2003 GMC Sonoma Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sonoma years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 9th of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 39 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 GMC Sonoma. That ranks 9th out of 11 Sonoma model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is structure (6 complaints, 15%), typically at around 30,000 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 1 fire, 2 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 39owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 6 | 15% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 5 | 13% | 29,299 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 13% | 47,850 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 10% | 55,385 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 10% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 8% | 54,348 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 8% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 8% | 135,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 8% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 5% | 58,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 5% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 5% | 2,625 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 3% | 92,984 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 3% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 3% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 3% | 5,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 GMC Sonoma recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: Certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection."
Risk: Some of these vehicles include incorrect statements on one of the air bag warning labels.
Fix: Owners will be provided with correct labels and installation instructions. Owner notification began on june 4, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
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.
The vehicle is kept in a garage and when outside i use a screen protector. The dash and many other interior parts of the car are simply falling apart
I took my vehicle to amreican tire depot on 5/23/18. I had two flat tires and a bent rim, i explained what i needed and they confirmed. Daniel who assisted me informed me he had to sell me four times because my tires were worn. I said that was fine although my tires were not that bad. I was charged…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 gmc sonoma. While driving approximately 55 mph, the air bag light illuminated on and off without warning. The failure recurred and was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 81,000.
While driving the truck the brakes failed, pedal going to the floor. Took the truck to a repair shop and they stated that all the brake lines were rusted through, and more importantly, where the leaf springs attached to the underside of the car was completely rusted and the truck was unsafe to…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 gmc sonoma. The contact stated while he drove 73 mph the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to coast onto the emergency lane. The local mechanic performed a diagnostic test and was unable to locate a failure code. The vehicle was taken to a second…
Other GMC Sonoma years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Sonoma | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 Sonoma | 0 | 1 |
| 2003 | 39 | 1 |
| 2002 Sonoma | 57 | 0 |
| 2001 Sonoma | 89 | 1 |
| 2000 Sonoma | 136 | 3 |
| 1999 Sonoma | 57 | 0 |
| 1998 Sonoma | 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
Embed this 2003 GMC Sonoma badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 GMC Sonoma?
Owners most often report structure, latches/locks/linkages, power train problems. The top one, structure, accounts for 6 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 GMC Sonoma?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 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 2003 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.