2015 Chevrolet Sonic: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 114 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 3 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
114
Complaints
3
Recalls
15
Crash reports
3
Fire reports
19
Injuries
236.8
Severity index
Severity index 236.8 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 143 2015 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic ranks 7 of 143 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 95% of its model-year peers. See the full 2015 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 34 | 29.8% |
| AIR BAGS | 27 | 23.7% |
| ENGINE | 23 | 20.2% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 22 | 19.3% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 12 | 10.5% |
| POWER TRAIN | 12 | 10.5% |
| STEERING | 6 | 5.3% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 5 | 4.4% |
The single most-reported system is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, cited in 34 of 114 complaints (29.8%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 9 |
| 2016 | 17 |
| 2017 | 12 |
| 2018 | 12 |
| 2019 | 16 |
| 2020 | 11 |
| 2021 | 8 |
| 2022 | 12 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 1 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16V422000 | 10/06/2016 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Chevrolet Sonic and Trax, and 2013-2015 Spark vehicles equipped with a Bring Your Own Media radio. The affected radios may fail to provide an audible warning chime when the driver fails to fasten their seatbelt or |
| 15V416000 | 30/06/2015 | EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Spark vehicles manufactured April 30, 2014, to May 20, 2015, and 2015 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured June 18, 2014, to June 10, 2015. In the affected vehicles, equipped with the base radio and OnS |
| 16V257000 | 28/04/2016 | EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Chevrolet Sonic and Trax vehicles and 2013-2015 Chevrolet Spark vehicles equipped with a Bring Your Own Media radio. The affected radios may fail to provide an audible warning chime when the driver, after turning |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.