34 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1997 GMC Sonoma cite service brakes, hydraulic, 27% of all 125 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.
“UNABLE TO STOP DUE TO BRAKE PEDAL GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR! BRAKE PEDAL AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL ARE POSITIONED TOO CLOSE, AND WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS ALL THE WAY DOWN, FOOT COMES IN CONTACT WITH ACCELERATOR PEDAL, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP! THIS IS APPARENTLY A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE GMC PICKUPS, AS I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH A 1991 GMC SONOMA. IN THIS CASE, I COULD HAVE AVOIDED A COLLISION, BUT COULD NOT STOP, EVEN THOUGH I HAD APPLIED THE BRAKES WITH PLENTY OF FORCE. GM SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS MAJOR DEFECT, WHICH WAS NOT CORRECTED FROM AT LEAST 1991 THROUGH 1997 -- AND PROBABLY BEYOND! *JS”
“SINCE DAY ONE OF GETTING THE TRUCK, I NOTICE THAT THE GAS TANK METER WAS BROKE. BROUGHT IT BACK IN TO THEM FOR METER PLUS THE BRAKE SYSTEM. THEY FIXED THE METER PROBLEM BUT THEY SAID NEEDED BRAKE PADS CHANGED. SO I WENT HOME CHANGED THE BRAKE PAD, ROTOR, DRUMS. WENT BACK IN EVER SINCE THEN TILL NOW FOR COOLANT, KNOCKING OF ENGINE, A/C, MAIN ENGINE SEAL GASKETS, BRACKETS, FUEL SYSTEM, MOTOR MOUNTS, BELTS, SEALS, NIPPLES, STUDS, FAN CLUTCH, PULLEYS, PLUS BRAKES ARE STILL FAILING,(WENT ON LINE FOUND OUT BRAKES ARE RECALLED THEY FAILED TO TELL ME THAT). AS FAR AS I CAN SEE THE MOTOR IS BAD. THE TRUCK HAS COST ME MONEY OUT OF POCKET, WORK TIME, AS WELL AS MY OWN ON A PERSISTENT BASIS. THE TRUCK IS JUNK.”
“I HAVE A 1997 GMC SONOMA S.N. [XXX]. I HAVE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF THINGS WRONG WITH IT. AIR CONDITIONER (A/C) WENT OUT, THE MOTOR MOUND BROKE, THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN, THE BRAKES FAIL, THE VALVES ARE TAPPING, MAIN FRONT BEARING SEAL IS LEAKING, BLINKERS ARE NOT WORKING,OIL IS LEAKING ON TOP OF ENGINE BY A/C, WATER IS LEAKING FROM HEATING COIL, WATER PUMP IS OUT NOW,GOD THAT IS ONLY SOME OF THE THINGS. I HAVE HAD IT 1YR. 7 MON. WHAT CAN I DO? I GOT THE WARRANTY. AND THANK GOD I DID. *LA *TR”
“WHENEVER BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THEY WOULD MAKE A LOT OF SQUEALING NOISES IN THE FRONT, CONSUMER TOOK TO DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE NOISE WAS NORMAL, FRONT BRAKE PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED ONCE AT 20000 MILES AND ANOTHER TIME AT 32000 MILES, BRAKES WERE NOT COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. *SLC”
“BRAKE PEDAL WILL GO STRAIGHT TO FLOOR UNDER HEAVY BRAKING IF TRAVELING ON ANY UNEVEN SURFACE. BRAKES NEED TO BE RECALIBRATED. DEALER WOULDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE RECALL. CONSUMER HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS FIXED SINCE 1998.*AK”
“REAR BRAKE LINE IS ROUTED- (1) FROM MASTER CYLINDER (2) DOWN PAST DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT OF VEHICLE (3) ACROSS ROUGH BODY BRACKET. THIS CAUSES THE BRAKE LINE TO BE WORN IN 2 PLACES CAUSING LOSS OF HYDRAULIC FLUID AND BRAKE FAILURE. THERE IS A USELESS PIECE OF SPRING-LIKE SHEILDING WHICH THE AFOREMENTIONED BRACKET CAN EASILY SEPARATE/SLIDE BETWEEN AND BEGIN CUTTING THE BRAKE LINE, RENDERING THE REAR BRAKES COMPLETELY DISABLED AND THE ENTIRE BRAKING SYSTEM SUSEPTABLE TO THE INTRODUCTION OF AIR IN THE LINES.*AK”
Showing 6 of 34 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
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.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.