Research · complaint index
GMC Sonoma years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 9 model years of the GMC Sonoma by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. No single year stands far above the rest.
Complaints per year on the road
1.0 = typical year for this model
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2003 | 40 | 2 | 0.5 | 1 | 3 | Fewest complaints |
| 2002 | 57 | 2 | 0.7 | 0 | 2 | Typical |
| 2001 | 89 | 3 | 1.0 | 1 | 7 | Typical |
| 2000 | 136 | 5 | 1.5 | 4 | 15 | Typical |
| 1999 | 72 | 3 | 0.8 | 1 | 7 | Typical |
| 1998 | 172 | 6 | 1.7 | 4 | 14 | Typical |
| 1997 | 125 | 4 | 1.2 | 3 | 14 | Typical |
| 1996 | 156 | 5 | 1.5 | 9 | 26 | Typical |
- 20041 complaints · 1 recallFewest complaints
- 200340 complaints · 1 recallFewest complaints
- 200257 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
- 200189 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 2000136 complaints · 4 recallsTypical
- 199972 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 1998172 complaints · 4 recallsTypical
- 1997125 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
- 1996156 complaints · 9 recallsTypical
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Nov 13, 2026
Fewest complaints for their age: 2004, 2003.
About this comparison
What GMC Sonoma years have the most complaints?
No GMC Sonoma model year drew more than twice the typical complaint rate among the 9 model years compared. The highest was 1998.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.