Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1995 GMC Sonoma submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 26 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 26, in the owner's own words
CONSUMERS STATES THE VEHICLE HAD A MAJOR FAILURE TO OCCUR WITH THE CYLINDER HEAD. GMC HAS DECLINED TO RESPOND TO CONSUMERS INQUIRIES. CONSUMER HAS ALL THE PARTS AND WOULD LIKE REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE METAL FAILURE. *JG
CYLENDER HEAD CRACKED, CAUSING LEAKING. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED.*AK
WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, HOSE FLIPPED OFF THAT WAS CONECTED WITH ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT BY THE TIME HE GOT THE VEHICLE STOPPED, ALL THE OIL HAD DRAINED OUT, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO FREEZE UP. *SLC
THE REMOTE OIL FILTER ADAPTER ON THIS VEHICLE IS MADE OF ALUMINUM AND THE MOUNTING BOLTS ARE STEEL. ANY KID THAT PASSES SCIENCE CLASS CAN TELL YOU THAT THESE TWO METALS TOGETHER WILL CAUSE A BI-METALLIC REACTION THAT WILL SEVERELY AND QUICKLY CORRODE THE ALUMINUM, WHICH IT HAS. THIS CORROSION HAS CAUSED THE MOUNTING HOLES ON THE ADAPTER TO FLAKE OFF AND NOW ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF THE MOUNTING BOLT/NUT IS HOLDING THE ASSEMBLY. EVENTUALLY, THE MOUNT WILL COMPLETELY FAIL AND THE ADAPTER MAY FALL INTO SOME MOVING ENGINE PART OR ONTO THE ROAD. THIS COULD SEVER THE OIL FILTER HOSES AND POSSIBLY SPRAY OIL ON THE HOT ENGINE WHICH IS A FIRE RISK. THIS OIL FILTER ADAPTER SHOULD BE MADE OUT OF MATERIALS THAT ARE COMPATIBLE AND WILL NOT CORRODE FROM BI-METALLIC REACTION.*AK
CONSUMER COMPLAINS OF EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION FAILURE. *JG
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
MECHANIC STATED THIS FAILURE VERY COMMON W/2.2L ENGINES, GMC REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE MATERIAL DEFECT. *AK DIMS 11 IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS----------750776.
REPEATED EGR VALVE FAILURE.TWICE IN 1997. REPLACED AGAIN ON 7/12/2001. IN THE DEALERS SHOP AGAIN 7/17/2001 FOR PROBABLE SAME EGR REPLACEMENT. HAS SPECIAL POLICY #G98066 THAT EXTENDS THE WARRANTY TO 7 YRS OR 75,000 MILES. EGR FAILURE CAUSES ROUGH DRIVING CONDITIONS AND BRAKE FAILURE. WOULD LIKE A PERMANENT FIX TO PROBLEM. *AK
CYLINDER HEAD GASKET FAILED. CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE BLOCK. THIS LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT CAUSED ENGINE DAMAGE.*AK
THE 1ST TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 55311 MILES ON 8/12/99. REPLACED WITH ANOTHER TRANSMISSION AND FAILED ON 01/04/2001 WITH 75121 MILES ON IT. HEAD GASKET REPLACED ON 01/05/98 WITH 33229 MILES. REPAIR CYLINDER HEAD AND LIFTERS ON 08/04/98 WITH 40905 MILES. REPLACED CRANKSHAFT AND BEARINGS ON 09/28/98 WITH 42917 MILES. REPLACED ENGINE ON 06/05/99 WITH 53755 MILES ON IT. LOT OF MECHANICAL BRAEKDOWN.
AUTO HAS BEEN LOSING COOLANT . TOOK TO GMC DEALSHIP REPAIR SERVICE 99 THEY REPLACED RADIATOR HOSES. SIX MONTHS LATER COOLANT WAS FOUND DIRTY HAD A FLUSH . 3MOS LATER THE SAMETHING TOOK BACK TO DEALSHIP THEY REPLACED HEATER HOSES AND THERMOSTA, TWO WEEKS LATER STILLING LEAKING THIS TIME WAS TOLD CYLINDER HEAD CRACKED AT CENTER BOLT HOLE AND LEAKING COOLANT INTERNALLY, THIS TIME THEY REPLACE CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD AND GASKET SET. THIS VEHICLE HAS NEVER I MEAN NEVER RAN HOT NOR DID IT SHOW ANY SIGNS OF HAVING RAN HOT.. WAS TOLD BY DEALERSHIP 1995 SUNFIRES AND 1996 SONOMA WITH THE SAME ENGINE HAD SAME PROBLEMS BUT MY 1995 SONOMA WAS NEVER ADDED TO BULLETION.*AK
VEHICLE HAS HAD 3 HEAD GASKETS DURING IT'S 18,000 MILES, CONSUMER FELLS IT SHOULD BE RECALLED. NLM
THE ENGINE FAILED, WAS REBUILT YET FAILED AGAIN. NLM
HEAD GASKETS FAILED ON VEHICLE AT 90,000 MILES CAUSING ME TO TO REPLACE THE WHOLE ENGINE OF MY TRUCK. MECHANIC AND MANY PEOPLE I SPOKE WITH HAVE STATED THAT THEY HAVE NOT SEEN A 95 SONOMA ENGINE LAST PAST 100,000 . *AK
THE HEAD GASKET OF THE ENGINE HAS BLOWN OUT CAUSING A COOLENT LEAK ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE ENGINE. THE MECHANIC AT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP HAS MADE THE STATEMENT THAT HE HAS SEEN 5 OR 6 OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME ENGINE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD GASKET BLOWING OUT. THE LEAK STARTED OFF SMALL BUT HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER THE LAST FOUR MONTHS. IF THIS IS TRUE AT ALL THE OTHER DEALERSHIPS, THIS SEEMS TO BE A HIGH FAILURE RATE FOR THIS TYPE OF ENGINE. *AK
COOLING SYSTEM FAN BELT HAS A LOT OF PLAY IN IT, AND ENGINE HEAD GASKET HAS BEEN LEAKING FOR TWO YEARS. BOTH PROBLEMS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. *AK *ML
CAR SHUTS DOWN FOR NO REASON. *AK
I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY SEVERAL DEALERS AND SERVICE CENTERS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE HAD SEVERAL IN THEIR SHOPS. I SHOULD CONTACT YOU WITH THIS PROBLEM.NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK
TRANSMISSION(AUTO) FAILURE : FLYWHEEL "SHATTERED" DUE TO BAD TORQUE CONVERTER AND FLEXPLATE(JULY 23,1996) STARTER BOLT BROKE WHILE DRIVING AT 55MPH. STARTER HAD TO BE REPLACED.(MAY 24, 1997). STARTING DIFFICULTY. STARTER BAD AND REPLACED AGAIN, PLUS REPLACED BAD FLEXPLATE/FLYWHEEL AGAIN FOR 2ND TIME(AUG 26, 1997). STARTER SHORTING OUT. REPLACED STARTER FOR 3RD TIME(SEPT 9,1999). CATALYTIC CONVERTER MALFUNCTION AND REPLACEMENT, MUFFLER ALSO REPLACED(DEC. 13, 1997). WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE, PULSE MODULE BAD(AUG 16,1996) AND WIPER FAILURE AGAIN INTERMITTANTLY, REPLACED UNDER RECALL(SEP. 1, 1999). SEATBELT DRIVER'S SIDE RETRACTOR BROKEN, REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY(AUG 26,1997) SEATBELT PASSENGER REPLACED UNDER RECALL (SEP 1, 1999). WINDOW CRANK HANDLE SNAPPED IN TWO WHILE CRANKING WINDOW DOWN. SHARP JAGGED EDGES CUT HAND AND FINGERS.(SEP 1 ,1999). HORN INOPERABLE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, TWICE WHEN I NEEDED IT TO ALERT AN ENCROACHING VEHICLE WHICH ALMOST HIT ME. THIS PROBLEM WAS UNABLE TO BE REPRODUCED AT THE DEALER SERVICE CENTER. STILL A POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM/LIABILITY(MAY 15, 1997-ONGOING INTERMITTANTLY, AND DEALER WOULD NOT REPLACE UNIT). THROTTLE STUCK OPEN AT HIGH SPEED (45-50MPH) ON AT LEAST FIVE OCCASIONS, CAUSING ME GREAT FEAR, EXTREMELY DANGEROUS POTENTIAL FOR ACCIDENT(MAY 1996 TO PRESENT).
HYDRAULIC LIFTERS COLLAPSED
THE HEAD GASKET FAILURE CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK. *ET
WHILE DRIVING THE COOLANT IS GETTING INTO THE ENGINE AND DETERIORATING THE FREEZE PLUGS, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. HAS BEEN TO DEALER 3 TIMES FOR SAME PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH A LOUD NOISE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. DRIVER TURNED OFF ENGINE, PUSHD ON THE FAN AND THE FAN ON FELL OFF. OWNER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TRUCK HOME. PARTS HAVE BEEN ORDERED. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM.
ENGINE OIL LEAK. *AK
THE TRUCK IS MAKING A LOT OF ENGINE NOISE WHEN TRYING TO START TRUCK. TT
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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