2013 Chevrolet Sonic Problems

What owners report

Complaints on the 2013 Chevrolet Sonic cluster around electrical gremlins and drivability: instrument panels and radios that cut out or act on their own, shift-lever buttons that stick and trap the key in the ignition, and rough running or reduced power traced to intake, purge and PCV parts. A smaller but recurring group describes coolant loss from the water pump area and front air bags that did not deploy in collisions. Many reports fall in the 45,000-90,000 mile range, with a separate early-mileage group for the air bag and shift-lever concerns.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Instrument panel, radio and lighting cut out

   • 28 complaints (13%)
   • median 65,000 mi at 4.1 yrs old (21 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2013–2022

   Complaints describe the dash going blank, gauges sweeping erratically, turn signals and horn quitting, and the centre console losing power — sometimes while driving, sometimes restored by cycling a defrost button. Owners of the MyLink radio report stations changing on their own, an unresponsive touchscreen and random Bluetooth calls. Several say dealers could not duplicate or resolve the problem, and some reference a prior turn-signal recall on this car. Mostly reported between about 18,000 and 90,000 miles, with several owners noting the electrical symptoms appear in winter or damp weather.

   Recall 12V454000Recall 16V2570002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the radio software recall (16V257000) and the turn-signal recall (12V454000) were completed; test every dash light, turn signal, horn, power window and the radio screen during an extended test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I've had this car for only 2 years and there is always something wrong. First I was driving and it just shut off all the light on dash board went off and from that point on nothing on the steering wheel works. No horn and none of the controls of it are working. My passenger air bag light stays on. Been in the shop 3 times still not working. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10897297, filed 2016-08, 65,000 miles

   “While driving home from work doing 55 MPH the car just suddenly turned itself off with no warning. The dashboard went blank. Was able to pull over off the road. The key was still in the on position. The car restarted with no problem but my gas gauge showed only 1 bar and the miles per tank showed 40. Before the incident I had 1/2 a tank of gas. As I started driving again the gas gauge little by little started to move back up to where it was. Very scary.”

   NHTSA complaint #10640144, filed 2014-09, 50,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Rough idle, hesitation and reduced engine power

   • 38 complaints (18%)
   • median 75,000 mi at 5.0 yrs old (30 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2013–2024

   Owners describe ticking or hissing noises, rough and shaking idle, hesitation on acceleration and intermittent reduced-power mode with the check engine or stability light on. Several had the purge solenoid, intake manifold, PCV hose or valve cover replaced after codes such as P0171 and P0496 were pulled. Some report the condition returning after repairs, and a few mention stalling at stops. Typically reported from about 45,000 to 90,000 miles, with a few earlier cases; several owners mention recurring symptoms over months.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Listen for ticking or hissing from the engine bay at idle and check for a rough idle; ask for any stored codes and whether the purge valve, PCV hose or valve cover were already replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2013 chevy Sonic developed ticking sound shortly after I bought it at 60000 miles. The ticking got worse over time and then check engine light came on. I scanned the codes and multiple four codes were found. P0171, p0496, p1101, and p2270. After doing some research it seemed to be that most cruze, Sonic, and trax vehicles all had the same issues. I took it to the dealer for diagnostics and was informed the vehicle needed a new intake manifold, purge valve, pcv hose, and valve cover. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11384224, filed 2020-12, 80,000 miles

   “When the car is first started and turned off, the horn goes off each time. If parked but still running, the horn goes off every 2-3 minutes. When locking the car, it doesn't make any noise indicating it has been locked. When phone is plugged in, the music doesn't always work properly. There is a piece to one of the hoses that broke and is now making car run lean. When idling (at a red light or stop sign) the engine shakes vigorously and is harder to get back speed. When car is running and the hood is open, there is a hissing sound.”

   NHTSA complaint #11206508, filed 2019-05, 79,000 miles
3. 3
   Other or unknown

   Stuck shift-lever button, key trapped in ignition

   • 36 complaints (17%)
   • median 54,000 mi at 4.6 yrs old (27 state mileage)
   • filed 2013–2025

   Owners describe the button on the front of the gear shift sticking in the pressed position, so the lever can move out of park without the button being held and the ignition key will not release. Some say the car will not shut off completely, and one owner was told by a dealer that the whole shifter assembly needs replacement. A few report the gear indicator showing park and drive at the same time. Reports span roughly 29,000 to 126,000 miles, and owners often note it starting as an occasional stick before becoming routine.

   What to check: With the car parked, press the shift button several times and check that it springs back and the key releases freely; shift in and out of park repeatedly and watch the gear indicator.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The gear shift button got stuck and I couldn't push it in to switch gears. The vehicle would not get out of park. It started when I stopped at my mailbox, and put it in park so my daughter could get out and check the mail. When I went to put it in drive it wouldn't shift. Finally after sitting there about 5 min it moved. After that it would only do it occassionally. Now its getting stuck (pushed in) more and you can switch gears without pushing anything. If someone hits it then we are wrecking. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11240496, filed 2019-07, 115,000 miles

   “Acceleration is bad, and inconsisten. Also, when shifting gears the shifter button gets stuck everytime never fails. That's a real safety issue considering I accidently bump it, and the car went into manual, while driving. I barely touched it and it moved. This is the last GM car that I will ever buy always something with their cars. The acceleration for this car on the interstate is bad people go around me because it takes so long to accelerate, it also hesitates when accelerating. I've only had this car for about a month.”

   NHTSA complaint #11006138, filed 2017-07, 82,500 miles
4. 4
   Air bags

   Front air bags did not deploy in a crash

   • 25 complaints (12%)
   • median 33,000 mi at 3.1 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • 17 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2013–2025

   Several owners describe frontal collisions where the air bags did not inflate, including impacts severe enough to total the car. Others report the passenger air bag light staying off with an adult in the seat, and repeated dealer visits where a sensor was ordered, arrived wrong or was listed as discontinued. One owner reports the steering-wheel air bag cover and horn assembly coming loose into the driver's lap. Reported at widely varying mileage, from near-new vehicles to over 100,000 miles.

   Recall 23V516000

   What to check: Confirm the driver-side air bag inflator recall (23V516000) was completed, and check that the air bag warning light behaves normally with an adult seated in the passenger seat.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have had my car into the dealer 3 times now within 5 months and they have yet to fix my passenger airbag issue. I took it in on 11/27/2015, 02/26/2016 and again on 03/28/2016. The first 2 times I was told that they would have to order the sensor for it and the last time they told me that they had the sensor but when they called me they told me that the sensor they ordered was wrong and that the sensor I needed was marked as discontinued from GM. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10852208, filed 2016-03, 60,000 miles

   “While I was driving down the road. The whole airbag compartment on the steering with the horn became unattached and fell into my lap causing me to almost wreck.”

   NHTSA complaint #11118029, filed 2018-08, 104,940 miles
5. 5
   Engine

   Coolant loss and overheating from the water pump area

   • 15 complaints (7%)
   • median 90,000 mi at 5.6 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2013–2026

   Owners report coolant disappearing with a strong coolant smell inside and outside the car, puddles under the passenger side and the temperature warning coming on. In some cases a dealer found a leaking water pump seal; in others the dealer acknowledged the loss but could not find the source. One owner describes coolant reaching wiring or the computer and the car shutting down without warning. Reported from roughly 18,000 up to about 113,000 miles, often described as a gradual loss noticed over weeks.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the coolant level and look for crusty residue or stains around the water pump and under the passenger side; ask whether the water pump or cooling system has been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My car has leaked out its entire coolant twice now within a six month period. This time it has leaked fluid onto the computer causing further issues than after the first fix. The lack of a temperature gauge to prevent the car from overheating is a huge issue. I constantly make sure there is coolant before driving the vehicle and all in the same day it has emptied without my knowledge causing a check engine light and breakdown instantly. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11316501, filed 2020-03, 113,000 miles

   “Vehicle has been losing coolant for last six months. There is a strong odor of coolant inside and outside of the vehicle and there is water inside cabin air filter box. Dealer acknowledged the issue and inspected vehicle with a GM engineer, but could not find the cause of either issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #10681353, filed 2015-02, 31,460 miles

Buying note. These reports centre on electrical faults and small-engine hardware rather than major driveline failures, so a thorough test of the dash electronics, radio, shift lever and cooling system matters more than mileage alone. Ask for recall completion records — particularly the air bag inflator and radio software campaigns — before buying.

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.