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What 149 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 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 (149)Crash / fire / injury (13)Electrical system (48)Engine (38)Airbags (24)Transmission & drivetrain (20)Fuel system (16)Steering (13)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (8)Brakes (6)Lights (5)Body & structure (3)

7 of 149 complaints match · Airbags · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jul 20, 2021AirbagsCrash3 injuries

The contact owned a 2014 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds approaching a parking lot and slowing down to turn, the vehicle behind was speeding and crashed into the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle then flew forward and crashed into a pole. No airbags deployed. The passenger in the driver's side rear seat sustained whiplash to the neck. The contact and her daughter sustained minor injuries to the right hip, right knee, and right shoulder. A police report was filed. The passenger in the driver's side rear seat was treated via ambulance and the contact and her daughter received medical attention from a chiropractor. The police towed the vehicle to a lot where it was deemed a total loss. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that no recalls were under the VIN. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and started an investigation. The failure mileage was approximate 88,000

NHTSA ODI 11425666

Aug 28, 2018AirbagsCrash

TAKATA RECALL I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE I HIT A STATIONARY SUV FROM THE BACK, I WAS TRAVELING 30-35 MPH PER THE POLICE REPORT THROUGH A LARGE CITY INTERSECTION. MY SONIC WAS HIT HARD ON THE WHOLE FRONT LEFT (DRIVER SIDE) THE CAR WAS TOTALED AND WAS REPORTED TO HAVE A LOT OF LEFT FRAME DAMAGE. DURING THIS ACCIDENT MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. NO AMBULANCE WAS CALLED BUT I WAS TAKEN TO THE VA TO RECEIVE TREATMENT FOR MY BACK PAIN FROM THE ACCIDENT. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT BASED ON THE HARD HIT AND THE AMAZING OF DAMAGE MY AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED FOR MY SAFETY. THE REASON THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IS UNKNOWN TO ME.

NHTSA ODI 11123103

Mar 21, 2018SteeringAirbagsElectronic Stability Control (esc)Crash

WENT TO PASS AN EIGHTEEN WHEELER ON AN INTERSTATE AND AS I ACCELLERATED, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FISHTAIL, WHEN I RAN OVER A BUMPY PART IN THE ROAD DUE TO A BRIDGE THAT FELL , I LOST ALL STABILITY CONTROL AND CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. WE SLAMMED INTO THE CAB OF THE RITE ENTRANCE WHEELER ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE IN THE FRONT. NO AIR BAGS WERE RELEASED. WHEN WE HIT THE EITEEN WHEELER IT PUSHED OUR CAR TOWARDS THE CONSTRUCTION ZONE WIRE RAILING, THE BACK OF OUR VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HIT THE TRAILER. NO AIR BAGS RELEASED. WE THEN GRINNED ACROSS THE WIRE RAILING AND RAN OVER A FEW CONES ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. ON ALL THREE IMPACTS, NO AIR BAGS WERE RELEASED.

NHTSA ODI 11080642

Feb 16, 2018AirbagsCrash2 injuries

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CHEVROLET SONIC. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE CONTACT STRUCK A VAN DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE AMBULANCE WAS NOT CALLED AND THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A FRACTURED NECK AND A CONCUSSION AND HER SPOUSE SUSTAINED A SPRAINED NECK AND BACK. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS RECEIVED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,913.

NHTSA ODI 11073247

Sep 14, 2016AirbagsCrash

ANOTHER CAR RAN A RED LIGHT & MY SON, IN THE SONIC RAN INTO THE SIDE OF THE OTHER CAR. HIS SONIC WAS TOTALED & DESPITE THIS FACT THAT THE OTHER CAR'S SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT, HIS SONIC AIRBAGS DID NOT. MY SON WAS ACCELERATING FROM STOP LIGHT ON A CITY STREET WHEN THE OTHER CAR RAN THE RED LIGHT. THE IMPACT WAS SEVERE ENOUGH TO BEND 2 OF THE 4 FRAME RAILS. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BUCKLED DOWN AS THEY SHOULD HAVE, BUT THE CONCERNING THING IS AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY WITH A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. MY SON NOW HAS A REPLACEMENT SONIC BUT CONCERNED DUE TO THE RECENT RECALL OF SEVERAL MILLION CARS/TRUCKS WITH DEFECT IN AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT MECHANISM OF GM PRODUCTS.

NHTSA ODI 10906325

Jun 2, 2016AirbagsCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CHEVROLET SONIC. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER OF THE OCCUPANT OF THE OTHER VEHICLE SUSTAINED A BACK INJURY THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

NHTSA ODI 10872005

Apr 1, 2015SteeringAirbagsCrash2 injuries

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CHEVROLET SONIC. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ALTERNATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN MULTIPLE TIMES TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THREE MONTHS LATER, WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. AS A RESULT, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BACK INJURIES, BUT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE REAR DRIVER SIDE PASSENGER DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES, BUT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200.

NHTSA ODI 10703066

Working with the data? Download all 149 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 2014 Chevrolet Sonic verdict →