Chevrolet Sonic Complaints

954 consumer complaints on file.

#10789720November 11, 2015
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
I JUST PURCHASED MY 2014 CHEVY SONIC LT HATCHBACK A MONTH AGO. FIRST THE DAY I BOUGHT IT I FOUND OUT I HAD A REVERSE LIGHT OUT. THE DEALER SAID THEY WOULD FIX IT WHEN THE LICENSE PLANT COVER BRACKET COMES IN. THE SAME DAY I GOT THE CAR I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. I TOLD THEM ABOUT IT AN THEY SAID IF IT KEEPS DOING IT TO LET THEM KNOW AN MY PASSENGER SIDE BRAKES FELL LIKE THEY ARE DRAGGING. THEY SAID IT SHOULD COME OUT OF IT DO TO SITTING FOR AWHILE. WELL I'M STILL EXPERIENCING IT. MY OIL PERCENTAGE DROPS FAR DOWN WHEN DRIVING FOR 2 HRS ON THE HIGHWAY. THE BURNING SMELL COMES IN THREW THE VENTS AN OUTSIDE EVEN WHEN THE AC OR HEATER IS ON. SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT. I ONLY HAVE 39,000 MILES WHEN I BOUGHT IT A MOTH AGO WITH 32,000 MILES. THE DEALER SAID IT WENT THROUGH AN EXPECTATION AN EVERYTHING CAME BACK OK WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR THAT DAY. HOW CAN THAT BE WITH BURNING SMELL,LIGHTS OUT AN ONLY ONE SIDE OF WHEEL THAT I'M GETTING A DRAGGING, GRINDING NOISES. THEY WELL BE LOOKING AT IT IN THE NEXT 2WEEK. WHEN I'M DRIVING MY TRANSMISSION FEELS LIKE ITS SKIPPING. THE ACCELERATION IS SO OFF.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10789812November 11, 2015
SUSPENSION
WHEN WE GO DOWN THE ROAD AND HIT A SMALL BUMP WE HERE A BANG FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT . THE DEALER SAID IT WAS THE STABILIZER BAR AND THE BAR BUSHING BUT IT IS NOT THAT IT IS THE STERILIZER BAR LINKS THEY ARE MADE OUT OF HARD PLASTIC THEY SHOULD BE RECALL ON THEM SOME ONE CAN GET HURT OR KILL BECAUSE OF THEM. I ASK GM TO PAY ME BACK BUT THEY SILL WELL NOT CALL ME BACK ON IT. IF SOME ONE IS LOOKING FOR THEM THEY ARE 523-040 BY DORMAN
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10788645November 5, 2015
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE CONSOLE GEAR SHIFT HAS A BUTTON THAT MUST BE DEPRESSED TO SHIFT. BUTTON STICKS IN DEPRESSED POSITION. CANNOT REMOVE KEYS IN PARK POSITION. VEHICLE IS 2012, 28,000 MILES.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10786804October 28, 2015
ENGINE
CAR WITH 21,000 MILES OVERHEATED WHILE USING THE AC. ENGINE COOLANT ALARM CAME ON AND I TURNED THE AC OFF AND LIGHT SHUT OFF ALSO. TOOK IT TO AN AUTO SERVICE CHAIN AND THEY DIAGNOSED THAT THE RADIATOR FAN MOTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. COST: $463.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10785823October 24, 2015
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
I HAD TAKEN THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION AND IT WAS VERY HOT ABOUT THE END OF JULY. ON FRIDAY AUGUST 11, I NOTICED A PAUSE IN THE CAR STARTING THE A SOUND OF A KNOCK LEAVING WORK. I ARRIVED HOME AROUND 6:00 P.M. PARKED IN MY DRIVE WAY FOR THE DAY. I WAS AWAKEN SATURDAY MORNING BY MY NEIGHBOR BE MADE MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. THIS WAS DETERMINED BY LAWRENCE FIRE DEPARTMENT OF AN ENGINE FIRE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10785802October 24, 2015
STEERING
KEY GETTING STUCK IN IGNITION. IT DOESN'T DO IT ALL THE TIME BUT WHEN IT DOES YOU HAVE TO START THE CAR TWO OR THRE TIMES BEFORE IT COMES OUT. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED FROM A HONDA DEALER. IT HAS HAPPENED 6 TIMES TOTAL. AND I HAVE HAD THE CAR A MONTH.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10785664October 23, 2015
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
MY WIRING HARNESSES HAVE BEEN CHEWED BY RODENTS TWICE IN LESS THAN 10 DAYS BECAUSE GM USES SOY BASED PLASTICS TO COAT THE WIRING HARNESSES. SOY PRODUCTS ARE USED IN THE MAKING OF RODENT FOODS. MY CAR STOPPED DEAD IN TRAFFIC BECAUSE THE WIRES BROKE DUE TO THE DAMAGE (FOUND LATER AT DEALERSHIP). IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT I WAS JUST PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN IT OCCURRED AND NOT ONCE I HAD REACHED INTERSTATE SPEEDS WHERE I NORMALLY DRIVE TO WORK. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE CONCERNING THIS SAME PROBLEM.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10783756October 20, 2015
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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 SITTING STILL. I BOUGHT SOME LIQUID AND CHANGED AIR FILTER, SAME RESULTS. I CALLED CHEVY DEALER TO HAVE CAR CHECKED UNDER MY POWERTRAIN AND MY EMISSIONS WARRANTY. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET HELP SO I COULD GET MY CAR CHECKED NEXT FRIDAY ON THE 23RD. TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT MY CAR. BUT ON THE 16TH OF OCTOBER I'M LEAVING WORK I BACKED OUT OF STALL AND PULLED FORWARD CAR WAS DRAGGING ROUGHLY. I WAS WAITING TO PULL OUT IN TRAFFIC WHEN CAR STARTED JUTTING FORWARD. I PRESS ON THE GAS WENT FORWARD ABOUT 5 TO 8 FEET AND THEN NOTHING. I WAS STUCK INMID TRAFFIC. THE REVERSE WORKED SO I WAS ABLE TO ROLL OUT HARMS WAY.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10783100October 17, 2015
POWER TRAIN
STARTING MARCH 28, 2015, WHILE PARKED IN SEVERAL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARKING AREA'S, THE KEY COULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION FOR FROM 20 MINUTES TO SEVERAL HOURS. ON APRIL 1, 2015, THE DEALER, SETH WADLEY, IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS "55729 FOUND SHIFTER TO BE BINDING INTERNALLY". THEY EXPLAINED THAT THE BUTTON THAT RELEASES THE AUTOMATIC GEAR SHIFT WAS GETTING STUCK. THIS KEPT THE KEY FROM BEING RELEASED FROM THE IGNITION. WHILE WAITING FOR THE PROBLEM TO BE EVALUATED, THE CAR HAD TO BE LEFT, UNLOCKED WITH THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION, IN SEVERAL PRIVATE AND PUBLIC PARKING AREAS WHERE CHILDREN COULD HAVE TAKEN THE CAR. THE GEAR SHIFTER WOULD NOT LOCK INTO PARK WHILE THE BUTTON WAS STUCK. I HAVE THE SHIFTER THAT WAS REPLACED FOR $448.49 ON APRIL 3, 2015, AND WILL PROVIDE IT AT YOUR REQUEST. ATTACHED ARE PHOTOS OF THE INVOICE AND THE OLD SHIFTER.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10782520October 15, 2015
SERVICE BRAKES
INTERMITTENTLY, APPLYING THE BRAKES HARD IS UNRESPONSIVE - LIKE PRESSING ON A BOARD. I NEARLY STRUCK 2 KIDS ON BIKES THE OTHER DAY. SCARY. THE DEALER STATED, "TECHNICIAN TEST DROVE VEHICLE AND VERIFIED CUSTOMER'S CONCERN. INSPECTED BRAKE SYSTEM, FOUND CHECK VALVE FOR BRAKE BOOSTER STUCK OPEN AND BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM PUMP SEIZED." I CONTEND THAT THIS IS NOT A WEAR AND TEAR TYPE OF ISSUE, BUT RATHER A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. IN RESEARCHING THIS MATTER, I FOUND MESSAGE BOARDS AND FORUMS THAT DESCRIBE THE SAME ISSUE. HERE IS ONE SUCH DISCUSSION: HTTP://WWW.SONICOWNERSFORUM.COM/FORUM/HANDLING-BRAKING-SUSPENSION-DISCUSSION/18313-BRAKE-PEDAL-GETS-ROCK-HARD-IMMEDIATELY-OFF-BOOST-VAC-PUMP-GOING.HTML CHEVROLET WILL NOT REMEDY THIS PROBLEM UNDER THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY AND THE DEALER WANTS $700 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD BE FIXED FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE IT IS APPARENTLY A COMMON AND VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT IN THIS VEHICLE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10781465October 12, 2015
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
POWER STEERING WAS NOT WORKING AS I WAS LEAVING THE HOUSE, SO I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER. MECHANIC SAID THE VOLTAGE FROM THE BATTERY WAS SPORADIC AND PRONE TO SPIKING. THIS SPIKING CAUSED THE POWER STEERING TO FAIL, AS THIS VEHICLE HAS NO SURGE PROTECTOR TO PROTECT ELECTRONIC CHIPS. BATTER ACID HAD ALSO SPILLED OUT OF BOTH HEAD MOUNTS CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO OTHER PARTS UNDER THE HOOD.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10778090September 28, 2015
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHEN PUTTING MY CAR INTO PARK THE GEAR SHIFT BUTTON IS NOT RELEASING THEREFORE THE CAR CAN NOT BE TURNED OFF! THE SERVICE PLACE IS CHANGING ME $315 TO REPLACE THE WHOLE GEAR SHIFT! ALSO GEAR SHIFT IS STICKING NOT WANTING TO GO INTO PARK!!!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10778121September 28, 2015
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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 I HAD TO RENT A RENTAL CAR SO I CAN GET TO WORK THAT MORNING. DEALERSHIP CALLED AND SAID THAT IT WAS A VACUUM ISSUE CAUSING ALL THE STALLING AND ALL THE ISSUES WITH THE MULTIPLE LIGHTS ON THE DASH. IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE AIR DUCT FOR THE AIR INTAKE BOX. THIS VEHICLE WAS VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS WITH SAME ISSUE, VEHICLE IS BARELY OUT OF WARRANTY AND AT 36000 MILES BUT VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 50K MILES. I HAD TO PAY $350.00 FOR THIS INCIDENT AND CHEVROLET WILL NOT COVER IT.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10766443September 21, 2015
POWER TRAIN
2012 CHEVROLET SONIC: GEAR SHIFT BUTTON STUCK IN DEPRESSED POSITION, PREVENTING REMOVAL OF THE KEY FROM IGNITION WHEN IN PARK POSITION AND ALLOWS THE SHIFTER TO SHIFT BETWEEN GEARS AND PARK POSITIONS WITH LITTLE-TO-NO INTERVENTION. INABILITY DISENGAGE BUTTON AND TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION ALSO CREATES INABILITY TO SECURELY PARK THE VEHICLE AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. THE FAILURE TO DISENGAGE WAS FIRST EXPRESSED INTERMITTENTLY, WITH A FAILURE OCCURRENCE RATE OF 20%-30% (WITH THE INITIAL FAILURE MILEAGE APPROXIMATELY 45,000 MILES). WITHIN 3 MONTHS, THE FAILURE OCCURRENCE RATE INCREASED TO 100%. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AS "INTERNAL FAULT OF SHIFTER AND KNOB ASSEMBLY," WITH RECOMMENDATION TO "REPLACE SHIFTER ASSEMBLY AND SHIFTER KNOB" (WITH LABOR + PARTS QUOTE AT $406.00 USD). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. DIAGNOSIS IDENTIFIED AS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN, WITH REQUEST MADE TO ISSUE RECALL.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10764185September 16, 2015
VISIBILITY/WIPER
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY DURING A RAIN SHOWER AT ABOUT 60 MPH, WHILE USING THE WIPERS, THE DRIVER'S SIDE WIPER MADE A LOUD CRACK SOUND AND FELL OFF! I WAS UNABLE TO SEE AND NEARLY HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF MYSELF. SINCE IT WAS LATE SATURDAY NIGHT, I STOPPED AT A LOCAL PARTS STORE (ADVANCED AUTO) AND PURCHASED A NEW WIPER. WHEN THE CLERK INSPECTED THE BLADE, HE FOUND THAT THE WIPER ARM DOES SECURELY ATTACH WITH THE WIPER ITSELF. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP, THE MAN I SPOKE WITH SAID HE COULD REPLACE THE WIPER ARM, HOWEVER THIS MAY NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE WITH IT "FALLING OFF".
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10763297September 12, 2015
AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
AIR BAG LIGHT ON DASHBOARD CAME ON, INTERMITTENTLY AT FIRST, NOW PERMANENTLY. THERE ARE THREE (3) AIR BAG RELATED RECALLS FOR 2012 CHEVROLET SONICS WHICH DETAIL THE SAME SYMPTOMS. NEAREST CHEVROLET DEALER SAID THIS SONIC IS NOT PART OF ANY OF THOSE RECALLS BUT THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE THE SAME. IS THERE ANY RECOURSE TO HAVE THE CAR CHECKED AT NO COST TO OWNER? THANK YOU.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10762295September 8, 2015
POWER TRAIN
I WAS GOING UP HILL APPROACHING A PARKING SPACE IN THE GARAGE WHERE I WORK. I WENT TO TURN INTO THE PARKING SPACE AND MY TURBO ENGINE SPED UP AND SLAMMED ME INTO THE GARAGE WALL. THE AIR BAGS WERE DEPLOYED. THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION ON THIS CHEVY SONIC. IF I HAD PARKED ON THE TOP FLOOR, I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN KILLED SINCE IT WOULD HAVE CRASHED DOWN INTO THE STREET. I MY ARMS AND MY ONE LEG WAS BURNED BY THE AIR BAGS.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#10761416September 3, 2015
AIR BAGS
MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER HIT A DEER GOING ABOUT 60 MPH. THE DEER HIT THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE FROM THE GRILL TO THE CORNER. AFTER THE IMPACT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DAMAGE COULD BE A TOTAL LOSS JUST WAITING ON THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#10760484August 31, 2015
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET SONIC. WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE PRODUCED AN ABNORMAL MOLD ODOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FILTER NEEDED TO BE CLEANED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10760086August 28, 2015
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
I WAS TOLD THAT MY DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT TURN/HAZARD LIGHT WAS VERY DIM. I PURCHASED THE BULB AND SOUGHT HELP TO CHANGE IT. IT WAS AT ONCE CLEAR THAT THE BULB HAD COME LOOSE FROM THE HOUSING AND HAD MOVED BACK ONTO THE PLASTIC PART OF THE HOUSING, MELTING IT ONTO THE BULB. I WENT THE NEXT DAY TO THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPT. ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THE ENTIRE PIECE WHICH HOUSES THE 2 HEADLIGHTS AND THE TURN SIGNAL BULB WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED, THAT THE PART WAS ON NATIONAL BACK-ORDER SO THERE WAS NO EXPECTED DELIVERY DATE AND THAT THERE WAS NO TEMPORARY REPAIR THAT COULD BE DONE. THIS BULB IS PART OF THE NIGHTTIME OPERATING SYSTEM AND COMES ON AUTOMATICALLY. LEFT UNREPAIRED IN SOME WAY, IT OBVIOUSLY WILL CONTINUE TO BURN THE PLASTIC, FALL THROUGH ONTO EITHER IT'S OWN WIRES OR THE HEADLIGHT WIRES, SETTING A FIRE. ONLY THEN WILL THE WARNING SYSTEM, FOR WHICH THERE IS A RECALL, BE ACTIVATED! IMMEDIATELY NOTIFYING ALL SONIC OWNERS TO LOOK THROUGH THE YELLOW GLASS AT AND AROUND THE BULB WHEN IT IS NOT LIT AND TO COMPARE EACH SIDE TO THE OTHER, MIGHT SAVE SOME LIVES. SO WILL INSISTING THAT CHEVY'S ENGINEERS DEVISE A TEMPORARY REPAIR UNTIL THE PART CAN BE OBTAINED, AND ADDING THIS ISSUE TO THE EXISTING LIGHTING RECALL AS A PRIORITY.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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