2002 GMC Sonoma

Typical pattern

4.3% of complaints about the 2002 GMC Sonoma came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2002 vehicle — around the middle of the 230 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 3.9 yr in service. The most-reported system is service brakes, hydraulic (15 complaints), typically at 3.8 yr or about 39,000 miles.

Complaints: 70
Median age at failure: 3.9 yr
Median mileage: 39,000 n=53
Crash / fire / tow: 5.7% of reports
Safety recalls: 0

In owners’ own words

Service brakes, hydraulic mileage not reported 2.4 yr in service

LETTER INFORMING OF THE POOR, IRRESPONSIBLE SERVICE THE CONSUMER RECEIVED AT A PONTIAC-GMC DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER. (NAR) *PH *CB

Service brakes, hydraulic 39,000 mi 2.9 yr in service

THE FRONT/REAR BRAKE ROTORS WEAR OUT PREMATURELY, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. *AK

Service brakes, hydraulic mileage not reported 3.1 yr in service

WHILE DRIVING. THE CONSUMER HEARD A SQUEAKING SOUND. THE CONSUMER FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED BRAKES AT 29000 MILES ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR AN INSPECTION AND FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED NEW BRAKES ON BOTH SIDES. HOWEVER, THE DEALER DID NOT WANT TO PUT FACTORY BRAKES ON THE VEHICLE THEY WANT TO USE A PRODUCT CALL DURA STOP. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB

Other Sonoma model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2002 GMC Sonoma

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

In owners’ own words

Other Sonoma model years

How to read this