1998 GMC Sonoma Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sonoma years
- More complaints than other years 2nd of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 156 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 GMC Sonoma. That ranks 2nd out of 11 Sonoma model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is visibility (55 complaints, 35%), typically at around 52,500 miles. Complaints mention 9 crashes, 2 fires, 1 injury. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 156owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 9complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 GMC Sonoma problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility problems | 55 | 35% | 52,500 | “windshield wipers” (69%) | — |
| Seats | 29 | 19% | 67,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 15 | 10% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 14 | 9% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 11 | 7% | 178,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 11 | 7% | 101,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 11 | 7% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 9 | 6% | 68,480 | — | — |
| Suspension | 7 | 4% | 94,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 3% | 83,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 3% | 178,750 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 3% | 97,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 3% | 145,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 2% | 90,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 2% | 118,850 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 2% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 1% | 54,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 GMC Sonoma recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting
Problem: Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the daytime running lights built with a candela value greater than 3,000 cannot be mounted higher than 864mm above the road surface.
Risk: These vehicles do not comply with requirements of fmvss no. 108.
Fix: Dealers will install a revised wiring harness that changes the drl's from high beam to low beam drl's, and install new long-life low beam bulbs.
Electrical system:wiring:front underhood
Problem: Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose vehicles. An engine electrical wiring-harness clip can melt and drip onto the exhaust manifold.
Risk: The clip material on the exhaust manifold can ignite and subsequently ignite other combustible components resulting in a vehicle fire.
Fix: Dealers are contacting owners by telephone to have their vehicles towed to the dealer and alternate transportation provided to them until the dealer can reroute the electrical wiring-harness.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles. A fatigue fracture of the rear axle right-hand brake pipe can occur causing a slow brake fluid leak resulting in a soft brake pedal. If the brake pipe breaks, the driver would experience a sudden drop in the brake pedal, the instrument panel brake light would illuminate, and there would be a loss of rear brake performance.
Risk: Partial loss of braking at a time when minimum stopping distance was required could result in a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pipe.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
While driving all electrical shuts down engine , everything!!!!!!!!!
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 gmc sonoma. While driving 50 mph, the air bags deployed without warning or impact. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to the contact's home. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was…
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
I was driving home on the hwy, driving between 35-60 mph because of icy, snowy, slushy, 35 mph windy conditions. My steering wheel started vibrating crazily and my truck kept wanting to pull itself to the left. I felt bumping every time the front left wheel made a revolution. With 1 1/2 hours of…
Driver was going approx. 40mph down the rural highway in heavy rain and the truck in front of her came to a stop. By the time the driver of the sonoma saw the truck it was too late to stop and not hit the stopped vehicle. The driver of the sonoma hit the stopped truck and totaled the sonoma. At no…
Other GMC Sonoma years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Sonoma | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 Sonoma | 0 | 1 |
| 2003 Sonoma | 39 | 1 |
| 2002 Sonoma | 57 | 0 |
| 2001 Sonoma | 89 | 1 |
| 2000 Sonoma | 136 | 3 |
| 1999 Sonoma | 57 | 0 |
| 1998 | 156 | 3 |
| 1997 Sonoma | 111 | 2 |
| 1996 Sonoma | 148 | 6 |
| 1995 Sonoma | 213 | 3 |
See all GMC Sonoma problems by year, every GMC model, or the GMC VIN decoder.
Similar GMC models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 GMC Sonoma?
Owners most often report visibility, seats, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, visibility, accounts for 55 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 GMC Sonoma?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 GMC Sonoma a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sonoma model years, the 1998 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.