2000 GMC Sonoma recalls and problems

The 2000 GMC Sonoma has 3 recalls and 136 owner complaints on file with NHTSA; the most reported problem area is structure.

How the 2000 compares

Highest

Fewest complaintsMost complaints

Highest complaint count among 5 Sonoma model years — the most of any year.

3recalls

136complaints

15crashes

0fires

9injuries

56,400median miles

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not verified and not adjusted for sales. Ranking compares this model's own years only.

Does your car have an open recall?
Recalls apply to specific vehicles. Only a VIN lookup on NHTSA's official site shows whether yours is affected and still unrepaired.

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3 recalls

Equipment

Sep 8, 2000 · NHTSA campaign 00V258001 · 223,194 vehicles

Problem: Vehicle description: Light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Some of these vehicles were built with incorrect payload information on the vehicle certification label. The payload shown on the label is greater than the maximum validated payload. If the vehicle were loaded to the incorrectly labeled payload, it May not ride and handle in the manner that the driver expects.

Original NHTSA wording

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH INCORRECT PAYLOAD INFORMATION ON THE VEHICLE CERTIFICATION LABEL. THE PAYLOAD SHOWN ON THE LABEL IS GREATER THAN THE MAXIMUM VALIDATED PAYLOAD. IF THE VEHICLE WERE LOADED TO THE INCORRECTLY LABELED PAYLOAD, IT MAY NOT RIDE AND HANDLE IN THE MANNER THAT THE DRIVER EXPECTS.

Risk: This could result in a loss of control of the vehicle or an inability to stop the vehicle within expected stopping distances.

Original NHTSA wording

THIS COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE OR AN INABILITY TO STOP THE VEHICLE WITHIN EXPECTED STOPPING DISTANCES.

Remedy & notes

Owners will be sent a new label for installation on the driver's door of the vehicle.

Owner notification began October 18, 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, GMC at 1-800-462-8782, or Oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537. Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Service Brakes

Feb 28, 2000 · NHTSA campaign 00V055000 · 10,674 vehicles

Problem: Vehicle description: Light duty pickup trucks equipped with 4-WHEEL disc brakes. Some of these vehicles have an antilock brake system (ABS) motor containing an out-of-specification spring clip. This clip could allow the motor bearing to become misaligned. If misalignment occurs, eventually the ABS would be non-functional.

Original NHTSA wording

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH 4-WHEEL DISC BRAKES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE AN ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) MOTOR CONTAINING AN OUT-OF-SPECIFICATION SPRING CLIP. THIS CLIP COULD ALLOW THE MOTOR BEARING TO BECOME MISALIGNED. IF MISALIGNMENT OCCURS, EVENTUALLY THE ABS WOULD BE NON-FUNCTIONAL.

Risk: The base brakes would remain fully functional, but the dynamic rear proportioning (drp) system, which optimizes front to rear brake balance, would become inoperative.

Original NHTSA wording

THE BASE BRAKES WOULD REMAIN FULLY FUNCTIONAL, BUT THE DYNAMIC REAR PROPORTIONING (DRP) SYSTEM, WHICH OPTIMIZES FRONT TO REAR BRAKE BALANCE, WOULD BECOME INOPERATIVE.

Remedy & notes

Dealers will replace the brake pressure module valve assembly.

Gm recall no. 00013.owner notification began March 27, 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC at 1-800-462-8782.also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Service Brakes

Aug 11, 1999 · NHTSA campaign 99V220000 · 3,947 vehicles

Problem: Vehicle description: S -trucks equipped with 2 wheel drive. These vehicles May have had the right-hand antilock brake system (ABS) module feed pipe and/or brake crossover pipe tube nuts tightened without seating the pipe-flared-ends enough to withstand normal assembly and vehicle inputs without partially unseating. This does not comply with requirements of FMVSS no. 105, "hydraulic service brake normal, emergency, and park braking performance."

Original NHTSA wording

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: S -TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH 2 WHEEL DRIVE. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE HAD THE RIGHT-HAND ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) MODULE FEED PIPE AND/OR BRAKE CROSSOVER PIPE TUBE NUTS TIGHTENED WITHOUT SEATING THE PIPE-FLARED-ENDS ENOUGH TO WITHSTAND NORMAL ASSEMBLY AND VEHICLE INPUTS WITHOUT PARTIALLY UNSEATING. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 105, "HYDRAULIC SERVICE BRAKE NORMAL, EMERGENCY, AND PARK BRAKING PERFORMANCE."

Risk: If this occurred, the seating seal could be broken during vehicle assembly, or from early road inputs or brake fluid cycling, and a leak could occur increasing the brake stopping distance.

Original NHTSA wording

IF THIS OCCURRED, THE SEATING SEAL COULD BE BROKEN DURING VEHICLE ASSEMBLY, OR FROM EARLY ROAD INPUTS OR BRAKE FLUID CYCLING, AND A LEAK COULD OCCUR INCREASING THE BRAKE STOPPING DISTANCE.

Remedy & notes

Dealers will inspect the brake pipe union for signs of brake fluid, and if necessary, install a new brake pipe union.

Owner notification began August 20, 1999.owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC at 1-800-462-8782.also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Recall text as published by NHTSA and the manufacturer.

What owners complain about

Structure41

Service Brakes34

Latches/locks/linkages12

Seats11

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA; one complaint can name several areas. Not verified by NHTSA.

Complaints by year filed

NHTSA investigations

ENGINE STALL DUE TO FUEL STARVATION

PE02066 · opened Sep 6, 2002 · closed Nov 3, 2003

Summary

ODI OPENED PE02-066 TO EVALUATE THE SCOPE AND CONSEQUENCE OF ENGINE POWER-LOSS DUE TO FUEL STARVATION INDUCED BY IN-TANK MODULAR FUEL PUMP STRAINER RESTRICTION.THE SUBJECT PUMPS USE AN EXTERNAL ?SOCK? STRAINER TO FILTER FUEL FLOWING TO THE PUMP INLET.THIS FILTER CAN SOMETIMES BECOME CLOGGED, RESULTING IN A REDUCED FLOW OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE.GM HAS SUBSEQUENTLY MODIFIED THE STRAINERS TO REDUCE THIS RESTRICTION.ANALYSIS OF THE ODI COMPLAINT DATABASE SHOWS THAT DESPITE THESE RESTRICTIONS, THE SUBJECT VEHICLES STALL AT A RATE THAT IS COMPARABLE TO THOSE OF MANY PEER VEHICLES.ADDITIONALLY, NONE OF THE RELEVANT WARRANTY REPAIR RATES EXCEED 1% AT 36 MONTHS OF EXPOSURE.ONE RELATED CRASH INVOLVES A STALLED VEHICLE THAT WAS REAR-ENDED ON THE ROADWAY, WHILE THE REMAINDER INVOLVED MINOR COLLISIONS OR SCRAPES.THE SOLE INJURY CONSISTED OF BRUISING FROM A LOW SPEED FRONTAL CRASH. GIVEN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, FURTHER EXPENDITURE OF AGENCY RESOURCES IS NOT JUSTIFIED IN THIS MATTER.THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION IS THEREFORE CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN THE FUTURE IF WARRANTED.

2000 vs. other GMC Sonoma years

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2000. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2000 GMC Sonoma have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns covering the 2000 GMC Sonoma, the latest from Sep 8, 2000 (equipment). A recall applies to specific vehicles: enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected and still open.

What are the most common problems with the 2000 GMC Sonoma?

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention structure (41), service brakes (34), latches/locks/linkages (12). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.