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What 353 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (353)Crash / fire / injury (36)Transmission & drivetrain (154)Engine (82)Electrical system (59)Airbags (34)Suspension (19)Fuel system (18)Brakes (16)Speed control (16)Visibility & wipers (16)Steering (14)

1 of 353 complaints match · Speed control · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Feb 3, 2017Speed controlCrash

CAR ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN IN DRIVE AND REVERSE CAUSING MY HUSBAND TO HIT A FENCE IN DRIVE AND HITTING A TREE IN REVERSE, HE WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET, NO ONE SEEK ANY MEDICAL TREATMENT, CALLED THE POLICE WHEN HE GOT HOME AND MADE A REPORT BUT DO NOT HAVE IT ON HAND.

NHTSA ODI 10949266

Working with the data? Download all 353 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Chevrolet Sonic verdict →