2013 Chevrolet Sonic Owner Complaints

The contact owned a 2013 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that the vehicle had previously sustained undercarriage damage while driving at 20 MPH and hitting a pothole. The undercarriage was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle started to overheat. A coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled into the Walmart parking lot and parked the vehicle. An independent mechanic was notified of the failure. The contact stated that while the mechanic was towing the vehicle to the repair shop, the vehicle caught on fire. The mechanic pulled over to the side of the road. The incident occurred near the mechanic's shop. The contact stated that the workers of a nearby recreation center extinguished the fire with fire extinguishers. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location and was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The contact stated that the fire originated from the engine compartment. A police report was filed. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.

NHTSA ID

11709620

Incident

Oct 11, 2025

Mileage

134,000 mi

Vehicle enters into catalyst monitor too early. Monitor Fales indicating that the catalyst is below efficiency threshold. A vehicle is run for a significant amount of time before being allowed to enter the driving conditions for the catalyst monitor, monitor will pass. This indicates that there is a programming failure, not an actual component failure. Theory has been tested multiple times. Catalyst had also been tested by temperature sensor as well as by taking readings with a gas analyzer before and after the catalyst. Everything indicates the catalyst is well within operating parameters. Theories, test, and confirmations have been conducted by a certified technician and mechanical engineer.

NHTSA ID

11666137

Incident

May 8, 2025

On 7-27-2023 General Motors issued a recall on 2013 models of Sonic, my VIN was not included in this recall. However on 4-16-2025 my sonic was involved in a impact incident in which the air bags should have deployed, and did not. It is my opinion that Chevy, knowing of the issues with the model of car, should have issued a recall for my vehicle as well, but did not. As a result I suffered additional strain and injury during my impact as no airbags deployed.

NHTSA ID

11655253

Incident

Apr 16, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that upon turning off the vehicle, the ignition key remained stuck in the ignition switch. Additionally, the contact noticed that the gear shift indicator was indicating that the transmission was in park(P) and in drive(D) simultaneously. The contact stated that upon moving the gear shifter in and out of park(P) several times, and shifting back to park(P), the contact was able to release the key. The contact stated that the failure had recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the gear shifter was replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 126,419.

NHTSA ID

11651135

Incident

Mar 13, 2025

Mileage

126,419 mi

UNKNOWN. Our car caught fire but I'm not sure what actually caused it, it was in perfect working condition before. I saw articles online saying there was a voluntary recall due to faulty welding in the fuel tank so it could be that. I believe it's a dangerous defect and should be an official recall. My family and I almost lost our lives because of it

NHTSA ID

11640190

Incident

Feb 1, 2025

The Sonic rear ended a stationary vehicle going close to 50mph. No airbags deployed.

NHTSA ID

11632221

Incident

Nov 19, 2024

Unable to shift to park from drive due to internal mechanism broke.

NHTSA ID

11626964

Incident

Nov 23, 2024

Was driving in heavy rain when car suddenly cut power and decelerated showed code 84 and the CEL came back with P2138. It is a known issue that rain gets up into the connector and causes a malfunction.

NHTSA ID

11603878

Incident

Jul 22, 2024

Last week when I was driving my car on the street, and wanted to make a left the steering wheel was very hard to turn. And the next day It happened again , steering hard to turn and it’s been intermittent but not driving my car right now, thanks for your attention

NHTSA ID

11585587

Incident

Apr 20, 2024

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that there was fluid leaking from underneath the hood. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a water pump and the thermostat housing failure. The contact discovered Technical Service Bulletin: 14371B; however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11585004

Incident

Mar 24, 2024

Car accident November 3, 2023. A dear ran in front car while traveling 55mps. As the impact took place causing front and of the car to be smashed Air bags in the car did not deployed. Causing head to hit steering wheel.

NHTSA ID

11553681

Incident

Nov 3, 2023

Mileage

112,401 mi

2013 Chevrolet Sonic 1.8 L , fuel system lean ,mass airflow sensor, in limp mode preventing acceleration, gas tank when added gas....shuts down after start up-fuel system/gasoline; may cause possible fuel leak and could combust, alarm system and locks don't properly function - electric system equipment, insufficient welds...around fuel tank and front of vehicle on bottom by driver's side could also cause combustion, bcm codes that came up were communication, electrical, fuel, windows, and airbags! AutoZone codes were po171 and co561-77,I looked up recalls , several came up for my make and model but weren't specific to my vin# however my vehicle is doing everything pertaining to them! And I looked up if there was any special coverage on it and said there is...before 120k miles or ten years time. And I was never notified of it & never received anything in the mail ...

NHTSA ID

11549029

Incident

Nov 9, 2022

Car was taken to a mechanic. The diagnosis is that the 16186 Catalytic Converter Internal Damage. This forces the car to keep stalling. Upon further research, certain models had this recall. I called GM and they said my car is not one of the ones that had the recall how ever it has the same failure that the other recalls do.

NHTSA ID

11508590

Incident

Jan 30, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the rear windshield suddenly imploded, causing glass shards to be propelled inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that it sounded as if a shotgun had been fired. As a result of the implosion, the contact sustained injuries to the left eye. The contact sought medical attention. The contact stated that there was an abnormal electrical humming sound coming from the rear windshield prior to the failure. The contact stated that the defroster was not activated at the time of the failure. The contact stated that there was prior electrical shortage failures with the vehicle. Additionally, there was melted solder present at the rear window defroster electrical connection. An unknown local dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The contact stated that he had a Police Report for the failure. The contact stated that a field investigator was sent to the residence to inspect the vehicle; however, the cause of the failure was undetermined. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 125,000.

NHTSA ID

11498949

Incident

Dec 10, 2022

Mileage

125,000 mi

My Odometer miles was erased about 9 months ago and I cannot retrieve it. A Chevy dealership associate looked at it this week (October 31, 2022) and manually could not recover the miles. A GM parts online website suggested it could be a speed sensor (blown fuse) or dash cluster. To diagnose the problem, the dealership wants to perform a diagnostic which costs $120-140 plus parts and labor. This is unjustified: GM and dealerships should be aware of this problem since it is prevalent in Chevy Sonics. GM should back this repair either partially or fully.

NHTSA ID

11491853

Incident

Mar 20, 2022

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, she heard abnormal knocking sounds coming from the rear wheels of the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that she heard clicking sounds while making turns. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact drove to her residence and parked the vehicle. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ID

11487116

Incident

Jun 29, 2021

Mileage

150,000 mi

I purchased a 2013 Chevy Sonic in October 2021.it has been in the repair shop twice since then. They replaced a sensor that it probably didn’t need. Now they tell me that it needs a new catalytic converter.. I have a warranty on this car . Please help ! [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID

11472025

Incident

Jul 1, 2022

The air conditioner instead of blowing cold air, it blows hot air. I have taken it from Miami to a 3rd party mechanic where it did not helped much. Nobody knew what was the problem. I move to Texas and in summer over 100 degrees and having a baby sweat is not good. The temperature as “weather shows -15 degrees. When right now is 99 degrees at 7:10 am central time

NHTSA ID

11471087

Incident

Jun 6, 2022

Multiple parts in my engine have malfunctioned in the past year, the most recent being a tube bursting and getting coolant everywhere. Other problems have been with valves, temperature gauges and even the radiator. It’s like something new breaks every month. I have had every issue fixed and usually I don’t get a warning lamp until I’m broken down on the side of the road.

NHTSA ID

11469507

Incident

Jun 15, 2022

Boniface hiers Chevrolet dealer in Melbourne Florida said they did a full inspection before selling this vehicle. 2 days later after purchase the Radiator fan stop working even tho they put a new one, missing thermostat, code 3rd gear malfunction.

NHTSA ID

11463776

Incident

May 6, 2022

My car is a lemon , brought from Arizona and they sold me a car that has a rusted chassis so if repairs are needed I will have to spend more money to get fixed because things are very fragile because everything is rusted and then I’m lease the car for a price a car isn’t worth for .

NHTSA ID

11450536

Incident

Feb 4, 2022

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that the button on the gear shifter would not release while shifting between gears. Due to the failure, the key would remain stuck in the ignition due to the defective gear shifter button. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was given a diagnostic fee; the contact declined to pay for the diagnostic. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and informed her that the matter would be escalated to a senior manager. The contact had not heard back from the manufacturer. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. The contact stated that the issue has been repaired.

NHTSA ID

11445304

Incident

Aug 1, 2020

On Tuesday, September 27 at 10:25 AM, I was driving to pickup medication for my dog. I was less than 5 miles away from my home. As I pulled up to park, I slowed down and turned into the nearest parking stall. As I set the automatic shifter to Park, the car came out of park and shifted gears into Drive; mounting the curb. I hit the brake but the car continued to move forward. When I went to pull on my Emergency brake, the car hit the side of the building. As soon as I hit the building, I was able to regain control of the car and turn the ignition off. Gratefully, no one was hurt.

NHTSA ID

11434745

Incident

Sep 28, 2021

At around 45,600 miles the Odometer and Trip Meter on my 2013 Sonic stopped displaying numbers and instead shows just 3 dashes. Disconnecting the car's battery for 30 mins, reconnecting, and starting the car displays the mileage for a few seconds and then returns to the ---. Same happens when pulling the fuse for the gauge cluster; the mileage is displayed for a few seconds and then returns to the ---. Attempting to reset the Trip Meter results in the normal 'beep' but numbers are not displayed. Brought the car to the dealership and since the vehicle is out of warranty they want a nonrefundable deposit of $700 just to diagnose, parts and labor would be an additional bill on top of that. Ridiculous. Since this is likely a computer issue it's beyond the scope of work that can be performed by my trusted local garage and as a result I have not had the issued corrected. This should be a GM recall.

NHTSA ID

11423818

Incident

Jun 4, 2021

THE BUTTON IN THE SHIFT STICK GET STUCK AND DOESN'T COME BACK, KEY GETS STUCK AND I STRUGGLE TO GET THEM OUT OF THE IGNITION. THIS IS HAPPENING SINCE OCTOBER 2020 FROM NOW. ONE DAY THE BUTTON GOT STUCK AND WAS HARD TO MAKE IT COME BACK THAT I CONSIDERED LEAVING MY CAR WITH THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION, BUT I WORKED SO HARD TO GET IT UNSTUCK FOR A GOOD TIME AND I SUCCEEDED. THE BAD THING IT THAT I DOESN'T LOOK TO IMPROVE. IT HAPPES EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE IS PARKED AND I'M ABOUT TO LEAVE IT.

NHTSA ID

11395214

Incident

Jan 6, 2021