Chevrolet · Sonic · 2018
1
Recall
14
Complaints
5/5
Safety Rating
The 2018 Chevrolet Sonic has 1 recall and 14 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Overall safety rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Most reported issue: electrical system (2 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
Overall Frontal Rating
Driver and Passenger Assessment
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Overall Side Rating
Side Barrier and Side Pole Tests
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Rollover Resistance
12.6% rollover risk in single-vehicle crash
Safety Features
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. A joint in the driver's seat-back frame may not be properly welded, reducing the strength of the seat-back frame.
Remedy Status
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat-back, free of charge. The recall began June 28, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18178.
Dear GM Executive Office, I am writing in frustration and disappointment after being told today by Chevrolet Customer Assistance that the case I opened (Case # [XXX]) was simply a "dealer complaint" and that no further help would be offered - despite my vehicle exhibiting a recurring, safety-related malfunction covered under Special Coverage N232395330 - Turbocharger Replacement. To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally request a resolution regarding a recurring and unresolved issue with my son’s 2018 Chevrolet Sonic Premier (Turbocharged engine), VIN: [XXX] This past January we brought the vehicle to Ziegler Buick GMC of Lincolnwood an authorized due to overheating and a warning light. We paid $210 for a diagnosis and an additional $520 for a repair, totaling $730. The only action taken was the replacement of the coolant reservoir. The issue was not fully diagnosed, and the root cause was not addressed. On [XXX], the same issue has returned: Red heat warning light illuminated after less than one mile of driving. Coolant reservoir nearly empty upon inspection. Engine went into reduced power (“limp mode”). Scanner showed only a low coolant level but no additional actionable codes. Vehicle also displayed a change oil warning, likely triggered by overheating. This vehicle has a known history of turbocharger and coolant system defects, which have been acknowledged in GM technical service bulletins and Customer Satisfaction Programs. I have reason to believe this situation qualifies for one of those programs. Despite paying $730 for a prior repair, the vehicle is now exhibiting the same safety-related malfunction, putting my son at risk of engine damage and breakdown. We have also taken the car to Mike Anderson Chevrolet twice for inspection and they reported finding nothing. I am respectfully requesting the following: A thorough inspection and diagnosis of the entire cooling system and turbocharger INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine was idling roughly. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of fuel. The contact stated that the canister purge valve had previously been replaced, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the canister purge valve needed to be replaced a second time. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
The has as well as mileage is not accurate and it constantly changes even while not driving which is adding more miles to car than actually is and you will never know how much gas you have in car truly which is safety concern especially if you are driving on interstate and can’t tell how much gas you have in car and suddenly run out of gas while other are behind you going 70 mph which can cause a wreck
MY RADIO TURNS OFF AND ON, ON ITS OWN. ALSO WHEN I HAVE MY BLUETOOTH TURNED ON FOR MY PHONE, IT GETS STUCK AFTER I HANG UP THE PHONE AFTER A CALL. I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON A STATE ROAD. MY RIGHT WHEEL BEARING WENT OUT AND I HAD TO REPLACE IT LAST YEAR.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that while a 95-pound passenger was seated in the front passenger’s seat, the air bag system was deactivated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine a failure and indicated no failure was found. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The failure mileage was 15,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that operating the vehicle, the front driver side seat would erroneously slide forward causing the driver's knees to make contact with the dash panel. In addition, while driving at various speeds the vehicle had suddenly stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the electronic control unit hardware was faulty. Also, the emergency brake cable was hanging low to the ground under the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failures. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 28,000.
TODAY I'M WRITING IN BEHALF OF CARITE OF OAKLAND PARK I HAD A EMAIL CHAT WITH BRIAN MCCOY THE BRANCH OWNER OF THE COMPANY, I WAS TOLD BY HIM THAT THE CAR WAS PUT IN AS REPO STATUS, DUE TO ME GIVING THE CAR BACK. I FEEL MY LIFE WAS PUT IN DANGER NUMEROUS OF TIMES AND DUE TO THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE COMPANY I WAS NOT GIVEN A RELIABLE VEHICLE NOR WAS I TREATED AS A VALUED CUSTOMER... GOOD DAY, I'VE MADE ALL ATTEMPTS REGARDING THIS SITUATION WITH CARITE I'M THE TIME ALLOWED.. I'M REQUESTING A FULL REFUND OF MY MONEY I'VE MADE IT CLEAR AND I DON'T WANT NOTHING ELSE FROM THESE PEOPLE AT THIS COMPANY. I'VE TOLD THE OWNER NOT TO HAVE THE CAR DELIVERED ON TODAY 2/8/20 HE STILL INSIST THE DRIVER GREG TO DO SO, I'VE REJECTED TO RECEIVE THE VEHICLE INSTEAD OF HONORING MY REQUEST I'M GETTING PHONE CALLS FROM OTHER PARTIES AT CARITE I GUESS TO RECONSIDER! NO, I WANT MY MONEY MY LIFE WILL NOT BE IN DANGER DUE TO THEY'RE NEGLIGENCE.. THANK YOU,THE ITEMS SUBMITTED ARE RECEIPTS OF PAYMENTS ALSO, THE DAY OF 1/20/20 I DROVE TO FORT LAUDERDALE ON THE ACCEPT ION OF GETTING THE AC REPAIRED AND THE WINDSHIELD. NOTHING TOOK PLACE FOR BEING THERE FOR 6 HOURS ONLY TO HEAD BACK HOME EXHAUSTED�� AND TO FINALLY GET 50 MILES HOME THE CAR STARTED TO BLOW WHITE EXHAUST FROM THE VENTS, I IMMEDIATELY CALLED CARITE AND SPOKE WITH KIM, WHO'S IN RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE. I TOLD HER WHAT WAS GOING ON AND THAT I'VE HAD ENOUGH. I GET HOME, WAKE UP THE NEXT DAY TO GO TO A DR APPOINTMENT ONLY FOR THE CAR TO NOT STAR! I LIFT THE HOOD SO MY NEIGHBOR COULD GIVE ME A JUMP AND THIS IS WHAT I FIND UNDER THE HOOD.. ( THE PLIERS NEXT TO THE BATTERY THAT WAS LEFT THERE AND I DROVE HOME WITH IT ON THE CAR THAT'S ALONE IT'S ENOUGH PUTS MY LIFE IN DANGER...
THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT DOES NOT CLIP OR WILL COME UNDONE AT ANY GIVEN TIME. I MADE THE DEALERSHIP AWARE OF THE CONCERN WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 39,000 MILES. THEY STATED THAT SINCE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY IT DID NOT QUALIFY FOR PRODUCTION DEFECT. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN THAT COULD ENDANGER THE LIFE OF A PERSON IF WEST BELT FAILS DURING A CRASH.
MY 2018 CHEVROLET SONIC RADIO SCREEN WENT BLACK WITHOUT WARNING WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I LOST ALL FUNCTIONS THROUGH THE RADIO SCREEN. THIS HAPPENED A SECOND TIME IN ROUTE TO WORK WITHIN A FEW DAYS. I'M CONCERNED THAT THE RADIO MAY GO BLACK DURING AN EMERGENCY WHEN I NEED TO USE ON STAR.
HAVING AN ISSUE WITH THE RADIO ITSELF, ITS WENT BLACK A FEW TIMES ON ME AS I WAS DRIVING. AND ALSO WHEN I WAS PARKED. NO RESPONSE ON IT AT ALL. IM AFRAID IF SOMETHING HAPPENS LIKE WHEN IM IN A WRECK AND WHEN I TRY TO CALL ONSTAR WHILE ITS NOT WORKING IM AFRAID OF IT NOT CONNECTING, AND ALSO IVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE WINDOW SWITCHES NOT ROLLING UP OR DOWN THE WINDOWS NO CLICKING NOISES WHEN I PUSH ON THE SWITCH ALL FOUR HAVE DONE IT, ACTING LIKE ITS NOT GETTING A ELECTRIC SIGNAL TO THE SWITCHES, WHAT I USUALLY DO WHEN THAT HAPPENS IS PULL THE CAR OVER TURN OFF THE IGINITION AND LET THE CAR SIT FOR 30 SECONDS THEN START THE CAR AND IT USUALLY WORKS. IVE ALSO CHECKED TO MAKE SURE THE SAFETY SWITCH AINT ON AND IT ISNT.
THE 2018 SONIC IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE IN THE SNOW. IT HAS NO TRACTION TO START FROM A STOPPED POSITION, NO TRACTION TO STOP AND NO ABILITY TO CONTROL STEERING OR TURNING.
DURING NIGHT OPERATION, THE BACKLIGHT OF THE CENTER SCREEN IS SO BRIGHT IT CAUSES DIFFICULTY SEEING THE ROAD. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS AT AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL (AS ADJUSTED BY THE SWITCH TO THE LEFT OF THE STEERING WHEEL), BUT THE CENTER SCREEN IS STILL TOO BRIGHT. A SIMPLE FLOATING SOFTWARE BUTTON ALLOWING A DISPLAY OFF FUNCTION WOULD ADDRESS ISSUE. AS IT IS, THE DISPLAY OFF FUNCTION IS HIDDEN IN A SUBMENU REQUIRING INATTENTION TO THE ROAD TO ACTIVATE. *TR
My car has had CAM shaft issues upon buying the car. I have taken the car to Chevrolet in Dallas and in Forney, TX and the car still has the same issue. My car engine check light has remained on and consulting a personal mechanic, they informed me that this could be a recall issue and that I should report it.
MY DRIVER SEAT DROPS A LEVEL WHILE I DRIVE . VERY DANGEROUS AND HAZARDOUS.
The 2018 Chevrolet Sonic has 1 recall recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 14 owner-reported complaints for the 2018 Chevrolet Sonic.
The 2018 Chevrolet Sonic received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2018 Chevrolet Sonic are electrical system (2 reports), fuel system, gasoline,engine (1 reports), electrical system,engine,visibility/wiper (1 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 1 recall on record for the 2018 Chevrolet Sonic. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Look up recalls and complaints for any year, make, and model.
This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.