94046
opened Jun 1994
closed Oct 1994Service Brakes, HydraulicABS BRAKING SYSTEM FAILS
There is no summary currently available

Recall campaigns

Safety-recall remedies are normally provided at no charge. Under US federal law the mandatory free remedy applies when the vehicle was no more than 15 years old at the time the defect was determined; manufacturers often cover older vehicles voluntarily. Canadian rules differ. Confirm eligibility with the manufacturer using the VIN. Each campaign number links to the federal record.

CampaignComponentSummaryRemedy
99V193000Service Brakes, HydraulicVEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN 4-WHEEL DRIVE PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ABS (ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM) MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 1989 THROUGH AUGUST 1996.Normally free
97V096001Seat BeltsVEHICLE 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.Normally free

Transport Canada recalls

Recalls issued under Canadian law for this model year, from Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database. Matched by model name, so a Canadian-market variant may appear here that was sold under another name in the US. Units are Canadian vehicles affected.

RecallSystemUnits (CA)Summary
1999135
1999-07-26
Brakes72,445Certain four wheel drive vehicles may experience increased stopping distances during ABS stops while in the two-wheel drive mode.
1998150
1998-07-22
Visual System71,500Certain vehicles may have windshield wiper motors with solder joints near the wiring harness connector that could crack. This could cause the windshield wiper to work intermittently and ultimately result in inoperative wipers.
1997152
1997-09-08
Seats And Restraints23,860On certain vehicles, the driver's and/or passenger's front outboard seat-belt webbing could separate during a frontal impact having at least the same dynamics as a 48 kph frontal barrier collision.
1994013
1994-01-25
Fuel System5,547Certain vehicles do not comply with CMVSS.301- Fuel System Integrity. Fuel tank filler pipes may not be to specification. Thus when tested to CMVSS 301 the vehicle may leak fuel in excess of the Standard.

Service bulletins and warranty extensions

Manufacturer communications to dealers on file with the federal agency: repair instructions, service campaigns, and warranty extensions. A warranty extension means the manufacturer may pay for a repair the recall table does not cover.

BulletinTypeComponentSummary
130089009
Sep 2013
Engine And Engine CoolingExpanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
240699
Jul 1999
Service BrakesSUBJECT REGARDING ABS 3-SENSOR EBC4 - SPECIAL POLICY. *TT
776001
Jul 1997
Engine And Engine CoolingINFORMATION CONCERNING ENGINE KNOCK/RATTLE OR TAP NOISE BEFORE ENGINE HAS REACHED OPERATING TEMPERATURE OR UNDER LIGHT LOAD CONDITIONS AT OPERATING TEMPERATURE (REPLACE PISTON AND/OR ROD ASSEMBLIES). AK
776001
Mar 1997
Engine And Engine CoolingKNOCK, RATTLE OR TAP NOISE FROM THE ENGINE BEFORE THE ENGINE HAS REACHED OPERATING TEMPERATURE OR UNDER LIGHT LOAD CONDITIONS AT OPERATING TEMPERATURE KNOCK, RATTLE OR TAP NOISE FROM THE ENGINE BEFORE THE ENGINE HAS REACHED OPERATING TEMPERATURE OR UNDER LIGHT LOAD CONDITIONS AT...
GM161514
Apr 1995
Latches/Locks/LinkagesEND GATE LATCH RATTLE (INSTALL REVISED STRIKER). *TW
Show 8 more bulletins
BulletinTypeComponentSummary
GM561204
Apr 1995
StructureWATER LEAK AT THE A/C RECIRCULATION DOOR (INSTALL NEW HOOD HINGE SEAL). *TW
GM569002
Apr 1995
Vehicle Speed ControlSTEPPER MOTOR CRUISE CONTROL WILL NOT RESUME OR RESET (REPLACE SMCC MODULE). *TW
576503
Mar 1995
Vehicle Speed ControlLIGHT SURGE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS DURING LIGHT THROTTLE. *TW
567301
Feb 1995
Power TrainCLUTCH PEDAL SQUEAK NOISE. *TW
476522
Jan 1995
Electrical SystemBACKFIRE ON ACCELERATION. *TW
468306
Dec 1994
Electrical SystemIMPROPERLY CONSTRUCTED INSTRUMENT CLUSTER CAUSING ERRATIC TEMPERATURE GAUGE READINGS. *TW
94266
Dec 1994
Service BrakesPRODUCT SAFETY CAMPAIGN 94-C-61 - CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCEMENT TO RECALL CERTAIN 1994 S-TRUCK PICK-UP MODELS TO CORRECT THE VACUUM HOSE DETATCHMENT FROM THE BRAKE BOOSTER CHECK VALVE AS A RESULT OF AN ENGINE BACKFIRE. *TW
461602A
Sep 1994
SeatsREAR SEAT RATTLES/LOOSENESS (INSTALL REAR SEAT LATCH). *TW

Before you buy this vehicle

A test-drive checklist generated from this vehicle's own complaint and recall record.

  1. Brake hard once from speed on an empty road.A pull to one side, a pulsing pedal, a pedal that sinks at a stop, or an ABS light that stays lit are the brake complaints on this vehicle presenting themselves.
  2. Run the wipers and washers, and test every window.Slow or stuck regulators, streaking wipers, and windshield cracks are this vehicle's visibility complaints.
  3. Cold-start it yourself and listen for the first thirty seconds.Knocking, ticking that fades as it warms, or blue or white smoke on startup are the sounds of this vehicle's engine cluster. Check the oil level and the coolant color, and ask whether the engine or its head gaskets have ever been out.
  4. Run the VIN against open recalls before you negotiate.This vehicle has 2 recall campaigns on file. An open recall needs VIN-specific confirmation. Many are quick, no-charge fixes and worth negotiating over; an unresolved do-not-drive advisory, or a remedy the manufacturer has not yet made available, should stop the purchase until it is resolved.
  5. Ask for the service history in writing, then read it against this page.The complaint families above are where owners of this vehicle report trouble. Repairs in exactly those systems are evidence the car had the problem; no such repairs could mean it never developed it, or that it was never fixed. The test-drive items above are how you tell those apart.

Parts search directory

The generic parts list for this vehicle has its own page: a search launcher for every system, filtered by fuel type and era but not by engine, trim, or brake type. It is not a diagnosis and not a fitment guarantee.

Open the parts directory for this GMC Sonoma →