2015 Chevrolet Sonic electrical system problems

Related recalls

• Recall 16V422000Jun 10, 201618,780 vehicles
  ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE · EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.

  General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Chevrolet Sonic and Trax, and 2013-2015 Spark vehicles equipped with a Bring Your Own Media radio. The affected radios may fail to provide an audible warning chime when the driver fails to fasten their seatbelt or if the driver leaves the key in the ignition. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 208 "Occupant Crash Protection" and 114 "Theft Protection."

  Risk: Without audible indicators, the driver may not fasten their seatbelt, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.

  Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The recall began on July 22, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 45340.

• Recall 16V257000Apr 28, 2016317,572 vehicles
  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."

  Risk: 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.

What owners say

1. Filed Sep 29, 202560,700 miAZElectrical System

   Odometer Fraud. The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact purchased the vehicle from a dealer in March 2024. The contact stated that when the vehicle was purchased, the odometer at 60,000, and the advertisement stated 60,000. The contact recently acquired the Carfax report, which indicated that in April 2015, the odometer reading was 15,073 miles. The Carfax report indicated that the odometer reading was reported in April 2024 at 60,700 miles. The dealer was made…

   NHTSA complaint #11690289 · source
2. Filed Oct 27, 2024NYElectrical SystemFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionOther / Unknown

   I have had this vehicle for three years now and no matter of the repairs I had done to it by machanics the check engind light continue to turn on and the vehicle has shut down on the road and I can't find out what the solution is. I am afraid to drive it.Also the mylink radio which has all the vehicle settings in it has malfunctioned. I cannot get to reset veichle settings. Vehicle will not turn over on the first key turn. The engine turns over on the third or forth turn and…

   NHTSA complaint #11622159 · source
3. Filed Oct 16, 2024NCElectrical System

   Right Hand Steering Wheel Controls Inoperative, Outside Ambient Temperature Reading on Radio Display Inoperative, inoperative rear vision camera gridlines, and Onstar Menu Screen is Not Showing When Pressing Onstar Button. Inoperable radio steering wheel control buttons increase driver distraction risk in reaching for the radio display. Absence of rear camera gridlines reduce driver guidance in reverse. Onstar menu not starting in case of need. Reported in existing GM…

   NHTSA complaint #11620044 · source
4. Filed Jan 3, 202480,000 miOHElectrical SystemOther / Unknown

   The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated the audible indicators for the driver's seat belt and the "Key Left in Ignition' was inoperable. The contactor also stated that the radio powered on independently, causing the driver to be startled due to the loud volume. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was diagnosed by the dealer, but not repaired. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number:…

   NHTSA complaint #11563279 · source
5. Filed Sep 21, 2023KYElectrical System

   First sign of problem - Sept. 2021. Driving on highway at about 35 mph. Simultaneously, engine quit running, door locks unlocked and all dash lights came. In a matter of less than a second the doors relocked, forward momentum of vehicle caused transmission to kick start the engine and jolt forward rather violently. Then the dash lights went off and the vehicle resumed normal operation. This continued to happen with increasing frequency. I took the vehicle to the local Chevy…

   NHTSA complaint #11545878 · source
6. Filed Jan 11, 202339,000 miGABody & StructureElectrical System

   The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that while the vehicle was turned on with the transmission in park(P), the doors would erroneously lock. On several occasions after parking and turning the vehicle off, moments later the vehicle would not restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who checked the battery but found no failure. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted. The…

   NHTSA complaint #11501197 · source
7. Filed Sep 9, 2022KSElectrical SystemEngine

   Once again, my doors unlocked then relocked, my dashboard lights went out and the engine stalled. I was on the KU campus when this happened 3 times within 6 blocks. This is getting very scary, especially when i am in a busy area of town. No codes have ever popped up. This has been happening since May 2022. I will keep reporting, hopefully there will be a recall soon. Very frustrated with this situation!

   NHTSA complaint #11483637 · source
8. Filed Sep 3, 2022KSElectrical System

   On September 2, 2022, the locks on my car unlocked and relived while I was driving at about 20 mph. This keeps happening over the last 4-5 months. This time it happened twice in two blocks near my home. I have reported this several times. No codes ever come up. Sometimes the car will stall but always starts right back up. I know I am not the only one with this issue. Please find a cause and issue a recall to get this fixed! This can be very dangerous even life threading if…

   NHTSA complaint #11482735 · source
9. Filed Sep 2, 2022KSElectrical SystemEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   3 times yesterday - September 1, 2022, my car locks unlocked then locked again and the engine stalled. Dash lights did not go off, but the car died 3 times in a matter of 10 minutes.

   NHTSA complaint #11482611 · source
10. Filed Sep 1, 2022KSBody & StructureElectrical System

    While driving, the locks on the car will unlock then relock quickly, the dash will go black and the motor will rev like I am trying to go in the Park position. This has happened several time in town where I live. Update from Aug 11, 2022The first time it happened I took it to the dealership and of course there were no codes and they couldn't find anything wrong. - [XXX], US INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

    NHTSA complaint #11482351 · source
11. Filed Jul 17, 2022IDElectrical SystemFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionOther / Unknown

    Dashboard speed indicator dimming and getting brighter for no reason. no warning lamps. Check engine lamp turned on then after fueling vehicle engine won't start, or won't shut off. Vehicle is an automatic transmission. A button must be engaged to put vehicle in park, drive, etc. The Button often sticks and keys cannot be removed because the transmission won't go in to park . On July 17 the button popped out while driving. This could have stranded myself or my family. The…

    NHTSA complaint #11474377 · source
12. Filed Jun 9, 2021167,000 miCAElectrical System

    The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the communication system failed to operate as designed. There were no warning chimes and the horn was disengaged. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with the radio software needing to be updated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 16V422000…

    NHTSA complaint #11420266 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology