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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)

6 of 149 complaints match · Brakes · clear filters

May 11, 2018BrakesCrashFire1 injury

THE ROAD I WAS DRIVING ON IS 55 MPH ON BEAR IN. AS I BEGAN TO BREAK NOTHING HAPPENED. A 90 CORNER WAS IN FRONT OF ME. 55TH AVE. I PUSHED AS HARD AS I COULD ON THE BREAKS. IT WAS SMOOTH.. TRACTION CONTROL WAS ON. NO BREAKING UNIT WENT INTO AFFECT. IT WAS SMOOTH ALL THE WAY INTO A TREE HEAD ON. ZERO SKID MARKS! I WAS CONSCIOUS THE ENTIRE TIME CLOSED ON EYES RIGHT BEFORE IMPACT. AIR BAGS DID WORK. THE ENGINE STARTED ON FIRE 3X. THEY HAD TO USE THE JAWS OF LIFE TO REMOVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE TREE. I PUSHED SO HARD ON THE BREAK THAT IT BROKE MY ANKLE, SPLIT MY KNEE OPEN AND SPRAINED MY KNEE. I WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE WAS ABOUT 56K. THIS SHOULD HAVE KILLED ME. THE BREAKS HAD WORKED FINE BEFORE THIS.. NO SQUEALING, SHAKING ETC. IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. CONDITIONS WERE DARK, DRY ROADS, NO WIND. I DO HAVE REPORTS BUT CAN NOT SCAN THEM. I LOADED 5 IMAGES! PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER IMMEDIATELY. LIVES ARE AT STAKE.

NHTSA ODI 11093407

Aug 8, 2017Brakes

BRAKE PEDAL FEELS TOO SOFT AND CAUSES THE CAR TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MAKING SMOOTH STOPS. I NOTICED THIS CHANGE IN OCTOBER 2016. THIS PROBLEM IS PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS WHEN YOU ARE REQUIRED TO MAKE SUDDEN STOPS AT INTERSECTIONS OR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THIS HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING ON CITY STREETS, NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS AND ON HIGHWAYS. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD RESULT IN ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM STRIKING MINE IN THE REAR OR A CHILD BEING HURT OR KILLED WHEN I DRIVE THROUGH MY NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS. IT IS VERY UNPREDICTABLE. I TOOK IT TO MY CHEVROLET DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AT THAT TIME. I AM INCLUDING AN IMAGE OF THE DEALER'S SERVICE REPORT FROM 11/09/2016. THE PROBLEM STILL CONTINUES TO THIS DATE, 8/8/17. SINCE THE PROBLEM IS ONGOING, I CANNOT REPORT AN ACTUAL DATE, MILEAGE, OR DRIVING SPEED.

NHTSA ODI 11013806

Jul 25, 2016Brakes

LIST OF POWER BRAKE BOOST UNDER SEVERAL CONDITIONS. 1. WHEN ENGINE IS WARM, AFTER SHIFT INTO REVERSE, LIST OF POWER BRAKE BOOST 2. WHILE ACCELERATOR WAS DEPRESSED, AND AT THE SAME TIME APPLIED BRAKE, RESULTS IN LOST OF VACUUM BOOST IN BOTH CONDITIONS, CAR IS IN MOTION AND UNABLE TO STOP WITHOUT THE USE OF EXTRA BRAKE EFFORT, COMPRISING STOPPING DISTANCE AND SAFETY, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP WHEN APPLYING BRAKE, DUE TO EXTREME STIFFNESS OF THE PEDAL

NHTSA ODI 10888497

May 4, 2015Brakes

FIRST NOTICED THIS HAPPENING ABOUT 1 MONTH AFTER THE PURCHASE OF THIS CAR. WHEN STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN OR RED LIGHT, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE CAR FEELS LIKE IT WANTS TO LUNGE FORWARD OR TAKE OFF. OR, WHEN GOING FROM MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO THE GAS THE CAR WANTS TO LUNGE FORWARD ONCE I PRESS ON THE GAS JUST A LITTLE BIT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10714431

Mar 17, 2015Electronic Stability Control (esc)Brakes

HAS HAPPENED OFF & ON SINCE I BOUGHT CAR OCTOBER 2014. WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP CAR WILL ROCK BACK AND FORTH AS IF THE BRAKE PEDAL ISN'T PUSHED DOWN ALL THE WAY & THE CAR ISN'T SURE IF IT IS TO BE DRIVING FORWARD SLIGHTLY OR STOPPED. EVEN WITH ME PUSHING THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO FLOOR, CAR STILL ROCKS BACK & FORTH. IF AT STOP LIGHT WHILE DOING THIS ISSUE & LIGHT TURNS GREEN FOR ME TO DRIVE AHEAD CAR WILL NOT MOVE TILL DONE HAVING ITS ROCKING BACK & FORTH FIT. IT ONLY LASTS 15-20 SECONDS BUT CAN NOT DRIVE FORWARD WHILE CAR IS HAVING FIT. IS THIS THE COMPUTER/STABILITITRACK NOT COMMUNICATING PROPERLY? *TR

NHTSA ODI 10694942

Feb 5, 2015SteeringBrakes

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CHEVROLET SONIC. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS IN INCLEMENT WEATHER, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO AVOID A CRASH. IN ADDITION, THE WHILE VEERING TO THE RIGHT, THE VEHICLE UNINTENTIONALLY VEERED TO THE LEFT WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 300. UPDATED 03/24/15*LJ UPDATED 12/09/15.*JB UPDATED 9/20/2017*CN

NHTSA ODI 10681399

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 →