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What 114 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 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 (114)Crash / fire / injury (19)Electrical system (34)Airbags (27)Engine (23)Fuel system (12)Transmission & drivetrain (12)Steering (6)Brakes (5)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (4)Equipment (4)Engine & cooling (3)

4 of 114 complaints match · Equipment · clear filters

Jan 3, 2024Electrical systemEquipment

The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated the audible indicators for the driver's seat belt and the "Key Left in Ignition' was inoperable. The contactor also stated that the radio powered on independently, causing the driver to be startled due to the loud volume. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was diagnosed by the dealer, but not repaired. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V422000 (Electrical System, Equipment), 16V257000 (Equipment, Electrical System) or 15V416000 (Equipment). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11563279

Jul 21, 2020Electrical systemEquipment

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET SONIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY CEASED IN THE IGNITION CAUSING THE BATTERY TO BE DRAINED. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS JUMP STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS TO GERRY WOOD HONDA (414 JAKE ALEXANDER BLVD SOUTH, SALISBURY, NC 28147) TO BE DIAGNOSED HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR WERE REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V257000 (EQUIPMENT, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 37,000.

NHTSA ODI 11340592

Jul 13, 2018Electrical systemEquipment

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET SONIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RADIO WOULD AUTOMATICALLY TURN ON AND OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (WALDORF CHEVROLET CADILLAC, 2298 CRAIN HWY, WALDORF, MD 20601), BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V416000 (EQUIPMENT). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,600.

NHTSA ODI 11111158

Aug 31, 2015Equipment

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET SONIC. WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE PRODUCED AN ABNORMAL MOLD ODOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FILTER NEEDED TO BE CLEANED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

NHTSA ODI 10760484

Working with the data? Download all 114 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 2015 Chevrolet Sonic verdict →