2012 Chevrolet Sonic Engine Problems

UNKNOWN

NHTSA ID

11658643

Incident

Mar 15, 2023

I purchased this car 2 years ago and it has caused me absolutely nothing but trouble. We have replaced the fan 4 times (twice due to the resistor thats part of the fan failed), headgasket job, intercooler punctures (once inward, once outward), failed valve cover, intake maniford, turbo seals twice, failing check values, new relays for the fan (twice), another drive belt, and now I go outside and theres a puddle of coolant under my car. I have sunk over $8,000 into this car and it has been the worst financial decision ever. Why do the parts keep failing? Why isnt there a heat gage in the dang car so I know its too hot before the light comes on?

NHTSA ID

11624090

Incident

Nov 5, 2024

Water pump is leaking in front of motor

NHTSA ID

11566713

Incident

Jan 16, 2024

We have had to deal with severe overheating issues and failing parts our entire ownership of this vehicle, both of which then cause other parts to fail, as the parts are so poorly made and heat sensitive. We have replaced the turbocharger (twice), intake manifold + valve cover (twice), catalytic converter, the radiator (THREE TIMES), the cooling fan (twice), the MAF sensor (twice), and much more. All of this has been done over the course of 18months. This has easily been the most expensive car we have ever owned due to the constant repairs, all of which has been because of Failing Parts and overheating.

NHTSA ID

11565421

Incident

Jan 5, 2024

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the check engine and ABS warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

NHTSA ID

11526661

Incident

Apr 1, 2023

Mileage

114,000 mi

On 4/1/2023 my engine light went on. I had my nephews look at it. see pictures below for engine read and how oil mixed with antifreeze. Also note service paperwork. Gaskets were not up to quality to keep the oil sealed in its compartment. Manager called and tried to take care of issue because he only uses genuine parts but was told there was an issue with this part and until there were more fatalities or more people complained noting could be done. He was NOT happy. They did the best they could resorting to youtube videos and imagination. When I got it back, it was like brand new. Two days later, my engine light came on again. You will find the new engine reading which again had the oil mix with the antifreeze and no oil left. The engine would blow/seize or worse if I kept driving it. I am on disability and live alone. I cannot afford the unpredictability of having something happen to me on the road or where I am suppose to the money. I complained before to a manager at a dealership when I had a problem with my motor when my car was still new. He told me it was supposed to be like that. I keep revving in the middle of traffic lights and people were on my backend when I would get out of work at 3:00 am. The car was recalled two months later to replace many individual motor parts. I am too old and anxious to play these games. Please seriously have look into this please. Thank you for your time.

NHTSA ID

11517535

Incident

Apr 3, 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that after the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for routine oil change services, there was an abnormal oil odor inside the vehicle. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, smoke was coming from underneath the hood and after opening the hood, the contact became aware of a coolant leak. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle had not yet been taken to an independent mechanic or a local dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the warranty had expired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11510846

Incident

Mar 7, 2023

A few months after this car was purchased, we received the notice regarding recall 14234 for our 2012 Chevy Sonic. However, when we brought it to the dealership, they stated that our vehicle didn't fall under the recall. I told them we were experiencing shaking while shifting and it seemed like the exact same issue. Now about 1 year later with less than 100,000 miles, the car will not shift properly into 3rd gear. The auto repair shop informed us that we need to get a new transmission among many other related repairs. We seem to have the exact same issue as reported in the recall; however, we continue to be informed that our vehicle does not fall under the umbrella of the recall. After doing a number of searches it seems that this is a common story. All these 2012 Chevy Sonics have the same issue yet do not fall under the recall.

NHTSA ID

11484943

Incident

Sep 17, 2022

After original P0011 engine code dealer bought from replaced VVT actuators, oil control solenoid, VCG, timing belt, water pump, antifreeze, idler and tensioner on 10/27 -11/21. Vehicle ran for one week and all thru Dec 2021 intermittently kept running rough and stalling and throwing P0011 code Camsgaft Position Sensor intake and P0301 cylinder 1 misfire. Smelled burning oil too. Replaced all separate throughout month -Camshaft position sensor intake, changed oil, spark plugs and now the ignition coil. Each time ran one day and code P0011 kept coming back. Running rough, poor gas mileage and stalls. Have extended warranty going back to dealer bought from.

NHTSA ID

11449052

Incident

Jan 26, 2022

Vehicle keeps throwing P0011 codes with engine running rough and stalling when moving from stopped or slowing down

NHTSA ID

11449047

Incident

Oct 26, 2021

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET SONIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART. THE CONTACT PURCHASED A NEW BATTERY HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE STARTER WAS REPLACED. DESPITE THE REPAIR, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE REMAINED IN THE POSSESSION OF THE MECHANIC. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

11376168

Incident

Oct 15, 2020

ENGINE IS RUNNING ROUGH WITH NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. ALSO AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON WITH NO COLLISIONS FOR IT TO APPEAR.

NHTSA ID

11343957

Incident

Aug 5, 2020

GEAR/TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE DRIVING IN STEADY TRAFFIC... CAR SUDDENLY WENT TO 5-6000RPMS WITHOUT PRESSURE ON THE GAS AND THEN DOWN QUICKLY TO 1000RPMS BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND PULL OVER. AFTERWARDS, I COULDN'T GET THE CAR TO MOVE ABOVE 1000RPMS AND REVERSE GEAR WENT INTO FAILURE. THE TOW TRUCK COULDN'T MOVE IT WITHOUT PLACING IT INTO MANUAL MODE. IT'S BEEN IN THE GARAGE FOR A WEEK WITH ALL DIAGNOSTICS SHOWING FAILURE WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION. AT THIS POINT, I EITHER NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION OR BUY A NEW CAR. I ONLY HAD APPROXIMATELY 55,000 MILES ON THE CAR IN 7 YEARS.

NHTSA ID

11266588

Incident

Sep 30, 2019

Mileage

55,000 mi

2012 SONIC HAS THE SAME ENGINE AS THE CHEVY CRUZE, THE CRUZE HAS A RECALL ON IT FOR THE ENGINE VALVE, YET THE SONIC DOES NOT. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I TOOK IT TO GET DIAGNOSED AND WAS TOLD THE ENGINE VALVE NEEDS REPLACED. CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THERE ARE ON OUTSTANDING RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE. I DON'T WANT TO PAY TO GET IT FIXED WHEN THE SAME ENGINE ON THE CRUZE HAS THE SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11254621

Incident

Sep 10, 2019

Mileage

114,320 mi

A MONTH AGO, MY 2012 CHEVROLET SONIC TRANSMISSION STARTED NOT SHIFTING INTO SECOND GEAR AND SEVERELY SHIFTING WHEN PERSUADED. AFTER THAT IT STOPPED RESPONDING IN REVERSE AS WELL, UNLESS I WAS TO INCH FORWARD IN DRIVE ONLY TO SHIFT BACK INTO REVERSE, WHICH FOR A WHILE WORKED. I AM A CITY DRIVER AS WELL AND HAVE ONLY ADDED 2,000 MILES IN 5 MONTHS. NOW AFTER BUYING A USED TRANSMISSION AND HAVING THE SHOP PUT IT IN, IT IS STILL NOT RESPONDING IN REVERSE, WHICH THE PART SOLD TO ME SHOULD HAVE WORKED. HEARING THIS MADE ME COME TO THE REALIZATION THAT IT CANT BE THE TRANSMISSION, BUT I KNOW NEXT TO NOTHING WHEN IT COMES TO VEHICLES. WHEN I SEARCH MY CAR FOR RECALLS THERE ARE NONE BUT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE TRANSMISSIONS MADE TWO MONTHS AFTER MINE, WHICH TO ME, BECAUSE MY CAR IS HAVING THE SAME RESPONSE, THE MANUFACTURING DATE SHOULDN'T MATTER. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO MANY SHOPS AND NO ONE KNOWS WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT, AND I'M NOT SURE IF I TOOK IT TO ACTUAL CROSSROADS CHEVROLET IF THEY COULD FIGURE IT OUT EITHER. I BOUGHT THIS CAR 5 MONTHS AGO FOR $4700.

NHTSA ID

11192523

Incident

Feb 26, 2019

Mileage

137,000 mi

THE CAR HAS UNDER 100K MILES AND SEEMS TO BE HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINTANCED. I RECENTLY PURCHASED THE CAR BEING THE SECOND OWNER. THE CAR HAS ISSUES GETTING UP TO SPEED CAUSING PEOPLE TO TAILGATE ME OR SPEED UP AND GO AROUND ME. YOU CAN ALSO FEEL/HEAR THE TRANSMISSION GOING THROUGH THE GEARS. THE TAKEOFF IS ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE. YOU CAN TELL THE ENGINE IS WORKING HARD. THE RPMS DON'T GO ABOVE THE DANGER ZONE BUT THEY DO RISE WHEN SWITCHING THROUGH THE GEARS. IT'S VERY LIKELY TO CAUSE A ACCIDENT ESPECIALLY ON THE INTERSTATE. THE CAR CANNOT GET OUT OF IT'S OWN WAY.

NHTSA ID

11184507

Incident

Mar 5, 2019

Mileage

77,300 mi

ATTEMPTED TO START VEHICLE WITH KEY IN IGNITION AND ALSO USING THE FACTORY INSTALLED WIRELESS REMOTE STARTER WHILE CAR WAS STATIONARY HOWEVER THE CAR WOULD NOT START INITIALLY. AFTER ANOTHER ATTEMPT OR TWO THE CAR DID START. ALSO, ON OCCASION AFTER CAR DOES FINALLY START, IT IMMEDIATELY TURNS BACK OFF. HAD CAR BATTERY TESTED WHICH THAT WAS NOT THE ISSUE. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE FOUND NOTHING WRONG HOWEVER WHILE THE CAR WAS SITTING IDLE WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND TURNED OFF WITH NO HUMAN INTERACTION, THE CAR ATTEMPTED TO START ITSELF 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. HE RECOMMENDED TAKING CAR TO THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP AND HAVING THEM REPROGRAM AND INSPECT THE REMOTE STARTER CONNECTION/PROGRAMMING. NOW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AS A NOTIFICATION AND THE ISSUE CONTINUES AFTER MUTIPLE DAYS OF REPEAT FAILED ATTEMPTS TO START WHETHER FROM ACTUAL KEY OR WIRELESS REMOTE START ATTEMPTS. WHETHER VEHICLE WAS LEFT INSIDE GARAGE OR OUTSIDE THE ISSUE IS STILL THE SAME, REGARDLESS OF TEMPERATURE.

NHTSA ID

11182052

Incident

Feb 18, 2019

Mileage

80,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET SONIC. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE IGNITION WOULD INADVERTENTLY START AND THE RPMS INCREASED VIOLENTLY. ALL THE INDICATORS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WERE ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH HERB JONES AUTO GROUP (1605 RING RD, ELIZABETHTOWN, KY 42701, (270) 765-2123). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND WAS NOT ABLE TO ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. THE VIN WAS INVALID.

NHTSA ID

11172563

Incident

Nov 1, 2018

Mileage

100,000 mi

AUTOMATICALLY STOPS

NHTSA ID

11128606

Incident

Sep 1, 2018

Mileage

9,000 mi

FIRST ISSUE WAS ELECTRICAL ISSUES (BAD LIGHTS, UNFUNCTIONING CONTROLS, AC ADAPTER WOULD NOT GIVE POWER, OUTSIDE LIGHTBULBS DO NOT LAST, HEADLAMP CONTROLS FELL APART, MIRROR CONRTROLS FELL OFF, VENT CONTROLS FELL APART. WHEN ELECTRIC WINDOW CONTROL STOPPS WORKING AND HISSES AND SMOKES WHEN ENGINE IS TURNED ON. I ALSO HAVE BEEN SHOCKED PAINFULLY WHEN TRYING TO GET THE AC ADAPTER TO WORK. NEXT CAME REPAIR OF THE IGNITION SWITCH.. I COULD NOT PASS STATE INSPECTION BECAUSE MY "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WAS ON. IN AUGUST 2017, CAR HAD ENGINE MISFIRE, WHICH COST ME REPAIR ON THE FUEL PUMP. A FEW DAYS AFTER THAT, THE BATTERY DIED AND I REPLACED IT. ONE WEEK LATER,, IT STARTED TO SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD AND THE CAR WAS OVERHEATING. THEN A FEW HOURS LATER, ELECTRIC WAS ON AND OFF BUT POWER TO VECHICLE STOPPED.. THIS ENDED UP BEING THE SERP. MAIN BELT. NEXT CAME THE IGNITION SWITCH. (NOVEMBWR 2017) EARLY 2018.. AC ADAPTER STOPPED WORKING AGAIN, AND IT WAS REPLACED. A C STOPPED BLOWING COLD AIR SPRING 2018, AND WITHIN WEEKS, THE WINDOW CONTROL FAILING AGAIN, I HAVE HAD HEAT STROKE TWICE. WINDOW CONTROL UNIT SMOKES AND HISSES WHEN I TURN ON ENGINE. WINDOW ALSO CRACKED WHILE DRIVING 55MPH. PLASTIC VENTS CRACKED OUTSIDE THERM FELL OFF & PLASTIC UNDERCARRIAGE COVER RIPPED B4 AIRCOND, FOLLOWED BY THE FAN. WHEN I BROUGHT CAR IN FOR AIRC, I WAS TOLD I NEEDED NEW REAR BRAKE PADS AND THE RADIATOR FAN AND COMPRESSOR.. THERE IS NO THERM FOR ENGINE. FIXED ONLY BRAKES. CAR THEN BEGAN TO OVERHEAT WHILE IN TRAFFIC. REPLACED RADIATOR FAN 2 WEEKS LATER. . STILL NEED NEW AC COMPRESSOR. WINDOW CONTROL BEGAN TO FAIL AGAIN NEXT. FIRST TIME WINDOW CONROL FAILED, BATTERY DIED SAME NIGHT, AND I HAD TO GET SERP. BELT AND NEW BATTERY. NEW BATTERY HAS ALREADY HAD TO BE JUMPED 3 TIMES, AND SEEMS AS THOUGH ENGINE MISFIRE IS BEGINNING AGAIN. PROBLEMS GOING UPHILL TODAY.. SLOW ACCELLERATION, UNSTEADY FUEL FLOW.

NHTSA ID

11128493

Incident

Jan 1, 2013

Mileage

47,000 mi

THE LIGHT MY ENGINE SHOWS AND IT ALWAYS SMELL LABOR KE OIL

NHTSA ID

11119432

Incident

Aug 4, 2018

AT 54,600 MILES IT WAS USING OIL AND SMOOKING OUT THE EXHAUST !! IN MOTION. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD A BAD CHECK VALVE AND INTAKE HAD TO BE REPLACED ,VERY COMMON ON THE 1.4 TURBO ENGINE AS I FOUND OUT BY GOOGLING THIS ISSUE ,NO UPDATE ON MANIFOLD SO THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN !!!

NHTSA ID

11109882

Incident

Mar 21, 2018

Mileage

54,800 mi

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 ID

11097345

Incident

Apr 22, 2018

Mileage

57,000 mi

COOLANT LEAK FROM WATER PUMP, APPLICABLE HOSES AND SURGE TANK. REPLACED WATER PUMP, SURGE TANK AND HOSE IN 2016. NEED TO REPLACE WATER PUMP, HOSES AND SURGE TANK AGAIN IN 2018. THERE IS ALSO AN ENGINE OIL LEAK YET TO BE IDENTIFIED. 1.8 L ENGINE.

NHTSA ID

11083798

Incident

Feb 23, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET SONIC. AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT PARKED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED SMOKE EMERGING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE BACK HOME (A MILE AWAY) AND NOTICED A LOT OF SMOKE EMERGING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE OIL COOLER COMPONENT AND LINES FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND THE PART TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000.

NHTSA ID

11071951

Incident

Dec 8, 2017

Mileage

145,000 mi