2012 Chevrolet Sonic Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
100/100
#1 most-complained of 10 Sonic years
The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic has a Complaint Index of 100, the highest of all 10 model years, and ranks worst overall with 354 complaints, 7 recalls, and 1 death reported. Transmission and engine problems dominate owner complaints, making 2012 the year to avoid in this lineup.
- Complaints
- 354
- Recalls
- 7
- Crashes / fires
- 27 / 5
- Injuries / deaths
- 18 / 1
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 29.5
- 26.5 city / 35 hwy
Top 2012 Chevrolet Sonic problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Transmission & Powertrain154 (44%)
- Engine98 (28%)
- Electrical System62 (18%)
- Other48 (14%)
- Airbags34 (10%)
- Brakes26 (7%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires21 (6%)
- Fuel System18 (5%)
- Visibility & Wipers16 (5%)
- Steering14 (4%)
What owners report
- Owners describe the transmission hesitating to find a gear when accelerating from a stop or while turning, sometimes within the first few thousand miles.
- Some drivers report a burning plastic smell inside the cabin that grows stronger after driving for a while, tied to engine-area issues.
- Multiple owners say the front driver airbag failed to deploy during moderate to high-speed collisions, including a case with a trailer impact and a t-bone crash.
- One owner reported the steering locking up mid-turn in a parking lot, causing loss of control and a curb collision.
- Electrical system complaints include an unexplained stall while turning at low speed and a persistent burning odor without a visible source.
- A shift cover that would not stay attached was also reported alongside other transmission-related electrical faults.
2012 Chevrolet Sonic recalls
7 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 14V417000Jul 2, 2014Other2,990 vehicles
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 vehicles manufactured May 10, 2011, to August 16, 2012 equipped with a Calix oil pan/block heater. In cold temperatures, the insulation on the engine block heater cord can become damaged, allowing the wires to be exposed.
Risk: Exposed wires increase the risk of electrical shock and personal injury if the cord is handled while it is plugged in.
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. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14257.
- NHTSA 14V315000Jun 12, 2014Transmission & Powertrain21,567 vehicles
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.
Risk: If the transmission turbine shaft fracture occurs during vehicle operation in first or second gear, the vehicle will not upshift to the third through sixth gears, limiting the vehicle's speed. If the fracture occurs during operation in third through sixth gear, the vehicle will coast until it slows enough to downshift to first or second gear, increasing the risk of a crash.
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. GM's number for this recall is 14234.
- NHTSA 14V300000Jun 6, 2014Airbags31,520 vehicles
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 December 1, 2011 to June 11, 2012. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
Risk: If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, that air bag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.
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. Buick owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. Note: This is an expansion of recalls 12V-522 and 13V-023.
2012 Chevrolet Sonic fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 26.5 MPG
- Highway
- 35 MPG
- Combined
- 29.5 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,200
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2012 compared with other Sonic years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic reliable?
- Among Sonic model years, 2012 has the highest Complaint Index (100) and ranks worst overall, with 354 NHTSA complaints and 7 recalls. Compared to later years like 2017-2020, which score much lower on the index, 2012 stands out as the year with the most reported problems.
- What are the most common problems with the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic?
- Transmission and powertrain issues make up 44% of complaints, followed by engine problems at 28% and electrical system issues at 18%. The median mileage at failure for transmission complaints was 50,000 miles.
- Does the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 7 recalls for the 2012 Sonic, covering the transmission turbine shaft, steering wheel airbag coil (twice), a windshield washer hose, and missing front brake pads. None are classified as do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2012 Sonic compare to other Sonic years?
- The 2012 model has the worst Complaint Index (100) among all 10 model years with data, while 2019 and 2020 score lowest (11 and 22) and carry a Best verdict. Complaint counts drop steadily from 2012 through 2020.
- Were there airbag failures reported in the 2012 Sonic?
- Yes, NHTSA logged 34 airbag complaints for the 2012 Sonic, tied to 18 crashes, including multiple reports of frontal airbags failing to deploy in collisions. GM also issued three separate airbag-related recalls for this model year.