2012 Chevrolet Sonic problems
Owners have filed 522 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. Drivetrain & axles is the most reported problem area, at 29% of complaints. Next are engine (17%) and electrical system (11%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 522 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Drivetrain & axles 29% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 48 and 7
- Injuries and deaths
- 36 and 4
- Typical mileage
- 45,000 miles 414 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 91 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 80 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 108 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 63 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 19 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 24 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 18 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 6 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 3 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 2 |
What the data shows
Of the 414 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 45,000 miles. For drivetrain & axles specifically, the median reported mileage is about 49,000 miles (121 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 48 complaints mention a crash; 7 complaints mention a fire; 36 injuries reported; 4 deaths reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2012 ranks 1st most-complained-about out of 6 model years of the Chevrolet Sonic with enough data (383 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 7 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* the contact owned a 2012 chevrolet sonic. While the contact's husband was driving 35 MPH in inclement weather, the condition went from rain to snow and the vehicle started to fishtail. The contact stated that the all terrain traction control system activated and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that her husband lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree. The driver's side frontal air bag and the passenger frontal air bag deployed; however, the driver's frontal air bag only partially deployed.
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.
The shift lever button will not release when in park, so the vehicle doesnt not read that its firmly in park; the key wont release and I cannot turn off the vehicle until the button unjams itself or I lubricate it to do so. This has been happening frequently. The only fix is replacing the entire shift lever, which is upwards of $300