1998 Chevrolet Sonoma Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1998 Chevrolet Sonoma, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Transmission240.0%
- Visibility240.0%
- Body & structure120.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY, SOMETIMES WHEN THE CONSUMER TURNED THEM ON A FASTER SPEED THEY WILL COME ON. THE FRONT PASSENGER AND DRIVER SEAT HANDLES WERE BROKEN, THEY DID NOT RECLINE AND METAL WAS WHITE. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED SIX TIMES, AND THE TAILGATE CABLES WERE BROKEN AND RUSTED. *JB.. VEHICLE ALMOST HIT A LARGE VAN WHEN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ALMOST ALWAYS WORKED WHEN IT WAS DRY OUTSIDE. CONSUMER TOOK OUT THE CIRCUIT BOARD AND FOUND THE SOLDER JOINT TO THE RELAY CRACKED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT. SUDDENLY, CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT GEARS, AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A GARAGE FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY, SOMETIMES WHEN THE CONSUMER TURNED THEM ON A FASTER SPEED THEY WILL COME ON. THE FRONT PASSENGER AND DRIVER SEAT HANDLES WERE BROKEN, THEY DID NOT RECLINE AND METAL WAS WHITE. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED SIX TIMES, AND THE TAILGATE CABLES WERE BROKEN AND RUSTED. *JB.. VEHICLE ALMOST HIT A LARGE VAN WHEN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ALMOST ALWAYS WORKED WHEN IT WAS DRY OUTSIDE. CONSUMER TOOK OUT THE CIRCUIT BOARD AND FOUND THE SOLDER JOINT TO THE RELAY CRACKED. *AK
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY, SOMETIMES WHEN THE CONSUMER TURNED THEM ON A FASTER SPEED THEY WILL COME ON. THE FRONT PASSENGER AND DRIVER SEAT HANDLES WERE BROKEN, THEY DID NOT RECLINE AND METAL WAS WHITE. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED SIX TIMES, AND THE TAILGATE CABLES WERE BROKEN AND RUSTED. *JB.. VEHICLE ALMOST HIT A LARGE VAN WHEN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ALMOST ALWAYS WORKED WHEN IT WAS DRY OUTSIDE. CONSUMER TOOK OUT THE CIRCUIT BOARD AND FOUND THE SOLDER JOINT TO THE RELAY CRACKED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .