Owner-reported complaints naming the interior system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 GMC Sonoma submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 33 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 33, in the owner's own words
PASSENGER SEAT DOES NOT LOCK INTO PLACE. PASSENGERS SEAT SLIDE FORWARD AND BACKWARD , AND AIR BAG LIGHT STAYED ON , LEFT TURN SIGNAL LIGHT AND BRAKE DON'T COME ON. *TR
DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT RECLINING LEVERS BROKEN. THIRD DOOR HANDLE BROKEN. THIRD DOOR HANDLE HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. SEAT LEVERS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BUT DIDN'T LAST. CAN'T SOMETHING BE DONE TO CORRECT THESE PROBLEMS PERMANENTLY? *TR
ON OUR 1998 GMC SONOMA WE HAVE REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR AND BOARD. THE WIPERS STILL HAVE A GHOST IN THEM AND DELAY DOES NOT WORK MOST OF THE TIME AND HIGH SPEED WHEN ON LOW SPEED, ERRATIC BEHAVIOR ON WIPERS. WON'T TURN ON OR OFF ON OCCASION. WAS THERE A RECALL ON ALSO ON THE PASSENGER SEAT? THE LEVER BROKE RIGHT OFF THE FIRST TIME WE USED IT. CHEAPLY BUILT HANDLES. PLEASE SEND ME A LIST OF RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE PLEASE FOR OUR OWN SAFETY AS THIS VEHICLE IS DRIVEN DAILY ON OPEN HIGHWAYS. *JB
INTERIOR COMPONENTS BREAK EASILY: DRIVER'S RECLINER HANDLE SHEARED OFF, DRIVER'S VISOR HINGE SNAPPED, WINDSHIELD DEFROST GRILLE FRACTURED. *NM
1998 GMC SONOMA EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. *MR THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD NOT GO OFF, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED IN RAINY WEATHER, THE POWER WINDOWS FAILED, THE RECLINER HANDLE HAD BROKEN OFF, AND THE HANDLE TO THE SIDE DOOR HAD BROKEN AS WELL. *SC *JB
I OWN A 1998 GMC SONOMA PICKUP. BOTH TAILGATE CABLES FAILED BY BREAKING IN HALF BECAUSE OF RUST. I HAVE NOT REPLACED THEM AND AM CURRENTLY NOT USING MY TAILGATE BECAUSE EACH ONE COSTS $42.00 (THEY ARE PART OF THE LATCH ASSEMBLY). GM HAS RECALLED TAILGATE CABLES ON FULL SIZE TRUCKS - DOES ANYBODY BELEIVE THE CABLES ON THEIR SMALLER TRUCKS WERE ANY BETTER? I AM A BELEIVER THE SAME PROBLEM EXISTS BUT THEY SELL LESS SMALL TRUCKS SO THERE ARE FEWER COMPLAINTS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MINE CORRECTED LIKE MANY OTHER GM TRUCK OWNERS HAVE.
THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT RECLINER LEVERS BROKE COMPLETELY OFF WITHOUT ANY EXCESSIVE FORCE BEING APPLIED. *JB
WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR LATCH FAILED, CAUSING THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR TO OPEN. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND PULLED OVER. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND THE MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE FACTORY'S FAULT. THE CONSUMER WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS KNOWN FOR A KNOCKING NOISE AROUND THE TIRES IN WHICH THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HAD EXPERIENCED. *SC *JB
1998 GMC SONOMA HIGHRIDER 4X4. THE HANDLE ON THE BUCKET SEATS THAT LETS THE SEATS DECLINE ARE BROKE OFF THEY ARE MADE OUT OF CHEAP METAL. MY MOM OWNS A 1998 CHEVY BLAZER SAME THING,ALSO ON THE THIRD DOOR THE HANDLE THAT OPENS IT BREAKS EASILY. *NM
HANDLE TO CHANGE SEAT POSITION BROKE. WITH SO MANY DOCUMENTED REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING TO OTHER CONSUMERS WHY IS THIS NOT RECALLED?*AK
THE DRIVER'S SEAT RECLINER HANDLE BROKE OFF INSIDE THE JOINT; HAD TO DRIVE IN A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE POSITION UNTIL IT WAS REPLACED! VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE; $300.00 AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE METAL SEEMED TO BE SOFT AND FAIRLY EASY TO BREAK; I DO NOT CHANGE THE SEAT POSITION OFTEN. 8JB
SEAT RECLINING LEVER BROKE OFF. METAL SNAPPED INSIDE MECHANISM.
PASSENGER SEAT DOES NOT LOCK INTO PLACE. PASSENGERS SLIDE FORWARD AND BACKWARD WITH ALMOST EVERY PRESS OF THE GAS AND BRAKE. ALONG WITH THE BROKEN RECLINER LEVER(BOTH SIDES) WHICH HAS LEFT THE SEAT IN A SEMI-RECLINED POSITION, MY PASSENGERS ARE IN FOR A NOT SO PLEASANT RIDE. *JB
THE HANDLES THAT RECLINE BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS BROKE OFF WITH VERY LITTLE FORCE. MY PASSENGER SEAT IS ALWAYS SLIGHTLY RECLINED NOW AND MY DRIVER'S SEAT IS STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO REPLACE THEM BECAUSE THERE IS NOT A RECALL AND ACCORDING TO THEM ITS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. MY WARRANTY IS UP BUT I FEEL THIS GOES BEYOND WARRANTY AND IS A DEFECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *JB
FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT WOULD NOT LOCK IN PLACE DURING SUDDEN STOP. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AKTHE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT ALSO DOESN'T LOCK IN PLACE AND MOVES FORWARD ON SUDDEN STOPS. *JG
SEAT HANDLE ON THE SIDE OF DRIVER SEAT THAT ADJUSTS BACK OF THE SEAT TO DIFFERENT POSITIONS HAS BROKEN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
ALUMINUM HANDLE FOR RECLINING MECHANISM OF DRIVER'S SEAT BROKE, AND HAS BEEN REPAIRED BY DEALERSHIP. HOWEVER, HANDLE FOR RECLINING MECHANISM OF FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT BROKE, AND WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE SHAFTS THAT ARE USED ARE MADE OUT OF CAST ALUMINUM AND ARE SOFT MATERIAL. *JB
THE "METAL" STUD FOR THE SEAT RECLINER HAS BROKEN ON BOTH FRONT SEATS. THE SEATS CAN ONLY BE LEFT IN ONE POSITION, WHICH MENAS ONLY I CAN DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE SEAT CANNOT BE MOVED FOR A DIFFERENT SIZED DRIVER.*AK
THE RECLINER SEATBACK HANDLE IS ATTACHED TO A SUB-STANDARD METAL PART WHICH HAS BROKEN ON THIS TRUCK TWICE SINCE NOVEMBER 1999. IN BOTH INSTANCES IT APPEARS THE METAL PORTION THAT THE HANDLE IS SCREWED INTO IS NOT A HIGH GRADE METAL AND THUS CAN BE BROKEN IN TWO PIECES FROM REGULAR USE. PER OUR SERVICE ADVISORS AT THE PONTIAC/GMC DEALERSHIP, THEY'VE INDICATED THIS WAS THE PART THAT USED THE LOWEST GRADE MATERIAL THUS THEY HAVE SEEN MORE OF THIS PART BREAK ON THIS TRUCK THAN ANYTHING ELSE. ALSO, THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE INDICATED THIS WAS THE SECOND TRUCK WITH THIS PROBLEM THIS WEEK. I DEFINATELY NEED TO KNOW IF THIS COULD BE A PROBLEM IN THE LONG RUN WITH THESE TRUCKS IN QUESTION. I MAY NOT BE THE FIRST, BUT I AM CERTAINLY NOT THE LAST TO REPORT THIS PROBLEM.
SEAT RECLINER ASSEMBLY FAILURE. *SLC
SPARE WHEEL WOULD NOT FIT ON THE TRUCK, WRONG NUMBER OF HOLES IN THE WHEEL. *MJS
DRIVER SIDE SEAT DOSEN'T LOCK PROPERLY AND SLIDES BACK WHEN YOU ACCELERATE. I HAVE TACKEN THIS TRUCK THE THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES BARNETT AUTO GROUP ON THE GULF FREEWAY IN HOUSTON TEXAS WITH UNSATISFACTORY RESULTS. I HAVE CALLED AND WRITTEN TWICE THE GMC CONSUMER RELATIONS DEPT AT GMC CONSUMER RELATIONS 31 E, JUDSON STREET 1607-04 PONTIAC MI 48342-2230. SOME ONE THIER STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO TACK ANY ACTION BECAUSE THEY WERE ON THE SIDE OF THE DALER AND NO ACTION WAS GOING TO BE TACKEN AT THISPOINT & TIME. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH AND HOOD FLEW OFF AND HIT REAR WINDSHIELD. *AK
SEAT RECLINER BROKE. NLM
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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