GMC Sonoma 2000 third door latch broke so that door won't open back of drivers seat handle to adjust seat broke off so that the seat is in a tilt position and will not adjust. Almost to a position of 50% back.

- Vale, NC, USA

I attempted to open my third door and the handle broke.

- Fort Wayne, IN, USA

GMC 2000 Sonoma sls 1) the third door plastic handle actuator snaps off. (once in 5 years).....I have always been very careful not to force the handle because a mechanic told me four years ago that the handles were already breaking on many customers. I bought the part at a GM dealership for $30 and installed it myself...not too tough if you are a "project person" with many tools. Took about one hour. The initial rod adjustment must have been bad because my install is now better functioning than the original. 2) the metal rod of the recliner handle snaps in half. (once in 5 years)......this happened when a technician was working in the back cab space replacing my back window. I thought they did it on purpose to generate some paperwork. The guy swore to me that those handles have broken on them many times, and my passenger side will do the same shortly. They replaced it for free, but it took two hours and they had to take the whole seat apart. 3) the tailgate cables corrode and suddenly break in half. (twice in 5 years)......the first time it just snapped for no reason. The dealership replaced it free. Just one year later the new cable broke when I was pushing off a load...I almost tumbled off under the dropping load. They want $48 for the cable alone, which is riveted to a bracket. I am now out of warranty and refuse to pay that much or the labor. I am going to rig up my own replacement. Meanwhile, the existing cable is strained and the upper cable body attachment rod is bent. The tailgate was dented was the cables snapped. I conducted much research on the web on these issues, and found they are a common problem. Most people won't take the time to report them, though....so you need to estimate this and also demand GM's warranty and parts records. What is sad is that all three of these issues involve GMC literally trying to save petty nickles and dimes on material quality in critical function parts.

- Oak Forest, IL, USA

I purchased my 2000 GMC Sonoma this year and have had it for 1mo. And the third door handle has broken. I have read the other complaints on this problem and wondering if something is going to be done about it. Or is all the GMC Sonoma buys just at a lost for every time the handle breaks. Does the company care at all. Shouldn't there be a recall on this problem. A metal handle counld probably fix the problem or make the door release easier to unlock.

- Fayetteville, NC, USA

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.

- Montecito, CA, USA

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 expense, as frustrated as I was I went home and fixed it the best I could by following the bulletin, bottom line the bulletin states that the lock rods are improperly adjusted causing to much pressure on the handle, which in turn breaks the handle at any given time when trying to open it. What I have a problem with is if there is a bulletin out than this is obviously a reoccuring problem with the same outcome, yet they feel they still have to analyze what causes each handle to break?

- Wyoming, MI, USA