2003 GMC Sonoma Overview, Reviews, Ratings & Specs

ama0570 on January 22, 2019

This car is roomy. It's dependable and comfortable. It's a great travel car. I love this model car. I recommend this car to anyone, it's simply reliable.

RMDC on August 27, 2017

Styling is great. I have the Zr-2 model and it has a healthy off-road look. I drive it off road sometimes and hit handles very well. The engine is very good, very smooth, and very durable. The 4 wheel disc brakes are super. Gas mileage is not so good, however. It gets 17-18 on the highway and less in the city or if there is a load in the back. Gas mileage is not so good.

Sehome on April 14, 2017

I just bought this 2003 for its low miles, to use for highway. Pass door was crunched and mirror post damaged in a parking lot incident, which lowered the price . Electric mirror still works. This rig must have the luxe package, with the power windows etc. My issue: The "plane" for the brake and gas pedals. The gas pedal is 3 inches further away than the brake. On my 2002 Tacoma, the difference is only 1.5 inches. I have to stretch my leg more than I like, for the gas, plus the pedal is very stiff (maybe some WD40 will fix that). Moving the seat more forward does not work well, just pushes the steering wheel into me. I am male, 5'10" , 140 lbs. We are going to experiment with bonding a 3/4 inch piece of wood to the gas pedal! After the first 500 miles, this has become a really annoying issue, more than it should be, this almost out-of-reach gas pedal - we live in mountains, lotsa hills. 4x4 I have not really used yet, I like lever-on-floor better than electric, but minor detail perhaps. Instead of two tiny seats in the "extra cab" area, there is just one, in which a passenger sits astride, more room to stretch out. Cheapskate gmc would not even include a CLOCK which surprised me, they could buy for $3 about. Once we get the seat/gas pedal ratio problem solved, the little truck should be a handy rig for me.

Regalx on May 7, 2012

Recently purchased a used 2003 GMC Sonoma with the ZR-2 package. This review is based on when the truck was made and not comparing it to today's trucks since it is 9 years old and things have changed a lot in 9 years. Currently the truck has 108,000 miles and runs like a champ. It gets driven 300 miles a week commuting to work and my car is driven on the weekends unless truck is needed for work around the the house. Like all older GM vehicles, as long as they are maintained and taken care of, they will run forever. My Sonoma is no different. Runs great, still putting out solid power from the 4.3 V6, and gets decent mileage for a truck at 17MPG. A K&N Cold Air Intake is installed and does provide smoother running and slight bump in power. There are the normal cracks, creaks, and rattles that happen over time since the interior is really just cheap plastic. Besides that it rides well with the larger 31" tires and is great off road. Normal repairs such as bushings, tie rods, UV joints have been done. Ride can be bumpy at times but it is a truck and rides as expected. Besides the cheap interior build quality, this is another example of a quality GM truck that when taken care of, will run well and will be reliable for many more miles as I expect to reach at least 150,000 miles with my ZR-2. This is my second S-10 as previous truck was a 1992 with the Tahoe package. These trucks are priced well at the time of this review and are cheap and easy to maintain. The ZR-2 package also adds a nice unique look to the truck.

Vicky on May 7, 2012

known to go 200K+ mil mine is allready at 160K on original engine & trans. Can't beat them best truck ever, would recommend to all friends & family

Mad lady on March 28, 2012

I love my sonoma,it is everything I needed.4 wheel drive automatic , full size back seat,covered bed.It is a real sharp looking pick-up.

Speedskies on October 16, 2011

this little thing is a tank. Went camping and used it to toe our family boat (18ft silverline) on a 5 hour drive up to northern BC (Kamploops to be exact) and it did it easily. i was passing other trucks like nothing. as this is my first vehicle and i am in my 20's i have put in a CAI and did a muffler swap and got it at 200HP from 190HP. parts are cheap. most expensive thing i had to do to it was change the distributor. other than that just the usual breaks, oil, etc. its a 2wd and it is surprisingly good through the BC back roads, sloshing thru puddles and mud. definitely surprised some of the bigger truck owners. this thing is a tank in the snow haven't gotten stuck once and have had it for about 4 years. and its a GMC so you know it wont be Found On Road Dead.

bminett on September 18, 2010

This is a good little pickup. can hold a nice size payload of about 1000 lbs with no problems. The power train barely notices a load this heavy. The only thing to go wrong is the radiator went at about 70k miles. Overall it has been a good vehicle no major complaints

GMC GUY on June 9, 2010

This was the least expensive new small truck I could find! After 150,000 miles without ANY real problems, I know you can't beat it for reliability. It is easy to drive and park. I drive 2 hours a day, mostly highway and it has been dependable in all driving conditions. You can't expect a compact, economy truck to give you the same power and comfort you would get from larger, more expensive vehicles, but this little guy does what it was made to do, and it does it cheap! The small truck has some advantages over small cars, because it has a full frame. I have hauled with it, and it will handle a half-ton load as it should. I would not recommend putting more than that in it, because it IS a light duty truck. Mine is the long box version, and with the help of some 2X6's you can actually haul 4X8 material with the gate down. It will handle a yard of mulch just fine. It's great for yard work, because it's light and small, and it's easy to load and unload, because it is lower to the ground than a full-size. This has been a great truck for the money!

Former GMC Sonoma Owner on May 14, 2010

I owned a 2003 GMC Sonoma Flareside and I would advise against buying one. There was a problem with the front end shimming and as many times as I took it back to the dealer to be repaired it could not be fixed. The third door was repaired at least four times and that was never right either. Mechanically it did run well.