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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)

16 of 353 complaints match · Visibility & wipers · clear filters

May 26, 2020Visibility & wipers

WINDOW WASHER FLUID IS NOT COMING OUT DUE TO WASHER HOSE HAVING DISCONNECTED FROM FLUID RESERVOIR. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11326001

Jun 3, 2019Visibility & wipers

IT WAS A FOGGY NIGHT I HAD JUST GOT OFF WORK I STARTED MY CAR LIKE ANY OTHER NORMAL DAY/NIGHT EXCEPT THIS NIGHT I USED MY REAR DEFROST I PROCEED TO LEAVE MY JOB AS I BEEN TO GET OFF THE ON RAMP TO THE HIGHWAY MY ENTIRE BACK GLASS EXPLODES AND BUST OUT CAUSING GLASS TO SHATTER EVERYWHERE AND LEAVING ME WITHOUT A REAR WINDOW AND COSTLY REPAIRS. I'M NOT SURE IF THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS BUT THERE DEFINITELY SHOULD BE AS THIS CAN COST MANY PEOPLE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IF EVERYTIME THE REAR DEFROST IS CUT ON THERE A POSSIBILITY MY WINDOW COULD BUST AND I GET COVERED WITH GLASS

NHTSA ODI 11217668

Jan 1, 2018EngineVisibility & wipers

I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID THE HOSE OR SOMETHING IS CAUSING THE FLUID TO DRAIN ON THE GROUND I EXPLAINED TO BRADLEY CHEVROLET IN FRANKLIN INDIANA THAT THIS HAS BEEN A RECALL ISSUE BUT THEY STATED THAT MY VIN NUMBER WASN'T IN THE RECALL BUT I AM HAVING THE SAME ISSUE THAT IS DUMB I WANT THIS WORK COMPLETED UNDER THE RECALL AND FIXED AND I AM HAVING A LEAN CODE OF PO171 COME UP THAT ONSTAR DIAGNOSED AND BRADLEY DOESN'T WANT TO EVEN LOOK AT IT WITHOUT CHARGING ME A DIAGNOSTIC FEE WHEN I ALREADY HAVE THE CODE FEELING VERY FRUSTRATED PLEASE HELP ME

NHTSA ODI 11057885

Jul 27, 2017Transmission & drivetrainVisibility & wipers

I PURCHASE MY CAR MARCH 2012. HAD HAVE BEEN TAKING IT TO DEALER ABOUT THE WASHER FLUID NOT STAYING IN BOTTLE. THEY TOLD ME NOTHING WAS WRONG. THEN TOOK IT AGAIN FOR TRANSMISSION SLIPPING INTO GEAR THEY SAID AGAIN NOTHING WAS WRONG. NOW THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT WORKING AND THEY SAY THE RECALL IS NOT FOR MY CAR CAUSE THERE WEBSITE SAYS SO.IT STOPPED MOVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH ME HAVING A 2YEAR OLD IN BACK SEAT. I FINALLY GOT MY FLUID TO STAY IN BOTTLE BY SOME OTHER MECHANIC.

NHTSA ODI 11010989

May 23, 2016EngineVisibility & wipers

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET SONIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH OVER A BUMP, THE VEHICLE FELT LOOSE FROM UNDERNEATH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER BUT THERE WAS NO FAILURE DETERMINED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FAILURE RECURRED FIVE MONTHS LATER AND IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE MADE A HUMMING NOISE WHEN MAKING A TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STABILIZER LINKS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE WINDOW WASHER FLUID DRAINED ON THE ENGINE, AND THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE HOSE CONNECTED TO THE FLUID CONTAINER WAS DISCONNECTED AND NEEDED TO RECONNECT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REMEDIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000.

NHTSA ODI 10870345

May 17, 2016Transmission & drivetrainVisibility & wipers

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET SONIC. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT, THE GEAR BECAME STUCK INTERMITTENTLY. IN ADDITION, THE WASHER FLUID WAS NOT OPERATING ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT HAD TO CONSTANTLY ADD WIPER FLUID TO THE WASHER HOSE. THE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. A MONTH LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V408000 (VISIBILITY). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

NHTSA ODI 10865324

Jun 10, 2015LightsAirbagsVisibility & wipers

AFTER PURCHASING MY CHEVY SONIC 2012, I WENT TO GET MY FIRST OIL CHANGE 3 MONTHS LATER. AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I HAVE GONE BACK MULTIPLE TIMES, AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT WAS THE GAS CAP WHICH BY THE WAY HAD A RECALL ON IT. THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON A WEEK LATER. TOOK IT BACK THEY SAID THAT THE ONE THEY REPLACED IT WITH HAD A BAD SEAL. THEY ORDERED THE PART REPLACED THE CAP. DROVE FOR ANOTHER TWO WEEKS AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. TOOK IT BACK, THIS TIME THEY TOLD ME THAT THE CAR NEEDED A THERMOSTAT REPLACEMENT DONE THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AGAIN. TOOK IT BACK THIS TIME, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A AIR VENT TUBE THAT WAS CONNECTED TO THE ENGINE, WHICH BY THE WAY IS NOT COVERED UNDER MY POWER TRAIN, DID THAT AND YET AGAIN THE LIGHT IS BACK ON. NOW MY RADIO GOES ON AND OFF WHEN IT WANTS TO. WHEN I GET UP TO GO TO WORK MY BATTERY IS DEAD. THEY HAVE ALSO REPLACED THE DRIVERS AIR BAG FOR SOME SORT OF RECALL. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WAS REPLACED AS IT ALSO HAD A RECALL. I REALLY WANT TO TRADE THIS CAR IN I AM LITERARY SCARED TO DRIVE IT. SCARED DRIVER...........

NHTSA ODI 10724518

May 1, 2015Visibility & wipers

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET SONIC. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACTIVATE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID, THE WINDSHIELD FLUID FAILED TO EMIT. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE WIPER FLUID WAS LEAKING UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V408000 (VISIBILITY). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,100.

NHTSA ODI 10713998

Dec 8, 2014Electrical systemVisibility & wipers

FIRST OF ALL THE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINE KEEPS POPPING OF MY CAR NOT ALLOWING ME TO USE MY WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID SO THE TANK IS ALWAYS EMPTY. SECOND WHILE DRIVING MY CAR RADIO FLICKERS ON AND OFF AND SOMETIMES COMPLETELY GOES BLACK NOT ONLY THAT MY CAR SPEEDOMETER IS ELECTRICAL AND AFTER 30 MIN OF DRIVING SAYS IM GOING 20/34/WHATEVER MPH IT WANTS TO READ WHEN IM REALLY GOING THE HWY SPEED LIMIT AND I HAVE OFTEN HAD TO MESS WITH THE WIRES THAT RUN TO MY BATTERY TO TURN MY CAR BACK ON SINCE ITS THE WIRES(ELECTRICAL WORK AND NOT THE BATTERY) MY BATTERY HAS BEEN TESTED MANY TIMES. FINALLY THIRD THE LITTLE SHIFT BUTTON ON MY CAR KEEPS STICKING AND WONT ALLOW FOR MY CAR TO PROPERLY SHIFT CAUSING MY CAR TO OVER REV AND NOT WANT TO DRIVE. IM NOW AT 115,000 MILES AND EVERY TIME I GO TO A DEALERSHIP THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR WHEN I KNOW THERE IS SINCE I HAVE BEEN THE ONE DRIVING IT AND THEN THEY JUST GIVE IT BACK TO ME WHICH STILL COSTS ME MONEY WITH NO SOLUTION MY CARS STATE HAS JUST BEEN GETTING WORSE AND WORSE AND DUE TO LIMITED INCOME I CANT AFFORD TO GET A NEW ONE AT THIS TIME OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE ALREADY TRADED THIS CHEVY POS IN. I ALSO CALLED CHEVROLET'S CORPORATE OFFICE WHERE THE LADY GAVE ME A CASE NUMBER AND NEVER CALLED ME BACK LIKE SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO. WHILE ON THE PHONE WITH HER SHE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING SHE COULD DO FOR MY CAR SINCE MY CAR WASN'T A RECALL BUT I FIND IT ODD THAT MY CAR WAS MADE ON FEBRUARY 28, 2012 WHICH FALLS BETWEEN TWO MAJOR RECALLS WITH PROBLEMS SIMILAR TO WHAT MY CAR HAS ESPECIALLY SINCE ONE IS THE WINDSHIELD WIPER RECALL. SO I BELIEVE THAT THE CHEVY CORPORATION AS A WHOLE DOESN'T WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR FAULTY CAR THAT THEY HAVE MADE AND WHEN YOU TAKE IT TO A CHEVY DEALERSHIP THEY WILL CONTINUE TO TELL YOU NOTHING IS WRONG SO THAT THEY JUST TAKE YOUR MONEY AND NOT FIX YOUR CAR. UNSAFE&IMMORAL. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10662999

Sep 22, 2014Visibility & wipers

AS I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN IN AN INTERSECTION AT 5:30AM MY REAR GLASS WINDOW BURST AND ALL THE GLASS SHATTERED LEAVING GLASS ON THE FOUR SIDES ONLY. INEXPLICABLE HOW IT HAPPENED, MY FIRST REACTION WAS TOO LOOK BACK AND SEE IF ANYBODY HAD HIT US, BUT WHEN I LOOKED THROUGH THE REAR/SIDE MIRRORS THERE WAS NO CARS BEHIND US OR NEAR US. THE SAME MORNING I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOWED MY VEHICLE TO THE SHOP FOR A TRANSMISSION RECALL, PER THE DEALER THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT UNDER THE WARRANTY DUE TO GENERAL MOTORS HAD NO OTHER VEHICLES REPORTING THE SAME INCIDENT. I FEEL IT SHOULD BE LOOKED AT BECAUSE I'M SURE MANY 2012 CHEVY SONICS HAVE IT AS A DEFECT. WITH SO MANY RECALLS I WOULDN'T DOUBT THAT THE WINDOWS ARE BEING RECALLED AS WELL. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10638208

Aug 26, 2014Visibility & wipers

I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT AND IT WAS WARM OUTSIDE.....SO BUGS CAKED ONTO THE WINDSHIELD. WHEN THE BUGS CAKED ONTO THE WINDSHIELD I TRIED TO USE MY WINDSHIELD CLEANER AND NOTHING WOULD COME OUT AND I ENDED UP SMEARING THE BUGS. I ABSOLUTELY COULD NOT SEE....SO I MADE IT TO THE NEAREST GAS STATION AND CHECKED THE RESERVOIR TO FIND IT EMPTY. I WENT INTO THE GAS STATION AND BOUGHT A CHEAP BOTTLE OF CLEAN AND PUT IT INTO THE RESERVOIR, AND AS SOON AS I PUT IT IN A PUDDLE DRAINED FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR. I FOUND THAT THE RESERVOIR COULD NOT HOLD THE LIQUID AND I FIGURED THAT A HOSE MUST BE LOOSE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10628499

Aug 25, 2013Visibility & wipers

I WENT TO GO SOME PLACE WHEN I NOTICED THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED. THERE IS NO CHIP INDICATING THAT SOMETHING HAD HIT IT. THE CRACK SEEMS TO HAVE STARTED FROM THE EDGE OF THE WINDSHIELD. IT SEEMS THAT THE WINDSHIELD HAD TWISTED. THE CRACK IS APPROX 8 TO 12 INCHES AND CIRCLES INTO AN UP SIDE DOWN U. I BELIEVE GM SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE CHECKED TO SEE IF GM HAS A RECALL AND THEY DO NOT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10537134

Mar 12, 2013Visibility & wipers

THE OUTSIDE DOOR MIRRORS ARE SMALL AND HAVE BLIND SPOTS. I'VE LOST SIGHT OF VEHICLES I KNOW WHERE BEHIND ME. WHEN GM BECAME AWARE OF THIS OVERLOOK IN DESIGN OF THE 2012 CHEVY SONIC, 2013 MODELS WERE INSTALLED WITH THE SAME SIZE MIRROR WITH A SMALL CONVEX AS PART OF THE MIRROR TO DETECT AREAS PREVIOUS MIRRORS COULD NOT DETECT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL BY GM TO REPLACE THESE MIRRORS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10502458

Sep 11, 2012SteeringSuspensionVisibility & wipersAirbagsBrakes

TL* 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 OFFERED TO SEND A LUBRICATION KIT TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000. ...UPDATED 10/19/12 *BF UPDATED 10/25/2012 *JS

NHTSA ODI 10475009

Mar 14, 2012Visibility & wipersAirbags

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET SONIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WOULD NOT IDENTIFY THAT A PASSENGER WAS SITTING IN THE SEAT. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER OBSTRUCTED THE FIELD OF VISION WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DENIED ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,000.THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 10451658

Feb 29, 2012Engine & coolingVisibility & wipers

I TURNED ON WINDSHIELD WIPERS & THE ENGINE DIED. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IT HAD RAINED AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR & REALLY DID NOT AT THIS TIME ASSOCIATE THE WIPERS & THE ENGINE DYING UNTIL LATER THAT SAME DAY WHEN CONTACTED A FRIEND OF MINE TO DRIVE THE CAR. THE DEALER CONTACTED GM ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT THEY DON'T SEEM TO BE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER REPLACED THE WIPER MOTOR BUT THAT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. IT IS A LONG STORY & I'M VERY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF MYSELF & OTHERS. IT DIED THE OTHER DAY IN TRAFFIC WHEN IT STARTED TO RAIN & I TURNED ON THE WIPERS AND ALMOST WAS HIT BY A TRUCK. PLEASE CONTACT ME, IT WOULD BE EASIER FOR HIM TO EXPLAIN IN PERSON ABOUT THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10449731

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 →