Your vehicle report
1997 GMC Sonoma
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 111
- Received Jan 1997 to Aug 2014
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail25 complaints · 23% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up10 complaints · 9.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines9 complaints · 8.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #97V146001Vehicle description: light duty passenger pickup trucks equipped with 4.3L engines. The front brake line can contact the left-hand side of the engine oil pan causing the brake line to wear to the point of brake fluid loss during brake application.
- Recall #97V096001Vehicle description: extended cab pickup trucks equipped with 60/40 front bench seats and extended cab pickup trucks and 2-DOOR utility vehicles equipped with manual locking recliner bucket seats. The outboard safety belt webbing on the driver's and/or passenger's seat can separate during a frontal impact.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 14 crashes, 0 fires, 10 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 9 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 9 |
| 1998 | 12 |
| 1999 | 21 |
| 2000 | 11 |
| 2001 | 12 |
| 2002 | 12 |
| 2003 | 11 |
| 2004 | 5 |
| 2005 | 8 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 111 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 25 | 23% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 10 | 9.0% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 9 | 8.1% | – | NHTSA recall #97V146001 |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 8 | 7.2% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 5 | 4.5% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 4 | 3.6% | – | |
| Transfer case shifts into 4-wheel drive unexpectedly | 3 | 2.7% | – | |
| Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly | 3 | 2.7% | – | |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 3 | 2.7% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #97V146001September 11, 1997146,167 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: light duty passenger pickup trucks equipped with 4.3L engines. The front brake line Can contact the left-hand side of the engine oil pan causing the brake line to wear to the point of brake fluid loss during brake application.
Brake fluid loss Can reduce braking effectiveness and increase stopping distances resulting in a vehicle crash without prior warning.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the clearance between the oil pan and the brake line. If the clearance is 6MM or less, dealers will install an additional brake line clip and if there was contact between the oil pan and brake line, the front brake line will be replaced.
NHTSA recall #97V096001June 12, 1997586,058 vehicles affected
seat belts
Vehicle description: extended cab pickup trucks equipped with 60/40 front bench seats and extended cab pickup trucks and 2-DOOR utility vehicles equipped with manual locking recliner bucket seats. The outboard safety belt webbing on the driver's and/or passenger's seat Can separate during a frontal impact.
If a separation occurred and there were secondary crash events or vehicle rollover, there would be no belt restraint of the occupant and increased injuries could occur.
Remedy
Dealers will install a protective cover over the recliner mechanism.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1997 GMC Sonoma.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN