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Research · Compact Cars

2015 Chevrolet SonicRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 114 owner complaints for the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic. Most complaints involve electrical system (34) and air bags (27). The EPA rates it 28–32 mpg combined, and NHTSA gives it 5 stars overall.

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Combined MPG
28–32mpg
EPA · 12 versions
NHTSA overall
5of 5 stars
NCAP crash tests
Safety recalls
3campaigns
Latest Jun 2016
Owner complaints
114
Top: electrical system
Fuel cost / yr
$2,000est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

3 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Electrical system: software

Free remedy

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."

Electrical systemReported Jun 10, 2016NHTSA 16V422000

Equipment: radio

Free remedy

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."

EquipmentReported Apr 28, 2016NHTSA 16V257000

Equipment: radio

Free remedy

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 to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208 "Occupant Crash Protection", and 114 "Theft Protection."

EquipmentReported Jun 30, 2015NHTSA 15V416000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Oct 28, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

114 complaints filed with NHTSA · Mar 2015 – May 2026
  1. Electrical system34
  2. Air bags27
  3. Engine23
  4. Fuel/propulsion system12
  5. Power train12
  6. Steering6
  7. Equipment4
  8. Electronic stability control (esc)4
  9. Wheels3

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

By model year

Complaints for each Sonic model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
2012354
2013217
2014150
2015114
201648
201737
201815
20198
202010
Crashes reported
15
Fires reported
3
Injuries reported
19
Deaths reported
1
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Electrical system

34 reports1 crash1 fire
“Odometer Fraud. The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact purchased the vehicle from a dealer in March 2024. The contact stated that when the vehicle was purchased, the odometer at 60,000, and the advertisement stated 60,000. The contact recently acquired the Carfax report, which indicated that in April 2015, the odometer reading was 15,073 miles. The Carfax report indicated that the odometer reading was reported in April 2024 at 60,700 miles. The dealer was made aware of the discrepancy but provided no assistance.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 29, 2025Electrical systemODI 11690289

Air bags

27 reports10 crashes1 fire
“Air bag light on. There are 4 codes in the SDM, due to an internal fault in the sensing diagnostic module. The dealership states that it has to be replaced and will cost close to $1100 to have repaired and to clear all of the codes.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 25, 2023Air bagsODI 11528703

Engine

23 reports
“The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, upon coming to a complete stop, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The traction control and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 117,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 19, 2024EngineODI 11578281
All 2015 Sonic problemsSend a problem to a mechanic on findmechanic.ai
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

12 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Compact Cars, Midsize Cars
Engines
1.4L 4-cyl turbo · 1.8L 4-cyl
Transmissions
Manual 6-spd · Automatic (S6) · Manual 5-spd
Drive
Front-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Oct 28, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
Sonic
Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.4 L, Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive
283832$2,000276
Sonic 5
Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.4 L, Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive
283832$2,000276
Sonic
Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.4 L, Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive
273630$2,150295
Sonic 5
Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.4 L, Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive
273630$2,150295
Sonic
Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.8 L · Front-Wheel Drive
263429$2,200305
Sonic 5
Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.8 L · Front-Wheel Drive
263429$2,200305
Sonic 5 RS
Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.4 L, Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive
263329$2,200306
Sonic RS
Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.4 L, Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive
263329$2,200306
Sonic
Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L · Front-Wheel Drive
243428$2,300317
Sonic 5
Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L · Front-Wheel Drive
243428$2,300317
Sonic 5 RS
Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.4 L, Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive
253328$2,300321
Sonic RS
Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.4 L, Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive
253328$2,300321
  • Sonic
    Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.4 L, Turbo
    28 city · 38 hwy · $2,000/yr
    32
    mpg comb.
  • Sonic 5
    Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.4 L, Turbo
    28 city · 38 hwy · $2,000/yr
    32
    mpg comb.
  • Sonic
    Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.4 L, Turbo
    27 city · 36 hwy · $2,150/yr
    30
    mpg comb.
  • Sonic 5
    Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.4 L, Turbo
    27 city · 36 hwy · $2,150/yr
    30
    mpg comb.
  • Sonic
    Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.8 L
    26 city · 34 hwy · $2,200/yr
    29
    mpg comb.
  • Sonic 5
    Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.8 L
    26 city · 34 hwy · $2,200/yr
    29
    mpg comb.
  • Sonic 5 RS
    Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.4 L, Turbo
    26 city · 33 hwy · $2,200/yr
    29
    mpg comb.
  • Sonic RS
    Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.4 L, Turbo
    26 city · 33 hwy · $2,200/yr
    29
    mpg comb.
  • Sonic
    Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L
    24 city · 34 hwy · $2,300/yr
    28
    mpg comb.
  • Sonic 5
    Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L
    24 city · 34 hwy · $2,300/yr
    28
    mpg comb.
  • Sonic 5 RS
    Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.4 L, Turbo
    25 city · 33 hwy · $2,300/yr
    28
    mpg comb.
  • Sonic RS
    Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.4 L, Turbo
    25 city · 33 hwy · $2,300/yr
    28
    mpg comb.
Estimate your fuel costCost of ownership
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Oct 28, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

2 tested variants
Overall rating
5/ 5
5 of 5
Chevrolet Sonic 5 DR FWD
Frontal crash
5 of 5
Side crash
5 of 5
Side pole
5 of 5
Rollover
4 of 5
Rollover risk
12.6%
Overall
5 / 5
Chevrolet Sonic 4 DR FWD
Frontal crash
5 of 5
Side crash
5 of 5
Side pole
5 of 5
Rollover
4 of 5
Rollover risk
12.6%
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Oct 28, 2026Vehicle 9060Vehicle 9059
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

2015 Sonic questions

How many recalls does the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic have?

3 safety recalls as of Oct 28, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 2015 Chevrolet Sonic problems?

Owners filed 114 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are electrical system (34), air bags (27), engine (23). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic get?

The EPA rates the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic at 28–32 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (12 versions rated).

How safe is the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic?

NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gives the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic 5 out of 5 stars overall.

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Oct 28, 2026