The 2016 Chevrolet Sonic has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 336,352 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 69 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 5, 2026.
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…
Consequence
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.
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…
Consequence
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.
Complaints by component
ENGINE
13
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
9
AIR BAGS
8
5crashes4injuries
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
8
1crashes1injuries
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
5
1crashes
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
3
POWER TRAIN
3
SUSPENSION
3
1crashes
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
2
1fires
SEATS
2
Total complaints69
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“This car overheated and a head gasket blew. I am on a facebook forum, and it seems like all of these cars have these problems. The chevy sonic ltz turbo 1.4 2016 is known for coolant issues and head gasket failures. My car only had 104,000 miles on it. It should last a lot longer than that, but…”
“The contact owns a 2016 chevrolet sonic. The contact stated that the driver's side door was stuck, and extra force was needed to open the door. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the power locks functioned as…”
“The contact owns a 2016 chevrolet sonic. The contact stated that the driver's side door was stuck, and extra force was needed to open the door. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the power locks functioned as…”
“The contact owns a 2016 chevrolet sonic. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle lost motive power. The esc and oil pressure warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it was…”
“The contact owns a 2016 chevrolet sonic. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle lost motive power. The esc and oil pressure warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it was…”
“My car lock and unlocks when I did not hit any buttons. The remote start does not work sometimes. The battery loses connection from time to time with a brand new battery. I own 2 of these cars and the same exact thing is happening. There needs to be a recall on this”
“My car lock and unlocks when I did not hit any buttons. The remote start does not work sometimes. The battery loses connection from time to time with a brand new battery.”
“The contact owns a 2016 chevrolet sonic. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would not properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact indicated that the rpms increased but the vehicle would not accelerate as needed. Additionally, while…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2016 Chevrolet Sonic as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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