2012 Chevrolet Sonic Problems

What owners report

Sampled complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic concentrate on the automatic transmission, with owners describing harsh or skipped shifts, the car sticking in second or third gear, sudden loss of power, and in some cases a complete loss of drive. A second common theme is a gear-shift lever button that stays pressed in, which owners link to being unable to remove the key from the ignition. Engine and electrical complaints are the next largest groups, including stalling or erratic idle, a radio that turns itself back on and drains the battery, and oil pressure or misfire warnings.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission sticks in gear, harsh shifts, loss of power

   • 172 complaints (49%)
   • median 49,000 mi at 4.1 yrs old (141 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $575 (median of 16 quotes)
   • filed 2012–2026

   Owners describe the automatic transmission shifting hard or skipping gears, then sticking in second or third gear so the car will not move forward normally. Several report sudden loss of power or throttle response while driving, with the check engine light or the drive indicator flashing. Some were told the transmission needed replacement or that the turbine shaft had failed, and several owners note that their VIN was not covered by the transmission recall despite similar symptoms. Reported from under 10,000 miles up to well past 100,000 miles, most often between roughly 45,000 and 90,000 miles.

   Recall 14V3150001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test drive at highway speed and through stop-and-go traffic, watching for harsh or delayed shifts, a flashing D indicator, or reluctance to leave second gear. Ask whether the turbine shaft recall work (14V315000) was done and whether the transmission fluid has been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “At 94000 miles the car stopped shifting period. It would start and then go nowhere not forwards backwards nothing. Thank the lord I was parked at my house and it was a sudden occurrence. I only financed this car in the end of february at 89300 miles from carmax and still owe money for it. That is insane.”

   NHTSA complaint #11337821, filed 2020-07, 94,000 miles

   “I can be driving my car normal when out of nowhere it almost completely loses power in the middle of the road (to the point it is very dangerous to be driving). The tcs light will illuminate as well as the check engine light with 2 codes. I was in traffic and my car literally would not pick up speed/accelerate (even with pedal all the way to floor). This is a very scary situation that should not be happening with a car that isn't even that old and only just hit 60,000 miles. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11030660, filed 2017-09, 56,000 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Gear shift button sticks; key won't come out

   • 81 complaints (23%)
   • median 45,000 mi at 4.0 yrs old (68 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $403 (median of 10 quotes)
   • filed 2012–2022

   Owners report the button on the automatic shift lever staying pressed in after shifting into park, which prevents the key from being released from the ignition. Some describe prying the button out by hand or the dealer applying lubricant, with the fix being replacement of the shift lever assembly. A few owners also note the shifter can be bumped into another gear when the button is stuck. Mostly reported between about 38,000 and 65,000 miles; some owners describe it happening daily.

   What to check: With the car in park, press and release the shift button several times to confirm it springs back freely, and check that the key can be removed. Ask whether the shift lever assembly has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The shift lever button will not release when in park, so the vehicle doesnt not read that its firmly in park; the key wont release and I cannot turn off the vehicle until the button unjams itself or I lubricate it to do so. This has been happening frequently. The only fix is replacing the entire shift lever, which is upwards of $300”

   NHTSA complaint #11269558, filed 2019-10, 65,000 miles

   “I have an automatic car. When I put the car in park, I believe its called the gear shift button, gets stuck for several minutes and I cannot remove my key from the ignition until it pops out. Reported this to my dealership and they spayed some oil around the button but that did not help. This happens daily. Sometimes it takes a few seconds for the button to pop and other times it has taken up to 10 minutes for the button to release.”

   NHTSA complaint #10825975, filed 2016-02, 50,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Stalling, rough or surging idle

   • 53 complaints (15%)
   • median 47,740 mi at 4.0 yrs old (41 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2012–2023

   Complaints describe the engine stalling at low speed or at a stop, and idle that swings between roughly 200 and 3,000 rpm without touching the accelerator. Some owners report stalling with no warning light and repeated dealer visits where the cause was not found; others mention a cracked air duct or valve and a burning smell behind the dashboard. Reported from a few hundred miles up to about 120,000 miles, with several under 40,000 miles.

   What to check: Let the car idle for several minutes and watch the tachometer for surging or a drop toward stalling, and ask whether any stalling complaints were diagnosed. Have a mechanic check for stored codes and inspect intake and vacuum components.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “No check engine light was on, not when vehicle has stalled. My vehicle has had multiple issues. Stalls while moving and at a dead stop. And a scent of burning like a electrical short behind the dashboard. I am afraid that this vehicle could stall while I am on the road and cause me to be rear ended causing a serious crash.”

   NHTSA complaint #11097345, filed 2018-05, 57,000 miles

   “I turned on windshield wipers & the engine died. This was the first time it had rained after I bought the car & really did not at this time associate the wipers & the engine dying until later that same day when contacted a friend of mine to drive the car. The dealer contacted GM about the problem but they don't seem to be very concerned about the problem. The dealer replaced the wiper motor but that did not solve the problem. It is a long story & I'm very concerned for the safety of myself & others. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10449731, filed 2012-02, 100 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Battery drain and radio turning itself on

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report the radio turning itself back on after the car is shut off and locked, sometimes hours later, leaving the battery drained. Some describe repeated battery replacements, a battery with leaking acid, and dealers removing a fuse to stop the drain, which left other functions such as speakers inoperative. Reported between roughly 25,000 and 50,000 miles in the sampled complaints.

   Recall 14V4170001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the battery has been replaced repeatedly and whether the radio has ever stayed on after shutdown. Have the battery and charging system tested and check for a parasitic draw before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My vehicle has been a nightmare. In january I visited the dealership because my heater was not working. At that time I was told I would need to replace my battery soon that it had some leaking acid. Three weeks later I replace the battery. At that time the dealership installed a new battery and sent me on my way. Ive spent thousands since then repairing what the dealership described as a electrical nightmare. I also have told the dealership several times that there are transmission problems with my vehicle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10616989, filed 2014-07, 48,000 miles

   “Checked car while stationed, when running always needs more cooling maybe electrical burnout of a part that connects to the radiator fan. When put the diagnose code, none is given, and temperature goes up to 225, its a hazard if a person does not know that fan is not working, putting refrigerant all the time. Read that there is a new re-design cooling fan assembly.”

   NHTSA complaint #11292032, filed 2019-12, 124,000 miles
5. 5
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light or no deployment in a crash

   • 27 complaints (8%)
   • median 50,000 mi at 3.2 yrs old (21 state mileage)
   • 15 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $4,000 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2012–2023

   Several owners report the airbag warning light coming on, or the passenger airbag off light showing with someone seated there, with dealers attributing it to electrical interference in one case. Others describe the driver airbag not deploying in a collision that damaged the front of the car. Reported from about 57,000 to 96,000 miles in the sampled complaints.

   Recall 14V300000Recall 13V023000Recall 12V522000

   What to check: Turn the ignition on and confirm the airbag warning light goes out after the bulb check, and ask whether the driver airbag shorting-bar recalls were completed for this VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving and turning left into a plaza parking lot when another vehicle hit mine very hard as they were going really fast. They hit the front end of my vehicle completely damaging the grill, front bumper and all of the supports for them. Even though my car took a hard impact by another vehicle, the driver's side airbag did not deploy. I, as well as the cops that were on duty, were very concerned by this fact.”

   NHTSA complaint #11355119, filed 2020-09, 96,000 miles

   “On or around december, 2014, the shift cover would not attach permanently. On or around march 10, 2014, the electrical access plug did not operate. On or around march 6, 2014, my mother was driving around 45mph, and we hit an elk. No airbags deployed.”

   NHTSA complaint #10576112, filed 2014-04, 32,000 miles

Buying note. A pre-purchase inspection focused on the automatic transmission is worthwhile on this model year, including a highway test drive and a check of recall status for the turbine shaft and airbag campaigns. Ask for service records and confirm the shift lever button and key release work normally.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.