Problems · NHTSA complaints

2000 GMC Sonoma problems

Owners filed 136 complaints about the 2000 GMC Sonoma with NHTSA between Mar 2000 and Jul 2020. The most-cited component is structure (40).

Complaints
136
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
15
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
9
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Structure40
  2. Service brakes, hydraulic30
  3. Latches/locks/linkages12
  4. Seats11
  5. Air bags10
  6. Power train8
  7. Suspension7
  8. Equipment5
  9. Visibility5
  10. Fuel system, gasoline5
  11. Engine and engine cooling5
  12. Service brakes4
  13. Tires4
  14. Steering3

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
200018
200126
200210
20037
200417
200524
200614
20076
20082
20090
20103
20110
20120
20131
20143
20151
20162
20171
20180
20190
20201

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Structure

40 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 GMC SONOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WAS LOOSE AND FAILED TO CLOSE COMPLETELY. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC PLACED A PIN ON THE BUSHING AND NOTICED THAT THE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED UNDERNEATH THE CAB. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 6, 2014StructureODI 10619234

Service brakes, hydraulic

30 reports8 crashes2 related recalls
“ABS SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. CODE C0265. INTERNET RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THIS MODEL YEAR (2000) AND OTHER SIMILAR MODELS AND SURROUNDING YEARS HAVE THIS FAILURE. GROUNDING FAILURE TO ABS COMPUTER MODULE RESULTING IN THE NECESSITY TO REPLACE MODULE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 15, 2008Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10238384

Latches/locks/linkages

12 reports
“GMC SONOMA 2000 THIRD DOOR LATCH BROKE SO THAT DOOR WON'T OPEN BACK OF DRIVERS SEAT HANDLE TO ADJUST SEAT BROKE OFF SO THAT THE SEAT IS IN A TILT POSITION AND WILL NOT ADJUST. ALMOST TO A POSITION OF 50% BACK. *NM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 26, 2007Latches/locks/linkages, SeatsODI 10183525

Seats

11 reports
“THE TRUCKS BEEN HANDLING FINE AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE OIL PAN BLOWS OUT ON THE TRUCK AND I THINK IT THREW A ROD. WHICH IS NOT MY FAULT A PIECE CAME APART OR CAME OUT OF THE ENGINE CAUSING ALL THAT PRESSURE TO BUILD UP AND MESS IT UP. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION NOT GOING OVER 60”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 3, 2016Seats, EngineODI 10824115

Air bags

10 reports7 crashes
“OUR SON WAS INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT ON 09/15/2013 WHERE HE WAS TRAVELING NORTH BOUND ON SOLDIERS HOME ROAD IN MORAINE OHIO. HIS TRUCK WENT OF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHEN IT DID HE ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE GAS AND NOT THE BRAKE. TRUCK THEN HIT AN ELECTRIC POLE AS IT PICKED UP SPEED BROKE A TIE ROD IN HALF. HE THEN LOST CONTROL AS IT FLEW ACROSS THE STREET STILL INCREASING SPEED. AT THAT TIME HE HIT 2 TREES AND A FIRE HYDRANT, THEN THE TRUCK SPUN AND THE REAR WRAPPED AROUND ANOTHER TREE. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY EITHER DRIVER OR PASSENGER SIDE. HE WAS KILLED ON IMPACT AND THE PASSENGER DID SURVIVE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 30, 2014Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10607050

Power train

8 reports
“PASSENGER AND DRIVER SEATS IN MY 2000 GMC SONOMA HAVE SEAT POSITIONING CONTROLS AND LOCKING MECHANISIMS THAT DO NOT ALWAYS LOCK PROPERLY AND/OR GET JAMMED UP AND HAVE BROKEN. A FRIEND WAS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND IT FAILED TO LOCK INTO PLACE TO KEEP IT FROM SLIDING FORWARD. I ADJUSTED THE BOLTS THAT FASTEN THE SEAT TO THE FLOOR OF THE VEHICLE TO HELP 'REALIGN' THE SEAT FRAME SO THAT THE MECHANISM THAT KEEPS THE SEAT FROM SIDING FRONT AND BACK WOULD KEEP THE SEAT LOCKED INTO POSITION ONCE THE SEATING DISTANCE IS SET. ALSO, THE RECLINING HANDLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BROKE OFF, NOT ALLOWING FOR SEAT BACK SUPPORT ANGLE ADJUSTMENT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BACK SUPPORT ADJUSTMENT LEVER OFTEN 'STICKS' OR 'LOCKS' INTO POSITION....NOT ALLOWING FOR SEAT BACK REST ADJUSTMENT. REAR DIFFERENTIAL SOMETIMES LOCKS UP AND OR SLIPS AND SHAKES AND MAKES NOISE...ESPECIALLY WHEN SIDEWAYS FORCE IS APPLIED...SUCH AS WHEN TURNING IN A CURVE OR CIRCULAR FASHION WITH THE VEHICLE IN MOTION. BOTH TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLES BROKE ON THE TRUCK. FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE BEARING HAD EXCESS WEAR AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 65 000 KM. DRIVER'S SIDE WIPER ARM GOT DISLODGED…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 17, 2007Steering, Suspension, Power train, Visibility, Structure, SeatsODI 10185417
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.