Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2013 Chevrolet Sonic submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
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
MY SONIC HAD THE SAME ISSUE AS NHTSA RECALL NO. : 19E-064, MANUFACTURER RECALL NO. : N192223230. EXCEPT, IT HAPPENED WHEN I REACHED TO USE THE WIPERS RATHER THAN HITTING THE KEY FOB WITH MY LEG. I REACHED TO USE THE WIPERS AND MY ARM HIT THE KEY FOB, KNOCKING IT INTO THE NEXT POSITION, TURNING OFF THE ENGINE. IT COULD HAVE JUST AS EASILY MOVED OVER ONE MORE AND LOCKED THE STEERING. THE RECALL WAS DONE ON THE CAMARO'S, SO WHY WASN'T IT DONE ON ANY OTHER VEHICLE USING THE SAME KEY FOB AND IGNITION REPLACEMENT? WAS IT BECAUSE THE CAMARO'S PRICE IS 4 TIMES THE PRICE OF A SONIC? ARE CAMARO DRIVERS MORE VALUABLE THAN SONIC DRIVERS? THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT INCLUDING THE CAMARO RECALL, BUT NOT THE SONIC. HTTPS://WWW.GMIGNITIONSWITCHECONOMICSETTLEMENT.COM/ I REPORTED THIS BACK IN 2014, AND NEVER HEARD A WORD ABOUT IT.
THE FUEL GAUGE IS NOT RUNNING RIGHT I HAD TO PUT STUFF IN TO CLEAN IT OUT THEN IT STILL DRINK THE GAS SO MUCH NO LEEK OR HOLES BUT THE CAR DRINKS SO MUCH GAS I HAVE TO FILL IT UP AT LEAST 2 TO 3 TIME IN 2 WEEKS SO THE STEERING IS BAD ON IT AS WELL WHEN U TAKE YOUR HAND OFF THE WHEEL IT WANTS TO THE RIGHT ON IT'S OWN IT DOSE NOT DRIVE STRAIGHT WHEN U TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF THE STEERING WHEEL IT SUCKS U GUYS NEED TO LOOK AT THIS BEFORE SOMEONE GET KILLED FROM THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE GAS LINE ASAP
2013 SONIC LS -FROM THE START, THE AIR CONDITIONER DOESN'T WORK, THE CAR WAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY SWAYS UNCONTROLLABLY BUT SEEMS LIKE WIND AT FIRST BUT THERE'S NO WIND. IT STARTED JERKING AND HESITATING, LIGHTS AND RADIO FLICKERING, WHEN IN MOTION IN FREEWAY, CAR STARTED GETTING HOT BUT NOT ALL THE WAY OVER HEATING PULLED OVER THEN THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED IN THE TURN TO PULL OVER, WHEN STOPPED, THE CAR RPM STARTED REVVING BUT CAR WASN'T GOING NOWHERE, THEN TURNED THE CAR OFF AFTER PUTTING IN PARK AND AND THE KEY WON'T COME OUT OF THE IGNITION...AFTER WIGGLING THE KEY FOR A FEW MINUTES IT RELEASED. TOWED THE CAR TO FRIENDLIES AUTO REPAIR SHOP AND TOLD THEM EVERYTHING THAT WAS HAPPENING THEY SAID THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE RATIATOR FOR $1400.00 AND WE PAID IT. HOWEVER THE CAR IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING AND THE RADIATIR DIDNT FIX ANYTHING WE SEEN AS BEING WRONG. NOW THEY SAID IT'S THE COMPRESSOR BUT WE DON'T HAVE ADDITIONAL MONEY TO CONTINUE FIXING. I READ ONLINE OTHERS WITH THIS CAR ARE HAVING SIMILAR ISSUES.
THE INDICATIOR LIGHT FOR LOW TIRE PRESSURE COMES ON BUT NO WARNING CHIME IS HEARED. THIS CAN BE VERY BAD WHEN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. THE TIRE WAS LOOSING PRESSURE WITHOUT ME KNOWING AND I HAD NO CLUE UNTIL THE VEHICLE RAN OFF THE ROAD DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO CONTROL IT. THE CHIME NEVER WENT OFF. SAME WITH AN OVER HEATING ISSUE THE LIGHT CAME ON BUT I DID NOT KNOW IT WAS OVER HEATING UNTIL IT STATED SHAVING AND STEAMING AND I LOOKED AT THE DASH TO SEE THE LIGHT ON.
KEY STICKS IN THE IGNITION, UNABLE TO REMOVE WHEN IN PARK POSITION. I WORK A DANGEROUS JOB IN BAD AREAS AND CANNOT DEPEND ON THE KEY BEING RELEASED FROM THE SWITCH AFTER PARKING. WHATCH PUTS ME IN A AWKWARD SITUATION IN REGARDS TO SAFETY.
TAKATA RECALL, MY CAR HAS BEEN HIT IN THE FRONT END 3 TIMES AND THE LAST TIME WAS A HARD HIT, NONE OF THE TIMES HAVE I HAD AN AIRBAG COME OUT.
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. NOW THE WARNING LIGHT OF OVER HEATING COME ON EVERYTIME I HAVE TO STILL IN TRAFFIC ON MY WAY HOME OR DRIVING FOR A OVER AN HOUR, HAVE TO TURN THE HEATER ON, ON HIGH TO GET THE LIGHT AND WARNING BEEPING TO STOP. IT'S ALREADY 90, BUT IF I DON'T THE CAR START SHAKING. THE REASON I BOUGHT A NEWER CAR WAS TO NOT HAVE TO PUT IT ON THE SHOP EVERY 4 MONTHS. SO NO HORN, CRUISE CONTROL, NOT SURE IF AIR BAG WORK ON PASSENGER SIDE AND TO TOP IT OFF HAVE TO RIDE WITH THE HEAT ON WHILE IT'S 90OUTSIDE TO MAKE IT HOME SAFE, ,(I THINK,,).. I CALL GM CUSTOMER SERVICES OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND THEY TELL ME THERE IS NOT OTHER PROBLEMS WITH OTHER CARS. MY WARRANTY IS EXPIRED. SO IT'S ON ME.
FAULTY COMPUTER/RECALLS I PURCHASED THE USED VEHICLE 2 YEARS AGO AND A MONTH AFTER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS BACK TO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES TO FIX, BUT IT KEEPS HAPPENING. IT IS NOT AN ISSUE WITH MY ENGINE, BUT RATHER THE COMPUTER. BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY COMPUTER ISSUE, IT HAS CAUSED OTHER ISSUES IN MY CAR, INCLUDING FAULTY READING AND MY INABILITY TO KNOW IF SOMETHING DANGEROUS ACTUALLY WAS OCCURRING IN MY VEHICLE. I AM VERY FRUSTRATED, BECAUSE THIS KEEPS HAPPENING AND EACH YEAR I HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE TO GET MY CAR INSPECTED.
CAR IS COMPLETELY UNSAFE AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE STEERING IS WAY TO TOUCHY ANY SLIGHT MOVEMENT AND THE CAR IS ALL OVER THE PLACE. THE CAR DOESN'T STAY IN A STRAIGHT LINE IT EITHER GOES RIGHT OR LEFT. ALIGNMENT CHECK DONE EVERYTHING IS GREAT AND GOT NEW TIRES. I'M PART OF THE SONIC OWNERS FORUM AND THIS ISSUE ISN'T EVERY SONIC IT DOES SEEM TO BE VERY WIDESPREAD THOUGH AS YOU CAN JUST CHECK THE LEMON LAW WEBSITE. SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THIS ELECTRIC POWER STEERING DON'T KNOW WHY THEY SWITCHED FROM HYDRAULIC. THESE SYSTEMS ARE UNSAFE AND FAILURE PRONE. I CAN'T KEEP THE CAR IN A STRAIGHT LINE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS BUT AT NORMAL SPEEDS IT'S A LOT EASIER TO KEEP IT STRAIGHT BUT SOMETIMES IT DOES WANDER A TINY BIT. PEOPLE PROBABLY THINK I'M INTOXICATED BECAUSE I'M WANDERING AND TRYING TO KEEP THE CAR IN A STRAIGHT LINE.
IN 2014 WHEN THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY...THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES AND THE ISSUE WAS CAR APPLIED BRAKES AUTOMATICALLY WHEN TURNING CERTAIN CORNERS...THE ISSUE WAS NEVER FIXED AND COMPLAINTS WERE FILED WITH GM FOR RECORD PURPOSES IN CASE OF AN INCIDENT AND AS AN ATTEMPT TO GET CAR FIXED....WHILE THIS IS NOT THE EXACT PROBLEM OCCURRING AT THE PRESENT TIME...IT IS A STEERING TYPE PROBLEM...NOW THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT AND MOMENTARILY COMES BACK ON.
WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVE WAY MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. THE POWER TO THE CAR WAS ON BUT THE POWER STEERING WOULD NOT WORK. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS HAD MY CAR FOR 3 MONTHS AND WILL NOT RELEASE IT BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN DECLARED UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE DEALERSHIP PUT ME IN A RENTAL CAR AND I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THEM SINCE. NO ONE WILL RETURN MY CALLS OR ANSWER MY QUESTIONS. *TR
I HAD THIS CAR AS A RENTAL. WHILE DOING SOMETHING WITH THE RADIO, I SOMEHOW HIT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THE KEY THEN TURNED TO THE LEFT CAUSING THE ENGINE TO TURN OFF. IN THE SPAN OF A DAY. I DID THIS 3 TIMES. ONCE WAS WHILE MAKING A WIDE TURN ONTO A FREEWAY. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS BEHIND ME WHEN I HAD TO SUDDENLY STOP TO RESTART THE CAR. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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