Most common 2000 GMC Sonoma problems
Share of the 136 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
GMC Sonoma complaints by model year
Best Sonoma years: 2003, 1999, 2002. Years to avoid: 1995, 1996, 1998. Compare all years →
2000 GMC Sonoma recalls (3)
Equipment › Other › Labels
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Some of these vehicles were built with incorrect payload information on the vehicle certification label. The payload shown on the label is greater than the maximum validated payload.
Remedy: Owners will be sent a new label for installation on the driver's door of the vehicle.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks equipped with 4-wheel disc brakes. Some of these vehicles have an antilock brake system (ABS) motor containing an out-of-specification spring clip. This clip could allow the motor bearing to become misaligned. If misalignment occurs, eventually the ABS would be non-functional.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake pressure module valve assembly.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Vehicle description: s -trucks equipped with 2 wheel drive. These vehicles May have had the right-hand antilock brake system (ABS) module feed pipe and/or brake crossover pipe tube nuts tightened without seating the pipe-flared-ends enough to withstand normal assembly and vehicle inputs without partially unseating.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the brake pipe union for signs of brake fluid, and if necessary, install a new brake pipe union.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2000 GMC Sonoma:
Engine stall due to fuel starvation
Odi opened pe02-066 to evaluate the scope and consequence of engine power-loss due to fuel starvation induced by in-tank modular fuel pump strainer restriction.the subject pumps use an external ?sock? Strainer to filter fuel flowing to the pump inlet.this filter can sometimes become clogged, resulting in a reduced flow of fuel to the engine.GM has subsequently modified the strainers to reduce this…
What 2000 GMC Sonoma owners say
Body & structure all 41 →
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. …
While resting a power washer on the tailgate of my 2000 Sonoma pickup to get a better grip both tailgate cables snapped causing the power washer to roll backwards, before we could react we only had time to soften the blow of the power washer hitting the ground causing minor damage to the handle. No visible damage to the tailgate and thank god no one was hurt, it's not easy trying to catch a 175 lb piece of machinery unexpectedly. It's quite evident that both of the tailgate cables failed due to corrosion as they both broke apart just about in the middle of the rubber coated cable.
Brakes all 35 →
I had a near death accidents (twice) due to catastrophic brake line failure from severely rusted brake lines the front left and the intermediate line from front to rear section on top of frame rail. First incident was at speed of 45 MPH on highway with hard stop required to avoid stopped traffic ahead. Second failure was more insidious with progressive brake line rust through/ leak spot to rear brake lines with fin through and failure. This is not complicated ... Simply substandard materials for one of the most critical components in a vehicle. It should not matter what conditions are (ie salt, cold, etc; design and materials should be mandated for brake lines not to rust through. There are materials which could be used to accomplish this, particularly for northern regions with salt on roads. …
Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 35 MPH the contact depressed the brake pedal and it went to the floor. As an attempt to stop the vehicle the contact pumped the brakes., resulting contact in a rear end collision. This incident occurred on wet road conditions. The vehicle was towed to an independent towing service.
Locks & latches
2000 GMC Sonoma, third door and handle. Since I purchased the vehicle (used) and warranty expired I've noticed that the third door has always been difficult to open, not being familiar with it I assumed it was normal until the handle broke and you could not open the door since there is only one handle for it. I went to a local GMC dealership and purchased another handle assembly, asked about any recalls, or bulletins and was told there was nothing in their system, or GMC's, I searched the internet and found that I was not the first to have this problem, I also found a bulletin in a Sonoma website/group online, contacted GMC and finally got them to research the bulletin # and was told "yes" there is a bulletin, it must have been lost in the system, then I was told I would have to take it back to the dealership where they would have to analyze what caused the handle to break at my …
We own a 2000 GMC Sonoma and the 3rd door handle breaks about 1 a year. It has been repaired by GM under warranty 3 times but the vehicle is now out of warranty and the handle has broke again. Since this vehicle has a seat for children in the rear and we use it for that, I am concerned the handle will break in an emergency situation and we will have difficulty removing the child from the rear. I have spoken with other Sonoma owners and service personnel at GM dealerships and all agree this is part that always breaks. I have contacted gms customer service # and they have stated they have no intention of doing anything to improve the design of the door or recall the vehicle for a permanent fix. The problem could be very easily fixed by making the handle out of metal or increasing the web thickness of the plastic at the fracture point. I have retained the failed part for inspection.
2000 GMC Sonoma engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 20 / 26 / 23 |
| 2.2L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 17 / 24 / 19 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 16 / 21 / 18 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2000 GMC Sonoma a good car?
Based on 136 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2000 Sonoma rates average: 1.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the Sonoma at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2000 GMC Sonoma?
The body & structure — 41 complaints, 30% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body › tailgate › hinge and attachments. Next are the brakes (35) and locks & latches (12).
How many recalls does the 2000 GMC Sonoma have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2000 GMC Sonoma, the most recent from September 8, 2000 (labels). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the GMC Sonoma?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2003, 1999 and 2002. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1995, 1996 and 1998. See the full GMC Sonoma years comparison.
At what mileage do 2000 GMC Sonoma problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 56,000 miles; 41% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.