What Owners Report NHTSA ODI · 2,175,102 complaints · MY1998–2026

2012 Chevrolet Sonic

Typical pattern

9.7% of complaints about the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2012 vehicle — around the middle of the 201 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 4.2 yr in service. The most-reported system is power train (154 complaints), typically at 4.7 yr or about 49,000 miles.

Complaints
516
Median age at failure
4.2 yr
Median mileage
45,000 n=408
Crash / fire / tow
14% of reports
Safety recalls
7

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System
0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y
Power train
154 reports · 49,000 mi
4.7 yr
5.8%
Engine
83 reports · 48,000 mi
4.3 yr
7.2%
Electrical system
58 reports · 40,120 mi
3.8 yr
10.3%
Other
46 reports · 50,000 mi
5.8 yr
2.2%
Air bags
33 reports · 53,000 mi
4.0 yr
54.5%
Suspension
18 reports · 7,000 mi
2.0 yr
16.7%
Fuel / propulsion
16 reports · 44,000 mi
4.0 yr
0%
Speed control
16 reports · 47,000 mi
5.2 yr
6.2%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

14V417000 2014-07-02
Equipment:electrical

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore all-wheel-drive vehicles manufactured August 23, 2012, to September 9, 2013; Verano vehicles manufactured August 8, 2012, to June 20, 2013; Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured August 7, 2012, to August 16, 2013, and 2012-2014 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured May 10, 2011, to August 16, 2012 equipped with a Calix oil pan/block heater. In cold temperatures, the insulation on the engine block heater cord can become damaged, allowing the wires to be exposed.

Exposed wires increase the risk of electrical shock and personal injury if the cord is handled while it is plugged in.

14V315000 2014-06-12
Power train:automatic transmission

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured March 1, 2012, to June 29, 2012, and equipped with a 6 speed automatic transmission and 1.8L four cylinder engine. In the affected vehicles, the transmission turbine shaft may fracture.

If the transmission turbine shaft fracture occurs during vehicle operation in first or second gear, the vehicle will not upshift to the third through sixth gears, limiting the vehicle's speed. If the fracture occurs during operation in third through sixth gear, the vehicle will coast until it slows enough to downshift to first or second gear, increasing the risk of a crash.

14V300000 2014-06-06
Air bags

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles manufactured December 2, 2011 to July, 16, 2012, Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured December 7, 2011 to July 25, 2012, Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured December 5, 2011 to August 2, 2012, and Chevrolet Camaro vehicles manufactured December 1, 2011 to June 11, 2012. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.

If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, that air bag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.

13V023000 2013-01-24
Air bags

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic, and model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.

If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, that air bag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.

12V522000 2012-10-31
Air bags

General Motors is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Cruze, and Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.

If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal airbag, that airbag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.

12V408000 2012-08-20
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured from May 5, 2011, through February 24, 2012. These vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 104, "Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems." The windshield wiper washer hose on these vehicles may separate from the washer fluid reservoir. If this occurs, washer fluid will not be available to the windshield.

A lack of washer fluid could impede the driver's view, increasing the risk of a crash.

11V599000 2011-12-28
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:pads

GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CHEVROLET SONIC VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 2, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 21, 2011. ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES, THE FRONT BRAKE INNER OR OUTER PAD MAY BE MISSING.

A MISSING PAD COULD RESULT IN REDUCED BRAKE SYSTEM PERFORMANCE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

In owners’ own words

Power train 2,460 mi 9 mo in service
AFTER DISENGAGING, ENGAGING, AND THEN DISENGAGING THE CLUTCH TO PLACE THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE THE TRANSMISSION GRINDS. *TR
Power train 6,500 mi 1.0 yr in service
THIS VEHICLE IS VERY DANGEROUS AND UNSAFE AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. I WAS GOING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN OUT OF A RED LIGHT NUMEROUS AMOUNTS OF TIMES AND WHEN GOING TO SPEED UP TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN THE VEHICLE WOULD GET STUCK OR STALL OUT AND NOT SPEED UP. I ALMOST GOT HIT BY LARGER VEHICLES FOUR TIMES NOW BECAUSE IT STALLS OUT WHEN GOING TO ACCELERATE. I HAVE TALKED TO FOUR OTHER PEOPLE WITH THIS VEHICLE AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS! *TR
Power train 200 mi 8 mo in service
VEHICLE STALLS WHEN PULLING OUT FROM A STOP, AND/OR AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN THE CLUTCH IS PUSHED IN. THEN, IT TAKES THREE SECONDS BEFORE THE CAR CAN ATTEMPT TO BE RE-STARTED! VERY DANGEROUS WHEN TURNING LEFT ACROSS A HIGHWAY OR INTO TRAFFIC, ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE IS WHAT SEEMS TO BE A 'PROGRAMMED' WAITING PERIOD OF 3 SECONDS BEFORE YOU CAN ATTEMPT TO RE-STARTED. I'VE OWNED THIS VEHICLE (1.4L TURBO ENGINE WITH 6 SPD MANUAL TRANSMISSION) SINCE 05/21/2012, AND OVER 8,000 MILES LATER, IT STILL STALLS EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT. THE DEALERSHIPS SAY, "CANNOT REPRODUCE. OPERATING TO SPECIFICATIONS." *TR
Air bags 5 mi 5 mo in service
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET SONIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WOULD NOT IDENTIFY THAT A PASSENGER WAS SITTING IN THE SEAT. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER OBSTRUCTED THE FIELD OF VISION WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DENIED ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,000.THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Other Sonic model years

20172015201420132012

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