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2013 Chevrolet Sonic Recalls & Complaints

6

open safety recalls on record

Critical

322 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.68 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical13V464000

Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly:Mounting

If the front fuel tank strap bracket separates, the increased load may lead to the failure of the other tank support.

Remedy & full details

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front fuel tank strap bracket, and repair it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on November 7, 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13296.

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured August 2, 2013, through August 12, 2013. Due to insufficient welds, the front fuel tank strap bracket may separate from the vehicle.

Critical23V516000

Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module

inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy & full details

Dealers will replace the driver-side air bag module, free of charge. On some 2013 Volt vehicles, the steering wheel will be replaced as well, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 23, 2023. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N232413120.

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Camero, Sonic, and Volt vehicles. The driver-side air bag inflator may explode during deployment due to a manufacturing defect.

Serious14V417000

Equipment:Electrical

Exposed wires raises the risk of electrical shock and personal injury if the cord is handled while it is plugged in.

Remedy & full details

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine oil pan/block heater cord with a new cord that is rated for temperatures of minus 40 degree Celsius. The recall began in August 2014. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14257.

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore all-wheel-drive vehicles manufactured August 23, 2012, to September 9, 2013; Verano vehicles manufactured August 8, 2012, to June 20, 2013; Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured August 7, 2012, to August 16, 2013, and 2012-2014 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured May 10, 2011, to August 16, 2012 equipped with a Calix oil pan/block heater. In cold temperatures, the insulation on the engine block heater cord can become damaged, allowing the wires to be exposed.

Serious13V220000

Electrical System

If the brake lamps flash when the vehicle is not slowing, a following driver may not adjust vehicle speed when the vehicle is in fact braking, and the brake lamps are illuminating as intended, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module. The recall began on June 13, 2013. Owner's may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339. GM's recall number is 13158.

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala; and 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. Originally, in May 2013, GM recalled 1,627 model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; and model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala vehicles. In October 2013, GM informed the agency that it was adding model year 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles to this campaign , representing an additional 8,050 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 9,677. On the affected vehicles, the brake lamps may intermittently flash without the brakes being applied and the cruise control may disengage. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."

Serious12V454000

Electrical System

If the driver is not aware that the turn signal is not functioning and does not have the light repaired, other drivers may not be alerted that the vehicle is turning, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the BCM and the vehicle's key fobs, free of charge. The safety recall began on October 3, 2012. Owners may contact the Chevrolet owner center at 1-866-694-6546.

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured from May 29, 2012, through August 29, 2012. When a turn signal lamp fails to operate, the Body Control Module (BCM) in these vehicles does not detect this condition and will not indicate the condition to the driver. Thus, These vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Moderate16V257000

Equipment:Electrical:Radio/Tape Deck/Cd Etc.

Without audible indicators, the driver may leave the key in the ignition, raises the risk of theft.

Remedy & full details

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.

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."

Complaint volume

322 this model-year 9 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

39Crashes
4Fires
32Injuries
0Deaths

Across 322 complaints. Severity Index 0.68.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Engine55 · 17%Electrical System55 · 17%Unknown Or Other45 · 14%Power Train38 · 12%Air Bags25 · 8%Steering13 · 4%Fuel/Propulsion System13 · 4%Electronic Stability Cont…12 · 4%
  1. Engine — 55 reports
  2. Electrical System — 55 reports
  3. Unknown Or Other — 45 reports
  4. Power Train — 38 reports
  5. Air Bags — 25 reports
  6. Steering — 13 reports
  7. Fuel/Propulsion System — 13 reports
  8. Electronic Stability Control (Esc) — 12 reports
  9. Service Brakes — 11 reports
  10. Suspension — 8 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2012 (7) · 2013 · 2014 (4) · 2015 (3) · 2016 (2) · 2017 · 2018 (1) · 2019 · 2020

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.