2012 Chevrolet Sonic problems and recalls

Owner complaints on the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic include 1 fatality report, 27 crashes and 5 fires across 354 filings.

354
Complaints
7
Recalls
27
Crash reports
5
Fire reports
18
Injuries
84.4
Severity index

Severity index 84.4 High. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 84.4p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 32 of 130 by severity index among 2012 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 75% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2012 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

Power TrainPower Train: 154 complaints (43.5%)154 44%EngineEngine: 83 complaints (23.4%)83 23%Electrical SystemElectrical System: 59 complaints (16.7%)59 17%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 46 complaints (13.0%)46 13%Air BagsAir Bags: 34 complaints (9.6%)34 10%SuspensionSuspension: 19 complaints (5.4%)19 5%Service BrakesService Brakes: 17 complaints (4.8%)17 5%Vehicle Speed ControlVehicle Speed Control: 16 complaints (4.5%)16 5%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
POWER TRAIN15443.5%
ENGINE8323.4%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM5916.7%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4613.0%
AIR BAGS349.6%
SUSPENSION195.4%
SERVICE BRAKES174.8%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL164.5%

Complaints filed per year

030602012: 262013: 222014: 582015: 602016: 482017: 312018: 282019: 282020: 192021: 72022: 82023: 72024: 52025: 42026: 3 (partial year)12131415601617181920212223242526
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
201226
201322
201458
201560
201648
201731
201828
201928
202019
20217
20228
20237
20245
20254
2026 (year to date)3
Filings in 2023 to 2025 ran 0.5x those in 2020 to 2022 (16 against 34).

Recall campaigns

CampaignReportedComponentSummary
14V41700002/07/2014EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICALGeneral 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 Augu
14V31500012/06/2014POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONGeneral 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 frac
14V30000006/06/2014AIR BAGSGeneral 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, a
11V59900028/12/2011SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADSGENERAL 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.
12V40800020/08/2012VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHERGeneral 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 windshie
12V52200031/10/2012AIR BAGSGeneral 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.
13V02300024/01/2013AIR BAGSGeneral 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.

Other Chevrolet Sonic model years

Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 7 years side by side.

Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-08-24. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.