2016 Chevrolet Sonic problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (8) · Air Bags (6) · Electrical System (5)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Chevrolet Sonic model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
30 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (2)
Electrical System:software 2016-06-10 · campaign 16V422000 · 18,780 vehicles
Defect: 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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 208 "Occupant Crash Protection" and 114 "Theft Protect
Risk: Without audible indicators, the driver may not fasten their seatbelt, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: 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 2016-04-28 · campaign 16V257000 · 317,572 vehicles
Defect: 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 cylinder, waits 10 minutes or longer to open the door. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114
Risk: Without audible indicators, the driver may leave the key in the ignition, increasing the risk of theft.
Fix: 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. GM's number for this recall is 17130.
Service bulletins (1,083)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-26 · PIT5698F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi provides diagnostics tips on how the lin bus works and how to diagnosis it.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-04 · PIP4902W · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-21 · PIT5099J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
pi to help diagnose a/c concern
Unknown Or Other 2026-04-01 · PIT3271Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
Unknown Or Other 2026-03-09 · PIP6104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a gds2 session log and upload to a technical assistance case in cx connect.
Unknown Or Other 2026-03-09 · PIP4902V · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.
Showing the 6 most recent of 1,083 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-02-18 · Engine“this car overheated and a head gasket blew. i am on a facebook forum, and it seems like all of these cars have these problems. the chevy sonic ltz turbo 1.4 2016 is known for coolant issues and head gasket failures. my car only had 104,000 miles on it. it should last a lot longer than that, but this is a common issue. for some reason there was a re…”
2026-01-26 · Unknown Or Other“radio malfunctions. channels automatically change and touch screen doesn't work all the time. i believe 2015 sonic has a recall for this issue , but not 2016. it appears to be the same issue.…”
2025-08-26 · Steering · 116,000 mi“the contact owns a 2016 chevrolet sonic. the contact stated that the driver's side door was stuck, and extra force was needed to open the door. the contact stated that the failure was intermittent. there were no warning lights illuminated. the contact stated that the power locks functioned as designed. additionally, the contact stated that the stee…”
2024-06-20 · Engine · 36,299 mi“the contact owns a 2016 chevrolet sonic. the contact stated while driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle lost motive power. the esc and oil pressure warning lights were illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the residence. the vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the intake plenum gasket and other unknown …”
2023-08-28 · Electrical 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…”
2023-08-28 · Electrical 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.…”
2022-11-08 · Vehicle Speed Control · 80,000 mi“the contact owns a 2016 chevrolet sonic. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would not properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. the contact indicated that the rpms increased but the vehicle would not accelerate as needed. additionally, while operating the vehicle, the cruise control would erroneou…”
2021-12-21 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 38,000 mi“the contact owns a 2016 chevrolet sonic. the contact stated while driving 25 mph, the vehicle began to stall inadvertently. the engine overheating warning light illuminated. the contact stated that she veered to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. the contact's friend came on the scene and provided her with engine coolant, and she adde…”
2021-12-10 · Vehicle Speed Control · 💥 crash“my vehicle malfunctioned driving on my way to work entering a large parking area connected stores. i saw a available parking spot in between 2 cars i drove in the spot lined up car and put my car in park completely stopped.i looked to my right then to my left to be sure i wasn't to close to the other two vehicles then i opened my drivers door to ch…”
2021-10-30 · Air Bags · 💥 crash“hello, i need you guys help. i got into a car wrecked which wasn’t my fault. the airbags they deployed and my child car seat was damage. i got a police report stating that the car accident wasn’t my fault and it’s the fault of a 16 year old. he merge straight into my car and i have all these expeensives that i cannot pay for.…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.