Electrical complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
UNKNOWN -- During driving the vehicle the radio and power steering will stop working, locks and key for occasionally have issues, and the car shuts down and has to be re-started. Sometimes will take a minute or two to be able to be re-started. If car stalls at high speeds could cause a catastrophic accident, injuring possibly killing driver or other drivers due to not being able to control the car. Car has recently been serviced replacing the radiator, coolant tank, and purge valve (this was throwing the check engine light). No codes can be found and the problem cannot be duplicated. Happens at random times, nothing triggers it.
Purchased from Carvana. Nine days after purchase came out to a dead battery took it to the authorized dealer and they said the battery was a bad cell battery. Replace the battery. Six days after they replaced the battery it was dead again. This time they had it in the shop for two weeks before they found the issue. It had been aftermarket wired with a GPS tracking system that was draining the battery. They said if I have any further issues with it, I need to take it to a dealer. They gave me a bag full of multiple components that had been added to the vehicle. I do not know how Carvana missed them all.
The has as well as mileage is not accurate and it constantly changes even while not driving which is adding more miles to car than actually is and you will never know how much gas you have in car truly which is safety concern especially if you are driving on interstate and can't tell how much gas you have in car and suddenly run out of gas while other are behind you going 70 mph which can cause a wreck
My 2018 Chevrolet Sonic 1.8L has experienced repeated complete battery discharge and electrical failures over approximately two years. The factory infotainment system does not consistently shut down after the ignition is turned off. I must follow a specific shutdown procedure or occasionally remove the infotainment fuse to prevent battery drain. On October 10, 2026, after a three-day trip, the vehicle was completely dead. My 2,000-amp portable jump starter could not start it. Another running vehicle had to supply power before it would start. The vehicle then operated and restarted normally for approximately three days. On October 13, 2026, after several successful starts, I parked at 10 AM. By 4 PM, the vehicle produced rapid clicking sounds, then lost all electrical power. My jump starter again failed. …
In June of 2023 I was driving my vehicle and suddenly the Traction Control, power steering and check engine light came on. I was able to get the vehicle safely home without the use of the power steering. Once I shut the vehicle off, it would not start again. I got the vehicle to my local dealership and they diagnosed it as one of the main wire harnesses was rubbing against a bolt near the battery, which is a known issue, and caused an electrical short in the system. It caused the ECU and electronic power steering to short out. They replaced the ECU, but have not been able to replace the eletronic power steering because it's no longer being manufactured. The vehicle at the time of incident was only 6 years old. I feel like this is a violation of the Magnuson-Moss Act. There are no third party vendors that make this part. It has only ever been available through GM directly.
steering wheel will lock up when you turn on car, we took it to Paradise Chevrolet, and they found power steering module has update available however need 12 Volt battery to be a higher CCA to reprogram p/s volt battery testing at 356 CCA recommend replacing battery and reprogramming P/S module. Of course, this was not covered under our Protection Plan and should be covered, I had to pay. $578.37 My car is only six years, and this should not be happing. 11/27/23 vehicle shuts off while driving this has happened three time to us. we cannot drive the car it is not safe. 12/19/23 had it tow to Paradise Chevrolet. This car is not safe to drive. We have a protection Plan its useless.
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
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.
Related recalls (2)
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Sonic years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2012 (59), 2013 (56), 2014 (49), 2015 (34) and 2016 (11) model years. Electrical complaints make up 17% of all complaints for the 2012.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Sonic electrical problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 16V-422 (software, Jun 10, 2016); 16V-257 (software, Apr 28, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Sonic electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles; 53% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the ignition (4 mentions), followed by the wiring (2).
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.