Most common 2012 Chevrolet Sonic problems
Share of the 354 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Sonic complaints by model year
Best Sonic years: 2019, 2018, 2020. Years to avoid: 2012, 2013. Compare all years →
2012 Chevrolet Sonic recalls (7)
Equipment › Electrical
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore all-wheel-drive vehicles manufactured August 23, 2012, to September 9, 2013; Verano vehicles manufactured August 8, 2012, to June 20, 2013; Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured August 7, 2012, to August 16, 2013, and 2012-2014 Chevrolet Sonic…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine oil pan/block heater cord with a new cord that is rated for temperatures of minus 40 degree Celsius. The recall began in August 2014.
Power train › Automatic transmission
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured March 1, 2012, to June 29, 2012, and equipped with a 6 speed automatic transmission and 1.8L four cylinder engine. In the affected vehicles, the transmission turbine shaft may fracture.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission turbine shaft, free of charge. The recall began on August 8, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
Air bags
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles manufactured December 2, 2011 to July, 16, 2012, Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured December 7, 2011 to July 25, 2012, Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured December 5, 2011 to August 2, 2012, and Chevrolet Camaro vehicles manufactured…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The recall began on July 25, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact GM at 1-800-222-1020.
Air bags
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic, and model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on February 13, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.
Air bags
General Motors is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Cruze, and Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel airbag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on January 11, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.
Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured from May 5, 2011, through February 24, 2012. These vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will secure the windshield washer hose to prevent separation, free of charge. The safety recall began on September 7, 2012.
Show 1 more recall
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc › Pads
General motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet sonic vehicles manufactured from June 2, 2011, through November 21, 2011. On some of these vehicles, the front brake inner or outer pad May be missing.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front brakes for a missing inner or outer pad. If a brake pad is missing, dealers will install new inner and outer pads, a new brake caliper, and a new rotor.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic:
Air Bag Non-deployment
General Motors (GM) has initiated a safety recall of 31,520 model year (MY) 2012 Buick Verano and Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic vehicles to address a defect condition that could result in the primary or secondary stage air bag not deploying.These vehicles are a small percentage of all MY 2012 vehicles and were built on several specific production dates broadly ranging from December 1, 2011 to August 2, 2012 (see…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
What 2012 Chevrolet Sonic owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 154 →
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle lost power. The check engine OBD reader had lost communication with the transmission. The contact merged to the side of the road. The contact then went to auto parts store and attempted to change the speed sensor; however, the parts store had given the contact the incorrect part. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was already repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V315000 (POWER TRAIN). The vehicle had lost throttle and power. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V315000 (POWER TRAIN). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that while coming off the freeway at approximately 30-35 MPH, the vehicle began jerking. The engine revved up as if it intended to accelerate however, the vehicle would then jerk. The contact was able to coast to the destination driving approximately 5-10 mph. The check engine warning light illuminated with a trouble code regarding the engine. The contact who is a certified mechanic determined that the failure was related to Technical Service Bulletin NHTSA ID: 14V315000 (Power Train). The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer where the vehicle was waiting to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 87,410.
Engine & cooling all 87 →
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the check engine and ABS warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.
On 4/1/2023 my engine light went on. I had my nephews look at it. see pictures below for engine read and how oil mixed with antifreeze. Also note service paperwork. Gaskets were not up to quality to keep the oil sealed in its compartment. Manager called and tried to take care of issue because he only uses genuine parts but was told there was an issue with this part and until there were more fatalities or more people complained noting could be done. He was NOT happy. They did the best they could resorting to youtube videos and imagination. When I got it back, it was like brand new. Two days later, my engine light came on again. You will find the new engine reading which again had the oil mix with the antifreeze and no oil left. The engine would blow/seize or worse if I kept driving it. I am on disability and live alone. …
Electrical system all 59 →
Purchased 2012 Chevy Sonic for my son so that he can drive around as he is a student driver. Purchased on July 27th and pickup on the 29th on 30th Morning driving the car on the highway the car stopped while in drive mode and luckily no accident. reached out to the dealer i towed the car to dealership. First they told me is ready nothing wrong and said there is a problem with the key they didn't program it i picked up the car on august 2nd and while driving 5 miles it was doing stalled on the Highway near Natick Mall the Natick police came and tried to move the car to safe spot. …
After original P0011 engine code dealer bought from replaced VVT actuators, oil control solenoid, VCG, timing belt, water pump, antifreeze, idler and tensioner on 10/27 -11/21. Vehicle ran for one week and all thru Dec 2021 intermittently kept running rough and stalling and throwing P0011 code Camsgaft Position Sensor intake and P0301 cylinder 1 misfire. Smelled burning oil too. Replaced all separate throughout month -Camshaft position sensor intake, changed oil, spark plugs and now the ignition coil. Each time ran one day and code P0011 kept coming back. Running rough, poor gas mileage and stalls. Have extended warranty going back to dealer bought from.
2012 Chevrolet Sonic engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | FWD | 28 / 38 / 32 |
| 1.4L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 27 / 36 / 30 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 26 / 34 / 29 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 24 / 34 / 28 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic a good car?
Based on 354 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Sonic rates avoid: 3.0× as many complaints as a typical year of the Sonic at the same age. It is one of the Sonic years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic?
The transmission & drivetrain — 154 complaints, 44% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the engine & cooling (87) and electrical system (59).
How many recalls does the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic have?
There are 7 recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, the most recent from July 2, 2014 (electrical). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Sonic?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2019, 2018 and 2020. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2012 and 2013. See the full Chevrolet Sonic years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 Chevrolet Sonic problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 46,000 miles; 54% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.