2012 Chevrolet Sonic Airbags Problems
NHTSA lists 34 airbag complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, 10% of all complaints that year, linked to 18 crashes and 13 injuries at a median mileage of 53,000. Three related recalls cover a driver-side airbag coil defect that could cause non-deployment.
- Airbags complaints
- 34
- 10% of 354
- Crashes reported
- 18
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 13
- Median mileage
- 53,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 3
Typical airbag symptoms owners report
- Frontal or side airbags fail to deploy in moderate-to-severe crashes, including T-bone, rear-end, and head-on collisions.
- Airbag non-deployment is reported even in high-speed impacts above 45 mph, sometimes resulting in injuries to the head, knee, or back.
- Some owners report the airbag readiness warning light flashing or staying on before a crash, later linked to a passenger seat occupant sensor.
- Multiple owners state recall campaigns for the airbag coil did not appear under their VIN when they checked after a crash.
- Side-impact airbags reportedly failed to deploy when a vehicle was struck on the driver or passenger side.
When 2012 Chevrolet Sonic airbag complaints were filed
First complaint Mar 14, 2012, latest May 7, 2023.
Airbags recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic
- 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.
- NHTSA 13V023000Jan 24, 2013Airbags4,167 vehicles
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.
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 safety recall began on February 13, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.
- NHTSA 12V522000Oct 31, 2012Airbags2,949 vehicles
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.
Risk: If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal airbag, that airbag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.
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.
Airbags complaints by Sonic model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many airbag complaints does the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic have?
- NHTSA lists 34 airbag complaints for the 2012 Sonic, which is 10% of all 354 complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic airbags?
- Yes. NHTSA lists three related airbag recalls (12V522000, 13V023000, 14V300000) covering a driver-side frontal airbag shorting bar and steering wheel airbag coil that GM replaced free of charge.
- Did the airbag problems cause crashes or injuries?
- NHTSA data tied to these complaints shows 18 crashes and 13 injuries, with a median mileage at failure of 53,000 miles.
- What did owners report about airbag failures?
- Owners most often reported that frontal or side airbags failed to deploy during collisions, including T-bone, rear-end, and high-speed impacts.