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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)

5 of 149 complaints match · Lights · clear filters

Dec 23, 2019Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemLights

TEMP 45-50 DEGREES, DRIVING IN MODERATE RAIN FOR 20-25 MINUTES, CRUISE CONTROL ON. ACTIVATE HIGH BEAMS, CAR SHIFTS TO 1ST GEAR AT 65 MPH, RPMS JUMP ABOVE 6000, TURN OFF HIGH BEAMS RETURNS TO NORMAL OPERATION. REPEATED 2 MORE TIMES IN NEXT 4 MILES, EVEN AT 25 MPH. WHEN END OF TRIP, SHUT OFF CAR AND COMPLETELY DEAD, NO LIGHTS, NO CRANKING. FOLLOWING MORNING (TODAY) CAR STARTS NORMALLY. WILL REPORT ANY FURTHER FROM MY COMMUTE TODAY, IF WARRANTED

NHTSA ODI 11290822

Jul 19, 2019Electrical systemLights

CANNOT TAKE THE KEY OUT WHEN CAR IS IN PARK.

NHTSA ODI 11233263

Oct 9, 2018Electrical systemLightsEngine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CHEVROLET SONIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED NUMEROUS TIMES WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER (VAN CHEVROLET, 8585 E FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT BLVD, SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85260, 1-480-696-5884) PERFORMED SEVERAL DIAGNOSTIC TESTS THAT INCLUDED THE WATER PUMP, A GASKET BOOT IN THE ENGINE, AND THE BATTERY LINES. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY WIRING KEPT BURNING OUT, BUT THE DEALER HAD NOT PROVIDED A REMEDY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

NHTSA ODI 11139235

Oct 1, 2016Electrical systemLights

I OWN A 2014 CHEVROLET SONIC. THE RADIO NO LONGER WORKS AND I HAVE NO AUDIBLE WARNING CHIMES FOR KEYS IN IGNITION, DOOR OPEN, TURN SIGNAL, SEATBELT. ALSO NO DASH LIGHTS. I SEE THERE IS A RECALL 17130. I HAVE SPOKE WITH THE DEALERSHIP IN MY AREA, THEY REFUSE TO DO THE REPAIRS BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE A RECALL LETTER. WHEN CHECKING MY VIN, THERE ARE NO REPORTED RECALLS. I NEED A RECALL LETTER SO I MAY HAVE THIS REPAIRED. THANK YOU

NHTSA ODI 10910980

Dec 10, 2014Electrical systemLights

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, GOING APPROXIMATELY 65MPH, THE DASH LIGHTS INCLUDING SPEEDOMETER TURN OFF AND RESET. THEY STAY OFF FROM 10-20 SECONDS THEN RESET BACK ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS. HAS ONLY HAPPENED IN 6TH GEAR AND IS VERY DANGEROUS KNOWING THE REPAIR DEALERSHIP CAN NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT TRIGGERS IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10663453

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 →