2015 Chevrolet Sonic Problems, Recalls & Reliability
171 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 34/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 51,670 miles.
Typical
Where 2015 sits among all Sonic years
What owners report
“Car was running while listening to radio. Once it was cut off, i could not lock the car or cut it on again. It completely died.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Sonic
“Defective ignition switch. Key will not come out. When i put it into park to get out.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Sonic
“The passenger side (occupant sensor) air bag switch is inconsistent. It will not always turn on when a passenger is in the seat. Sometimes it does sometimes is does not.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Sonic
“The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the catalytic converter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Sonic
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 104 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 39,470 miles. Half of those reports fall between 23,816 and 67,600 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
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…
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…
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…
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…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Spark vehicles manufactured April 30, 2014, to May 20, 2015, and 2015 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured June 18, 2014, to June 10, 2015. In the affected vehicles, equipped with…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The recall began on August 11, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number…
Technical service bulletins
1,329 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic reliable?
The 2015 Chevrolet Sonic drew 171 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 34/100, scored against the model's worst year (2012).
What are the most common 2015 Chevrolet Sonic problems?
The top reported problems for the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic are electrical (37 complaints), other (30), and airbags (27).
At what mileage do 2015 Chevrolet Sonic problems show up?
Owners most often report 2015 Chevrolet Sonic problems around 39,470 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 23,816 and 67,600 miles.
Does the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.