1996 GMC Sonoma SLS review from North America
"A decent, economical daily driver truck"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Valve cover gasket needed to be replaced at 42000 miles due to leakage from original gasket.
U-joint needed to be replaced at 50000 miles due to normal wear.
Clutch needed to be replaced at 72000 miles due to improper installation of pilot bearing by previous owner.
Clutch master cylinder needed to be replaced at 89000 miles due to bad "O" rings on the piston within the unit.
Clutch slave cylinder needed to be replaced at 90000 miles due to the fact that the seals could not take increased pressure from new master cylinder.
Upper and lower ball joints needed replacement at 95000 miles due to normal wear.
General comments?
The light weight of this truck makes the 2.2l I4 engine seem adequate, however, highway passing speed is nowhere to be found.
Brakes work well on dry surfaces, but the ABS kicks in too frequently during short stops on damp surfaces.
Seating is comfortable, but could use more protection on the exterior seat hinge area to prevent fabric being worn though during entry and exit of the vehicle.
Access to certain components of the drivetrain can be very difficult for the do it yourself mechanic. To remove the manual transmission for repair, the cab must be jaked off of the frame to reach 2 top mounting bolts. Also, the clutch slave cylinder is inside the transmission housing, causing more work than should be necessary to replace.
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| 1996 - Sonoma SLS with the camper on back 2.2 four-cylinder This is the best truck in the world! |
| Get something better if you can |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.2L I4 Manual |
| Performance marks | 6 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 2 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 36600 miles |
| Most recent distance | 103300 miles |
| Previous car | GMC Sonoma |
| Date of Entry | 1st August, 2003 |