Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 37 safety complaints
about the 2017 Chevrolet Sonic with the US government. Of those, 6 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 4 people were injured and no death is recorded. No recall campaign has been matched to this year, make and model.
The most complained-about system is the engine,
named in 19 complaints, 51% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 42,800 miles,
the median across the 21
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers October 2016 to April 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
37 complaints on file
37
Complaints
6
Describe a crash
1
Mention fire
4
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not
the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production
ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 19 · 51%
19 51%
AIR BAGS 6 · 16%
6 16%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5 · 14%
5 14%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 · 11%
4 11%
STEERING 4 · 11%
4 11%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 · 11%
4 11%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 4 · 11%
4 11%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 3 · 8%
3 8%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 · 8%
3 8%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 5%
2 5%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 · 3%
1 3%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 · 3%
1 3%
0815
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 37.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2020 at 7.
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2016 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2017 Chevrolet SONIC, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
4 DR FWD
5 DR FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover
12.6%
12.6%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed.
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed · 55,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2017 CHEVROLET SONIC. WHILE DRIVING OUT OF A PARKING LOT AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A POLE WITHOUT WARNING. ALL THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED CHEMICAL BURNS FROM THE AIR BAGS THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. THE DEALER WAS NOT CALLED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,000.
NHTSA complaint 11101714. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed · 4,500 miles
WHILE DRIVING TO WORK WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS MY DAUGHTER HAD AN ACCIDENT A FEW DAYS AGO INVOLVING A REAR END COLLISION WITH A FOUR WHEEL DRIVE PICKUP. SHE DIDN'T NOTICE THE CARS IN FRONT HAD STOPPED SUDDENLY AND HIT THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF HER. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS THAT HER FRONT PROXIMITY SIGNAL DIDN'T SOUND OFF WARNING SHE WAS TOO CLOSE AND AFTER THE IMPACT HER AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT LEASTT 35 MPH. I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR HER SAFETY WITH THE CAR NOW AND IF IT'S REPAIRABLE WE WILL STILL SELL AS MY CONFIDENCE IN THE VEHICLE'S SAFETY IS GONE
NHTSA complaint 11111313. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed · 120,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being driven at approximately 30 mph, the driver crashed into a parked vehicle. During the crash, the front end of the vehicle was severely damaged but the air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained a head laceration and right and left knee injuries which required medical treatment. A police report was taken at the scene. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet notified. The failure mileage was 120,000.
NHTSA complaint 11472334. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that, while driving at 40 MPH, another vehicle failed to yield at a stop sign. As a result, the contact was unable to stop in time and collided with the driver's side B Pillar center region of the other vehicle. The air bags did deploy, which the contact held responsible for the injuries she sustained. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The contact reported sustaining injuries to her head and face, which she characterized as a bubble on her forehead, as well as bruising to the …
NHTSA complaint 11697488, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Oil cooling system has been replaced. Major leak in AC line needs replacement. Purge solenoid stop functioning and was replaced, now there is an additional major coolant leak
NHTSA complaint 11732795. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
55,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the engine made an abnormally rough sound, the transmission failed to shift as intended, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact exited the highway and continued to drive at slower speeds. The vehicle was taken to an Auto Zone, where it was diagnosed with turbo charger failure. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired, and the failure persisted. The vehicle was driven but was no longer driven on the highway. …
NHTSA complaint 11716327, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Multiple attempts to fix camshaft/ camshaft position sensor. Causes car to decelerate at high speeds. Shaking while at high speeds
NHTSA complaint 11681189. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
I have replaced the same part now 4 times. I have multiple receipts. Cause the car the shut off or slow down while on the highway.
NHTSA complaint 11646466. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
In June of 2023 I was driving my vehicle and suddenly the Traction Control, power steering and check engine light came on. I was able to get the vehicle safely home without the use of the power steering. Once I shut the vehicle off, it would not start again. I got the vehicle to my local dealership and they diagnosed it as one of the main wire harnesses was rubbing against a bolt near the battery, which is a known issue, and caused an electrical short in the system. It caused the ECU and electronic power steering to short out. They replaced the ECU, but have not been able to replace the eletronic power steering because it's no longer being manufactured. The vehicle at the time of incident …
NHTSA complaint 11603088, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's
lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, no campaign on file for this vehicle.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst