Home · 2016 Chevrolet Sonic · Complaints

What 48 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 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 (48)Crash / fire / injury (10)Engine (13)Electrical system (11)Airbags (8)Fuel system (5)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (3)Suspension (3)Transmission & drivetrain (3)Body & structure (2)Brakes (2)Engine & cooling (2)

11 of 48 complaints match · Electrical system · clear filters

Aug 28, 2023Electrical system

My car lock and unlocks when I did not hit any buttons. The remote start does not work sometimes. The battery loses connection from time to time with a brand new battery.

NHTSA ODI 11541260

Aug 28, 2023Electrical system

My car lock and unlocks when I did not hit any buttons. The remote start does not work sometimes. The battery loses connection from time to time with a brand new battery. I own 2 of these cars and the same exact thing is happening. There needs to be a recall on this

NHTSA ODI 11541262

Feb 4, 2021Electrical systemEngine

THE HEAT DOESNT WORK. KEEPS BLOWING OUT COOL AIR. THIS PAST SUMMER THE AC WOULDN'T WORK. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE BUT THEY FIXED IT. I BELIEVE THE TWO ISSUES ARE RELATED.

NHTSA ODI 11394748

Dec 26, 2020Electrical system

TURN SIGNAL INDICATORS DO NOT MAKE SOUND WHEN ACTIVE

NHTSA ODI 11384973

Aug 4, 2020Electrical systemSeat belts

I BOUGHT A 2016 CHEVY SONIC LT IN JANUARY OF 2020. IT HAS ONLY HAS 30,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. INITIALLY, I BELIEVED THAT THE COMPUTER WAS JUST SLOW. IN MARCH, 2020 I NOTICED THAT WHEN I WOULD TURN THE CAR ON THE RADIO/COMPUTER WOULD SOMETIMES TAKE SEVERAL MINUTES TO BOOT UP. THEN ONCE BOOTED, THE BACK-UP CAMERA LINES WOULD NOT SHOW UP. ONLY OCCASIONALLY WOULD THE GUIDING LINES APPEAR ON THE SCREEN. THEN, A PROBLEM DEVELOPED WHERE AFTER I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND LOCKED THE DOORS, THE RADIO WOULD CONTINUE PLAYING UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED OR THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED. THIS FIRST OCCURRED IN MAY 2020 AND WOULD OCCUR PERIODICALLY OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS. IN JUNE 2020, THE RADIO WOULD RANDOMLY NOT BOOT WHEN STARTED OR BOOT EVEN MORE SLOWLY THAN USUAL. SOMETIMES I COULD DRIVE TEN OR TWENTY MINUTES BEFORE THE COMPUTER WOULD FINALLY TURN ON. OTHER TIMES THE COMPUTER WOULD NEVER TURN ON. YET AGAIN, THE ONLY SOLUTION WAS TO RESTART THE CAR OR DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. ON AUGUST 1, 2020, THE RADIO WILL NOT TURN ON AT ALL, EVEN AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR OR RECONNECTING THE BATTERY. NOW THAT THE RADIO IS COMPLETELY NONOPERATIONAL, OTHER SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN EFFECTED, TOO. FOR EXAMPLE, THE BLINKERS DO NOT SIGNAL PROPERLY. ALTHOUGH THEY BLINK, I DO NOT RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION THAT THEY ARE ENGAGED (NO BLINKING SOUND). THE SEAT BELT, DOOR AJAR, AND KEY IN IGNITION WARNING DO NOT SOUND ANYMORE EITHER. ADDITIONALLY, THE COLLISION NOTIFICATION AND LANE RECOGNITION NO LONGER PRODUCE AN AUDIBLE WARNING. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHETHER THE CAR IS STATIONARY OR IN MOTION, THE RADIO AND ALL RELATED SOUND COMPONENTS DO NOT WORK AT ALL. I HAVE NOT FOUND ANY SOLUTION YET. THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS FOR PROBLEMS SUCH AS THESE FOR THIS VEHICLE, BUT NONE OF THEM ARE CURRENTLY OPEN.

NHTSA ODI 11343257

Jul 30, 2020Electrical systemEngine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET SONIC. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOSS MOTIVE POWER AND STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WERE NEEDED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 11342404

Jun 9, 2019Electrical system

MY CAR WAS BOUGHT IN OCT OF 2015. IT DID NOT COME WITH A REAR CAMERA BACK UP SYSTEM, HOWEVER THE CENTER DISPLAY (RADIO & CONTROLS PANEL) STARTED DISPLAYING AN ERROR MESSAGE ABOUT THIS BACK UP SYSTEM. AT THE SAME TIME THE PHONE & RADIO CONTROLS LOCATED ON THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO STOPPED WORKING. WHEN BLUE TOOTHING A PHONE (HAVE TRIED WITH MORE THAN ONE TYPE) IT OFTEN DISCONNECTS & WHEN IT DOES CONNECT, IT DOESN'T FULLY CONNECT. BOTH THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROL & BLUE TOOTH PROBLEMS STARTED AT THE TIME THE REAR BACK UP ERROR BEGAN SHOWING UP. THIS ERROR HAS BEEN DISPLAYING FOR MANY MONTHS & I NO LONGER HAVE A WARRANTY THAT WOULD COVER THIS EXPENSIVE REPAIR. THE DATE SELECTED IS AN ESTIMATION.

NHTSA ODI 11218782

Mar 21, 2019Electrical system

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET SONIC. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED, LOST POWER, AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BARBER CHEVROLET (205-631-2669, LOCATED AT 90 BARBER BLVD, GARDENDALE, AL 35071) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION COIL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,200.

NHTSA ODI 11190460

Mar 6, 2019Electrical systemWheelsSeats

TAKATA RECALL . ONE TIRE HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE IN FEBRUARY 2019.. IT WAS DEFECTIVE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE AND TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPLACEMENT BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE OTHER PROBLEM WAS ELECTRICAL, THE DRIVER SEAT WASN'T HEATING AND THE INFOTAINMENT CENTER REAR CAMERA WAS BLURRING CAUSING A UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION.. THE DASHBOARD WAS CLICKING OUT FOR A SECOND WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET.

NHTSA ODI 11184599

Feb 26, 2019Electrical system

2016 CHEVROLET SONIC. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO DEFECTIVE DASHBOARD WIRING. CONSUMER BELIEVES IT CAN BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND WOULD LIKE ASSISTANCE TO RESOLVE SAFETY ISSUE AND REPAIR COST. *AS *TR

NHTSA ODI 11179710

Dec 26, 2018Electrical systemAirbags

AS I WAS DRIVING ON A STREET, POSSIBLY TWO MINUTES AFTER DEPARTING MY HOME, IS WHEN I'D REALIZED THE AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. EVERYTIME FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS, THE WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE AS SOON AS THE CAR TURNED ON. IT FINALLY SHUT OFF AFTER I WENT OUT TO SHOP. IT WAS ILLUMINATED ON MY WAY TO THE SHOPS. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, SHOPPED AND WHEN I TURNED IT BACK ON, THE LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE AND HAS NOT SINCE THEN. NOW, IT HAS BEEN AROUND TWO WEEKS SINCE IT TURNED OFF.

NHTSA ODI 11163479

Working with the data? Download all 48 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 2016 Chevrolet Sonic verdict →