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Air bagsPart report

2016 Chevrolet Sonic Air bags Problems

Complaints
8about this part
Share
17%of 48 total for the year
Median mileage
53,000miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the air bags of the 2016 Chevrolet Sonic, 17% of the 48 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 53,000 miles. 5 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“As I was driving on a street, possibly two minutes after departing my home, is when I'd realized the air bag indicator light was illuminated. Everytime for the next three days, the warning light would illuminate as soon as the car turned on. It finally shut off after I went out to shop. It was illuminated on my way to the shops. I turned the car off, shopped and when I turned it back on, the light did not illuminate and has not since then. Now, it has been around two weeks since it turned off.”

NHTSA complaint #11163479, filed 2018-12, 56,000 miles

“Car was in motion going down the highway. Stopped at a redlight. Continued qhen light turned green but not fast as the next light was turning red. Brake failure resulted in a car accident. Upon collision the air bags malfunctioned and did not deploy. Many others are experiencing the same issues with the Chevrolet Sonic starting from the 2015 model. Gm was made aware of the issue and has yet to fix it or recall it.”

NHTSA complaint #11113010, filed 2018-07, 50,000 miles

“Front passenger seat airbag indicator shows off when a normal sized adult is sitting in the seat. This is an intermittent condition I.e does not happen every time.. Moving in the seat, connecting or disconnecting seat belt, opening and closing passenger door does not change the indication. Indicator remains off as car is driven. Both dealer and chevy corporate customer service were contacted without a fix. This has happened since car was new.. …”

NHTSA complaint #11104776, filed 2018-06, 10 miles

“Hello, I need you guys help. I got into a car wrecked which wasn’t my fault. The airbags they deployed and my child car seat was damage. I got a police report stating that the car accident wasn’t my fault and it’s the fault of a 16 year old. He merge straight into my Car and I have all these expeensives that I cannot pay for.”

NHTSA complaint #11438724, filed 2021-10

“The contact owned a 2016 Chevrolet Sonic. While attempting to turn onto a neighborhood street in the rain, the vehicle hydroplaned and began to slide. The contact crashed into the front end of another vehicle that was idling at a stop sign. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The hood and front driver's side of the vehicle were damaged. The vehicle was towed to a collision shop by the contact's insurance company. The other driver sustained small cuts that did not require medical attention. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. …”

NHTSA complaint #11278369, filed 2019-11, 97,131 miles

Air bags: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2020110%
201817%
2017616%
2016817%
20152724%
20142416%
20132512%
20123410%

Other parts of the 2016 Chevrolet Sonic

Engine
13 complaints
Electrical system
11 complaints
Other or unknown
8 complaints
Fuel system
5 complaints
Electronic stability control
3 complaints
Suspension
3 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
3 complaints
Brakes
2 complaints
Engine cooling
2 complaints
Seats
2 complaints
Steering
2 complaints
Body and structure
2 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2016 Chevrolet Sonic

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology