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2015 Chevrolet Sonic Recalls & Complaints

3

open safety recalls on record

Serious

171 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.78 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious16V422000

Electrical System:Software

Without audible indicators, the driver may not fasten their seatbelt, raises the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy & full details

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.

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."

Serious15V416000

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 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.

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."

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

171 this model-year 7 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

18Crashes
4Fires
19Injuries
1Deaths

Across 171 complaints. Severity Index 0.78.

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

Electrical System32 · 19%Air Bags27 · 16%Engine23 · 13%Unknown Or Other22 · 13%Fuel/Propulsion System12 · 7%Power Train12 · 7%Steering6 · 4%Electronic Stability Cont…4
  1. Electrical System — 32 reports
  2. Air Bags — 27 reports
  3. Engine — 23 reports
  4. Unknown Or Other — 22 reports
  5. Fuel/Propulsion System — 12 reports
  6. Power Train — 12 reports
  7. Steering — 6 reports
  8. Electronic Stability Control (Esc) — 4 reports
  9. Service Brakes — 3 reports
  10. Wheels — 3 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 (6) · 2014 (4) · 2015 · 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.

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