The Lemon Index

All cars · Chevrolet Sonic · 2015

2015 Chevrolet Sonic. Advanced data.

The raw numbers: engines, recall campaign numbers, failure mileage and manufacturer communications.

Lemon Index68100 = average car
Complaints50NHTSA, first 3 years
Sold64,775U.S. model year
Per 100K sold77complaints
Year rank#5 of 7#1 = fewest complaints

Engines and drivetrains 4

EngineTransmissionDriveCity / hwy / combinedFuelFuel cost/yr
1.4L 4-cyl turboManual 6-spdFWD28 / 38 / 32Regular$1,950
1.4L 4-cyl turboAuto (S6)FWD27 / 36 / 30Regular$2,100
1.8L 4-cylManual 5-spdFWD26 / 34 / 29Regular$2,150
1.8L 4-cylAuto (S6)FWD24 / 34 / 28Regular$2,200

EPA test versions for this model year. Fuel cost is the EPA's current estimate, not the price in that year.

Failure mileage by system

Half of owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 9,000 and 65,000 miles. Median 35,000, from 79 complaints with a mileage.

SystemMedianMiddle halfComplaints
Electrical50,00034,600–79,00023
Airbags28,7003,200–48,00019
Engine38,50010,000–92,50014
Transmission & drivetrain39,00022,500–66,1008
Steering37,5002,200–91,0006

Mileage owners typed into their NHTSA complaint, all complaints for this model year. People report some problems late, so read it as a range.

Complaints by system

SystemShare of complaints
Airbags32%
Electrical16%
Transmission & drivetrain12%
Steering8%
Engine8%

One complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add to more than 100%.

Severity, all complaints

TotalCrashesFiresInjuriesDeathsTows
11415311113

As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.

Recall campaigns 3

  • 16V422000 Jun 2016 Electrical System / Software

    Defect. 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.

  • 16V257000 Apr 2016 Equipment / Electrical / Radio/Tape Deck/Cd Etc.

    Defect. 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.

  • 15V416000 Jun 2015 Equipment / Electrical / Radio/Tape Deck/Cd Etc.

    Defect. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Spark vehicles manufactured April 30, 2014, to May 20, 2015, and 2015 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured June 18, 2014, to June 10, 2015. In the affected vehicles, equipped with the base radio and OnStar, the radio may lock up due to a software issue, causing the display to go blank and all audio functions to cease. Because of this, there may be no warning chimes such as the reminder to buckle the seat belt and the key being left in ignition when the driver goes to exit the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail t

    Risk. Without audible indicators, the driver may leave the key in the ignition, increasing the risk of theft. If a driver or front passenger does not buckle their seat belt, there would be no chime to remind them to fasten their seat belts. If a driver or passenger does not buckle their seat belt there is an increased risk that they will be injured in a crash.

    Remedy. GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The recall began on August 11, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15504.

Manufacturer communications 1332

Chevy filed 1332 service communications for this car with NHTSA.

  • Buick/cadillac/ gmc/ chevrolet: see document search button for owner letter
  • Tsb contains an owner's notification letter

Crash ratings by version

VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
Chevrolet Sonic 5 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆
Chevrolet Sonic 4 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆

Safety equipment

Electronic stabilityForward collision warningLane departure warning
StandardOptionalOptional

Nearby model years

YearLemon IndexComplaintsSoldTop system
201215316697,025Transmission & drivetrain
20139210285,646Electrical
2014535493,518Electrical
2015685064,775Airbags
2016432555,255Airbags
2017492030,290Engine
201837920,613Electrical

Sources: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications; EPA fuel economy data; YouTube video titles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.

Updated

Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Get the data