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2012 Chevrolet Sonic Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 354 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, most often about the transmission (44% of complaints, typically around 49,000 miles). It is the most complained-about Sonic model year since 2000 and has 7 recalls.
Most common 2012 Chevrolet Sonic problems
Transmission
154 complaints · 44%Half of these problems showed up before 49,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
The button to release the car out of gear, and once in park that releases the key came apart. It has been sticking for awhile then all of a sudden, something sharp started poking out of the bottom of the button, and it has cut my husband's hand. Now the button barely pushes in and the car is very hard to get out of…
Beginning from the first month of ownership. Approx. 28,000 mi. At cold start there is a rattle noise like metal on metal. Then will disappear right after. Has been getting worse/ louder. Hard shifts, loss of power. Now as of last night the check engine light is on and the car runs rough. High idle, stalls, knocking…
Engine
87 complaints · 25%Half of these problems showed up before 47,500 miles.
Beginning from the first month of ownership. Approx. 28,000 mi. At cold start there is a rattle noise like metal on metal. Then will disappear right after. Has been getting worse/ louder. Hard shifts, loss of power. Now as of last night the check engine light is on and the car runs rough. High idle, stalls, knocking…
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The failure occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was jumpstarted in order to start. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the battery was functioning properly. The vehicle was not repaired. The…
Electrical
59 complaints · 17%Half of these problems showed up before 40,000 miles. Parts named most often: ignition, horn.
My radio stays on in my 2012 Sonic even after the car is turned off. The first time it happened I went out to start my car in the morning and it was completely dead. The car was jumped and started up fine. I drove the car for a few days without incident then I noticed the radio was coming on and off as I was driving.…
My radio will turn itself on hours after my car has been turned off. I've had to take out the fuse everytime I exit the car so the battery won't drain. I don't know where to begin with fixing this problem. It's been going on for a few weeks now. I've called to the dealership where the car was purchased and they said…
Other or unspecified
46 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 50,000 miles.
I have an automatic car. When I put the car in park, I believe its called the gear shift button, gets stuck for several minutes and I cannot remove my key from the ignition until it pops out. Reported this to my dealership and they spayed some oil around the button but that did not help. This happens daily. Sometimes…
Gear shift button sticks. Upon arriving at work this past monday, I turned my car off but the ignition wouldn't release the key. Looking closer I realized the shift button had not popped out like it should have. Which means I drove 26 miles in a dangerous vehicle. I immediately drove the car to my dealership about two…
Air bags
34 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 52,500 miles.
1. Took car in to dealership in aug for check engine light on and coolant is low, car overheats. Car was in shop for almost 2 weeks (p/u sept 5th). They repl. Radiator, thermostat, sept 10 car stalls at major stop light and again at a stop sign. Engine starts making a loud noise and runs rough. Keeps stalling at idle.…
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. While a passenger was seated in the front passenger seat, the air bag sensor light would flash off and on. The contact mentioned that the air bag system was faulty and may not deploy when needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the…
Suspension
19 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 9,500 miles.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that he could hear a grinding noise whenever making a turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the failure might have been cause by a defective suspension. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who…
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would begin to shake and make a loud pop noise from underneath the front-end. The vehicle would than stall causing the contact to have the vehicle towed. The traction warning light was illuminated. The contact…
Fuel system
18 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 44,000 miles.
Vehicle started to randomly show check engine light on, smell of gasoline from time to time. Every time I would take it in the light would not be on so they couldn't help. Finally light stayed on and vehicle would shut off while I would drive, especially if I hit a stop light. I had to immediately take vehicle in and…
For 2 months my check emissions light was coming on and going off. According to my owners manual the gas cap or air filter need fixing. I went to autozone to get a free diagnostics reading. At the end of august my car started to hesitate , won't accelerate at take off. Then started heavy jerking at take off and when…
Brakes
17 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 37,000 miles.
While driving at highway speed on a two lane road at night, applied brakes to avoid animal in road. Conditions were clear and road was dry. There was plenty of time to slow to avoid animal so this was not a panic stop. Upon application of brakes, headlights went out. Dash lights stayed on making it impossible to see…
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that the brake pedal stuck to the floor board, while attempting to slow down and driving at 65 MPH. As a result, the contact crashed into a guard rail. The vehicle was towed to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. A police report was filed and there…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2012 Chevrolet Sonic recalls
Equipment: electrical
Risk: Exposed wires increase the risk of electrical shock and personal injury if the cord is handled while it is plugged in.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine oil pan/block heater cord with a new cord that is rated for temperatures of minus 40 degree celsius. The recall began in august 2014. Owners may contact buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. Gm's number for this recall is 14257.
Full defect summary
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.
Transmission: automatic transmission
Risk: 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.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission turbine shaft, free of charge. The recall began on august 8, 2014. Owners may contact chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. Gm's number for this recall is 14234.
Full defect summary
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.
Air bags
Risk: 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.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The recall began on july 25, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact gm at 1-800-222-1020. Buick owners may contact gm at 1-800-521-7300. Note: this is an expansion of recalls 12v-522 and 13v-023.
Full defect summary
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.
Air bags
Risk: 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.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on february 13, 2013. Owners may contact general motors at 1-800-521-7300.
Full defect summary
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.
Air bags
Risk: 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.
Fix: General motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel airbag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on january 11, 2013. Owners may contact general motors at 1-800-521-7300.
Full defect summary
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.
Visibility and wipers: windshield wiper/washer
Risk: A lack of washer fluid could impede the driver's view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will secure the windshield washer hose to prevent separation, free of charge. The safety recall began on september 7, 2012. Owners may contact the chevrolet owner center at 1-866-694-6546.
Full defect summary
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.
Brakes: pads
Risk: A missing pad could result in reduced brake system performance, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front brakes for a missing inner or outer pad. If a brake pad is missing, dealers will install new inner and outer pads, a new brake caliper, and a new rotor. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or before january 14, 2012
Full defect summary
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.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Desiccated air bag inflator rupture
Summary
From 2000 through 2017, takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("psan") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004l. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 blomquist report at www.NHTSA.gov/sites/NHTSA.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa
Air bag non-deployment
Summary
General motors (gm) has initiated a safety recall of 31,520 model year (my) 2012 buick verano and chevrolet camaro, cruze and sonic vehicles to address a defect condition that could result in the primary or secondary stage air bag not deploying.these vehicles are a small percentage of all my 2012 vehicles and were built on several specific production dates broadly ranging from december 1, 2011 to august 2, 2012 (see NHTSA recall 14v-300 for more information).also, see attached additional report for more information.this investigation was opened to evaluate the scope of two uninfluenced safety recalls (NHTSA recalls 12v-522 and 13v-023) of certain my 2012 verano, camaro, cruze and sonic vehic
Questions about the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
- What are the most common problems with the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: transmission (154 complaints, typically around 49,000 miles); engine (87 complaints, typically around 47,500 miles); electrical (59 complaints, typically around 40,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic have?
- 7 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from July 2, 2014 (equipment). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2012 a bad year for the Chevrolet Sonic?
- It is the most complained-about Sonic model year since 2000, with 354 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.