2001 GMC Sonoma recalls and problems

The 2001 GMC Sonoma has 1 recall and 89 owner complaints on file with NHTSA; the most reported problem area is structure.

Pictured: a 2002 model; the 2001 may differ in details. Photo: 2002 Gmc Sonoma by MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How the 2001 compares

High

Fewest complaintsMost complaints

High complaint count among 5 Sonoma model years — 2nd most.

1recalls

89complaints

7crashes

1fires

6injuries

52,449median 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.

Check your VIN →

1 recall

Seat Belts

Aug 7, 2000 · NHTSA campaign 00V228003 · 156,305 vehicles

Problem: Vehicle description: Passenger vehicles, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, and MINI vans equipped with trw seat belt buckle assemblies. The buckle base of these seat belt assemblies were not properly heat treated and therefore do not pass the load bearing requirement of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, "seat belt assemblies."

Original NHTSA wording

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES, LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MINI VANS EQUIPPED WITH TRW SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES. THE BUCKLE BASE OF THESE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES WERE NOT PROPERLY HEAT TREATED AND THEREFORE DO NOT PASS THE LOAD BEARING REQUIREMENT OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 209, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES."

Risk: In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant May not be properly restrained.

Original NHTSA wording

IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED.

Remedy & notes

Dealers will inspect the vehicle's safety belt buckle assembly date codes and, if necessary, will replace any safety belt buckle assembly.

Owner notification began August 24, 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 Buick at 1-800-521-7300; Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020; GMC at 1-800-462-8782; Oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537; Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737; or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. 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

Vehicle Speed Control5

Air Bags4

Exterior Lighting4

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.

2001 vs. other GMC Sonoma years

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2001. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2001 GMC Sonoma have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign covering the 2001 GMC Sonoma, the latest from Aug 7, 2000 (seat belts). 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 2001 GMC Sonoma?

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention structure (26), service brakes (16), power train (10). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.