2012 Chevrolet Sonic Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 59 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, 17% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 40,060 miles. The words owners use most often: “key ignition” (8% of reports).
- 59electrical system complaints
- 40,060median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 22%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Key ignition: mentioned in 5 of 59 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 46 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 59 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 2 an injury.
Chevrolet Sonic electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Sonic | 6 | 60% | 1,800 |
| 2019 Sonic | 1 | 13% | — |
| 2018 Sonic | 5 | 36% | 26,950 |
| 2017 Sonic | 5 | 14% | 6,840 |
| 2016 Sonic | 11 | 23% | 50,500 |
| 2015 Sonic | 34 | 30% | 50,000 |
| 2014 Sonic | 49 | 33% | 50,150 |
| 2013 Sonic | 56 | 26% | 65,000 |
| 2012 Sonic | 59 | 17% | 40,060 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists electrical system for the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Reviving the p2138 code for throttle/accelerator sensor. Still getting code after replacing 3 accelerator peddles. Possible manufacture issue with wiring that water gets into connectors shorting out that system
We have had to deal with severe overheating issues and failing parts our entire ownership of this vehicle, both of which then cause other parts to fail, as the parts are so poorly made and heat sensitive. We have replaced the turbocharger (twice), intake manifold + valve cover (twice), catalytic…
Purchased 2012 Chevy Sonic for my son so that he can drive around as he is a student driver. Purchased on July 27th and pickup on the 29th on 30th Morning driving the car on the highway the car stopped while in drive mode and luckily no accident. reached out to the dealer i towed the car to…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Chevrolet Sonics have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 59 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic (17% of the 354 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic electrical system?
No recall currently lists electrical system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 40,060 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic?
The most frequent phrase is “key ignition”, in 5 of 59 complaints.
Other 2012 Chevrolet Sonic problems
- Power Train problems (154)
- Engine problems (83)
See all 2012 Chevrolet Sonic problems or electrical system problems across all Sonic years.