Table 1 shows two common suspension related problems of the 2003 GMC Sonoma.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Front Suspension Upper Ball Joint problems | |
| Rear Suspension Springs problems |
Consumer complained of vehicle handling problems since 5000 miles. Consumer took vehicle to the dealer at least 9-10 times. There was a popping sound in the front end. Consumer had the lower ball joints replaced, and believed the upper ball joints were still bad. Also, there was excessive play in the steering box. This was causing excessive wear on the tires. With any wind the vehicle was blown around. The service writer at the dealership said they didn't want to fix the problem because they were afraid it would make the problem worse, but it was not stated on the service repair sheet. At one point lock tight was put on the bolts to keep them from coming loose. The manifold gasket and thermostat was replaced. On one occasion the vehicle lurched forward, there was a squealing noise coming from the brakes.
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 drive. The shop could not repair the car, and knew no one locally who could repair the car. There have been numerous rust issues with the truck over the years as follows: spare tire mounting rusted through and the spare tire flew off the truck in traffic; the fuel line had to be replaced twice due to rust; and the rear brakes rusted and had to be replaced three times.