Your vehicle report
2014 Chevrolet Sonic
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 150
- Received Apr 2014 to Sep 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Ignition key sticks or will not turn12 complaints · 8.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Gear shifter fails to register Park12 complaints · 8.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbag warning light stays on8 complaints · 5.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #16V257000General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Chevrolet Sonic and Trax vehicles and 2013-2015 Chevrolet Spark vehicles equipped with a Bring Your Own Media radio. The affected radios may fail to provide an audible warning chime when the driver, after turning off the ignition and leaving the key in the cylinder, waits 10 minutes or longer to open the door. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114 "Theft Protection."
- Recall #14V543000General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured July 28, 2014, to August 1, 2014. Due to a loss of electrical connection in the steering column, in the event of a severe crash, the driver's frontal air bag deployment may be limited to the first-stage deployment only instead of the intended first-stage and second-stage deployments.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 11 crashes, 4 fires, 9 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 14 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
- Airbag warning light stays on
- Airbags fail to deploy in crashes
- Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off
1 more problem
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 13 |
| 2015 | 14 |
| 2016 | 14 |
| 2017 | 13 |
| 2018 | 33 |
| 2019 | 24 |
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 8 |
| 2022 | 6 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 4 |
| Total | 150 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 12 | 8.0% | – | |
| Gear shifter fails to register Park | 12 | 8.0% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 8 | 5.3% | – | NHTSA recall #14V543000 |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 7 | 4.7% | – | NHTSA recall #14V543000 |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 7 | 4.7% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 7 | 4.7% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 6 | 4.0% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 6 | 4.0% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 6 | 4.0% | – | |
| Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off | 5 | 3.3% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 5 | 3.3% | – | |
| Chevrolet Silverado loses power and hesitates | 4 | 2.7% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 2.0% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 3 | 2.0% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #16V257000April 28, 2016317,572 vehicles affected
electrical system: software; equipment: electrical: radio/tape deck/cd etc.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Chevrolet Sonic and Trax vehicles and 2013-2015 Chevrolet Spark vehicles equipped with a Bring Your Own Media radio. The affected radios may fail to provide an audible warning chime when the driver, after turning off the ignition and leaving the key in the cylinder, waits 10 minutes or longer to open the door. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114 "Theft Protection."
Without audible indicators, the driver may leave the key in the ignition, increasing the risk of theft.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17130.
NHTSA recall #14V543000September 9, 2014304 vehicles affected
air bags
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured July 28, 2014, to August 1, 2014. Due to a loss of electrical connection in the steering column, in the event of a severe crash, the driver's frontal air bag deployment may be limited to the first-stage deployment only instead of the intended first-stage and second-stage deployments.
If only the first-stage of the driver's frontal air bag deploys without the additional second-stage, the driver has an increased risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will test the terminals in the IP harness clock spring coil connector and replace any loose terminals, free of charge. The recall began in October 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14537.
NHTSA recall #14V417000July 2, 20142,990 vehicles affected
equipment: electrical
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore all-wheel-drive vehicles manufactured August 23, 2012, to September 9, 2013; Verano vehicles manufactured August 8, 2012, to June 20, 2013; Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured August 7, 2012, to August 16, 2013, and 2012-2014 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured May 10, 2011, to August 16, 2012 equipped with a Calix oil pan/block heater. In cold temperatures, the insulation on the engine block heater cord can become damaged, allowing the wires to be exposed.
Exposed wires increase the risk of electrical shock and personal injury if the cord is handled while it is plugged in.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine oil pan/block heater cord with a new cord that is rated for temperatures of minus 40 degree Celsius. The recall began in August 2014. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14257.
NHTSA recall #13V464000September 26, 20131,558 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: mounting
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured August 2, 2013, through August 12, 2013. Due to insufficient welds, the front fuel tank strap bracket may separate from the vehicle.
If the front fuel tank strap bracket separates, the increased load may lead to the failure of the other tank support. As a result, the fuel tank may come loose from the vehicle causing a fuel leak. A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, may result in a fire.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front fuel tank strap bracket, and repair it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on November 7, 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13296.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2014 Chevrolet Sonic.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN