Faults:

Only thing has gone mechanically wrong with my GMC Sonoma High-rider is the driver's side window will sometimes not role up and down. I have power windows, so I'm sure there's a short or a wire is going bad. Most of the time it works, but when it's really hot or you get to a creek crossing out in the woods, and you need it the most, it will not work.

I do have one fear of my truck. The brakes are not the best. Brakes that are installed on a High-rider or Zr2 are designed for an S-10. Since the Zr2 and High-rider weigh more, and are slightly bigger trucks, the brakes don't last quite as long as they would on a vehicle designed for the small brakes.

General Comments:

I have had my High-rider since I turned 16. I would put it up against any truck on the market. I have grown up on a plantation, and use it all the time to take deer hunters in and out of the woods. To this day I have not gotten it stuck. The smaller wheelbase can fit around the ruts of our bigger farm trucks, and I can fit in and go places the bigger trucks can't. I put a set of Wild Countrys on that I run in the winter, and a set of BF Goodwrench All Terrains I run in the summer. The Wild Countrys sing a lot and give it a little rougher ride, but it still handles great.

I also put a Westin brush-guard on my truck and it looks really nice. I've had a couple of compliments from deer hunters and from people at traffic lights. Also I put a set of flow-masters on. With the dual exhaust my tuck sounds pretty good. The only draw back is it has a V6 so the power isn't all that much, but plenty for the size of the truck. So with the six, if you really lay down on the gas, it will choke off or either start to make a whining sound.

Faults:

The problems started the day I brought it home. Paint chips, peeling decal, misaligned hood and fenders, very loose-fitting grille/bumper. The dealer said it was all "normal." And they wonder why people buy foreign cars...

The interior plastic parts have broken one by one and the seats are going threadbare at only 52,500 miles.

Original Uniroyal tires lasted only 30,000 miles.

Bizarre electrical problem that shuts down everything in the car when it rains.

Windows and doors leak badly, dealer unable to solve this one, calls it a "design flaw" in the gaskets.

Doors, floorboards, door hinge areas rusting.

Usual GM squeaks, rattles.

General Comments:

What I like about the truck is that it was cheap, it has comfortable seats, good legroom, larger cab than Nissan/Ranger/Tacoma. Good sounding stereo until the CD player started skipping and a speaker blew out.

Low-end torque good up to about 30mph, then the engine runs out of steam.

With 2 people on board and a full load it bogs down severely and the rear end bottoms on its suspension stops. I do like the styling of the truck and constantly receive compliments on what a good looking truck it is, especially the factory alloy wheels.

I will never buy another american-designed product again.

My next truck will be a Toyota Tundra or a Nissan Frontier, end of story.

If I buy a car, it will come from Germany or Japan. NO more American made crap for me!!!