2001 GMC Sonoma SLS review from North America

The "service engine soon" light has come on for no apparent reason twice.

A thin metal strap that holds the back of the muffler has broken, allowing to muffler to rattle somewhat while driving.

The 3rd door latch broke once, but the dealership promptly repaired it. Unfortunately, in classic GM fashion, the actual engineering fault that allowed the the 3rd door latch to break was not corrected, so I'm almost certain it will break again.

Fit and finish are not spectacular. Body panels are not perfectly lined up, and some parts wiggle a bit.

At high speeds, the power windows do not close completely. They get hung up on the weatherstipping.

I bought my GMC Sonoma "High-rider" new in 2001. It is the off road package, and I loved the way it looked from the beginning. They are very expensive, so be sure it is what you want.

For overall structural integrity and strength, I rate my truck high. It is extremely tough and rugged, no question. The drive shaft is beefy, and the entire (and I do mean entire) undercarriage on the vehicle is completely protected for the purpose of off-roading.

The truck "gets it" in the mud. I outperformed a Jeep Wrangler and a Ford Ranger (off road model) while off roading for fun. I have never been stuck, and I pulled a 26 foot U-Haul truck out of a snow drift last winter. On a scale of 1 to 10, my High-rider gets an 11 for off road capability.

The vehicle comes with everything standard. There were no options, but it came with everything one would have wanted. It was all standard.