Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Chevrolet Sonic owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the communication system failed to operate as designed. There were no warning chimes and the horn was disengaged. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with the radio software needing to be updated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 16V422000 (Electrical System, Equipment). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 167,000.
Odometer Fraud. The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact purchased the vehicle from a dealer in March 2024. The contact stated that when the vehicle was purchased, the odometer at 60,000, and the advertisement stated 60,000. The contact recently acquired the Carfax report, which indicated that in April 2015, the odometer reading was 15,073 miles. The Carfax report indicated that the odometer reading was reported in April 2024 at 60,700 miles. The dealer was made aware of the discrepancy but provided no assistance.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that while the vehicle was turned on with the transmission in park(P), the doors would erroneously lock. On several occasions after parking and turning the vehicle off, moments later the vehicle would not restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who checked the battery but found no failure. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 39,000.
Right Hand Steering Wheel Controls Inoperative, Outside Ambient Temperature Reading on Radio Display Inoperative, inoperative rear vision camera gridlines, and Onstar Menu Screen is Not Showing When Pressing Onstar Button. Inoperable radio steering wheel control buttons increase driver distraction risk in reaching for the radio display. Absence of rear camera gridlines reduce driver guidance in reverse. Onstar menu not starting in case of need. Reported in existing GM Technical Service Bulletin 16-NA-347. [redacted] ) Related to completed Key Chime recall completed prior to October 10, 2016. Current vehicle codes were reviewed by Hendrick Chevrolet Buick GMC Southpoint, and no existing error codes related to the issue were presented. No warning lamps on, messages on radio display, or other symptoms. Errors all presented simultaneously with no warning. Appeared first June 2024.
Dashboard speed indicator dimming and getting brighter for no reason. no warning lamps. Check engine lamp turned on then after fueling vehicle engine won't start, or won't shut off. Vehicle is an automatic transmission. A button must be engaged to put vehicle in park, drive, etc. The Button often sticks and keys cannot be removed because the transmission won't go in to park . On July 17 the button popped out while driving. This could have stranded myself or my family. The cause of the issue is unknown, but drivers may become distracted when the end of the automatic gear shift lever pops out or as in my case when putting the vehicle into park it pops out and breaks off entirely. I believe it to be a defective part that can easily break. My vehicle has less than 70,000 miles. It has not been assessed by an insurance agent or dealership yet
I have had this vehicle for three years now and no matter of the repairs I had done to it by machanics the check engind light continue to turn on and the vehicle has shut down on the road and I can't find out what the solution is. I am afraid to drive it.Also the mylink radio which has all the vehicle settings in it has malfunctioned. I cannot get to reset veichle settings. Vehicle will not turn over on the first key turn. The engine turns over on the third or forth turn and when it dose there is a loud ratteling noise.
On September 2, 2022, the locks on my car unlocked and relived while I was driving at about 20 mph. This keeps happening over the last 4-5 months. This time it happened twice in two blocks near my home. I have reported this several times. No codes ever come up. Sometimes the car will stall but always starts right back up. I know I am not the only one with this issue. Please find a cause and issue a recall to get this fixed! This can be very dangerous even life threading if there is an accident because of it.
While driving, the locks on the car will unlock then relock quickly, the dash will go black and the motor will rev like I am trying to go in the Park position. This has happened several time in town where I live. Update from Aug 11, 2022The first time it happened I took it to the dealership and of course there were no codes and they couldn't find anything wrong. - [redacted], US
Once again, my doors unlocked then relocked, my dashboard lights went out and the engine stalled. I was on the KU campus when this happened 3 times within 6 blocks. This is getting very scary, especially when i am in a busy area of town. No codes have ever popped up. This has been happening since May 2022. I will keep reporting, hopefully there will be a recall soon. Very frustrated with this situation!
Related recalls
Electrical system › Software
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Chevrolet Sonic and Trax, and 2013-2015 Spark vehicles equipped with a Bring Your Own Media radio. The affected radios may fail to provide an audible warning chime when the driver fails to fasten their seatbelt or if the driver leaves the key in the ignition.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The recall began on July 22, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 45340.
Electrical system › Software
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Chevrolet Sonic and Trax vehicles and 2013-2015 Chevrolet Spark vehicles equipped with a Bring Your Own Media radio. The affected radios may fail to provide an audible warning chime when the driver, after turning off the ignition and leaving the key in the…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
Electrical complaints in other Sonic years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the electrical system of the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic, 30% of the model year's 114 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 Chevrolet Sonic electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 16V-422 (software, Jun 10, 2016); NHTSA recall 16V-257 (software, Apr 28, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2015 Chevrolet Sonic electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries and 1 death to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.