Chevrolet
Chevrolet Sonic years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2014 and 2015. Best years: 2018 and 2020.
The 2014 and 2015 Chevrolet Sonic draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2014 has 137 complaints (11 for each year on the road) and 2015 has 114 complaints (10 for each year on the road), against a median of 4 a year across the 6 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2014 is airbag (24 reports).
- 251complaints
- 6recall campaigns
- 2model years with a page
Newest report Sep 10, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
Best years
2018
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2020
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2014 has the most complaints of any Chevrolet Sonic year here: 137 of 251 (55%).
- Problem across the years
- Airbag is the top problem in every model year with a page, 51 reports in all. Pooled across the years, half of the 34 owners who gave a mileage for airbag were under about 48,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 13% of Chevrolet Sonic complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2015, 19 of its 114 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 1 of the 2 model years where owners report airbag have a recall on the same system: 2014. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2018 at 45 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 5. So far in 2026, 5 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Cosmic Console, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2016 (48), 2017 (37), 2018 (14), 2020 (10).
Year by year
2015 Chevrolet Sonic avoid
114 owner complaints, 10 for each year on the road (2.4 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (27 reports, median 36,000 miles), stalling (14 reports) and infotainment (11 reports). 15 reports involved a crash and 19 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 16V-422 on the electrical system and 16V-257 on the equipment.
2014 Chevrolet Sonic avoid
137 owner complaints, 11 for each year on the road (2.6 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (24 reports, median 67,000 miles), stalling (18 reports, median 55,000 miles) and misfire (15 reports, median 60,259 miles). 10 reports involved a crash and 9 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 14V-543 on the airbags and 16V-257 on the equipment.
Recalls that cover several model years
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.
Questions
What Chevrolet Sonic years should you avoid?
The 2014 and 2015 Chevrolet Sonic draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2014 has 137 complaints (11 for each year on the road) and 2015 has 114 complaints (10 for each year on the road), against a median of 4 a year across the 6 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2014 is airbag (24 reports).
What are the best years for the Chevrolet Sonic?
The 2018 and 2020 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2018 has 14 (2 a year) and 2020 has 10 (1 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Chevrolet Sonic?
Airbag, with 51 reports across the 2 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2014 and 2015.
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Sonic have?
6 recall campaigns cover the Chevrolet Sonic model years 2014 to 2015 on this site. The widest, 16V-257 on the equipment, covers 2 model years.
How many Chevrolet Sonic complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
13% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2015 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for airbag on the Chevrolet Sonic?
On 1 of the 2 model years where owners report it: 2014.