NHTSA Complaint #10524718 — 2012 CHEVROLET SONIC

THE RUMBLING/RUBBING NOISE BEGAN ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE FRONT END OF THE CAR. WITH ONLY 3,000+ MILES ON THE CAR IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEY FOUND A LEAKING RF STRUT AND NOISY MOUNT AND REPLACED BOTH PARTS. THE REPLACED PART SEEMED TO REMEDY THE RUMBLING PROBLEM BUT THE FRONT END STILL SEEMED UNFORGIVING WHEN IT WAS DRIVEN ON ROUGH PAVEMENT. WE BEGAN HEARING A GROANING/ RUBBING/ GRINDING NOISE WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNING CORNERS OR WHILE TURNING ON AN INCLINE ESPECIALLY TO THE RIGHT AND AT 8,000 MILES WE RETURNED THE CAR AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID IT WAS OPERATING OKAY. THE NOISE CONTINUED AND AT 13,000+ MILES WE RETURNED THE CAR AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOUND THE MOUNT TO BE BINDING ON TURNS AND REPLACED THE RF STRUT MOUNT. AGAIN, THE PROBLEM REMAINED AND FINALLY A SERVICE TECHNICIAN RODE WITH US AND HEARD THE NOISE AND AGREED THAT IT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE. SO AT 15,000 MILES THE CAR WAS IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR TWO AND A HALF WEEKS. THEY REPLACED THE RF STRUT AND MOUNT BECAUSE THE STRUT WAS NOT SETTING FLUSH IN THE MOUNT. DURING THE TIME THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP THE TECHNICIAN CALLED AND SAID THEY WERE ABLE TO FIX THE ISSUE BUT THERE WAS STILL ANOTHER NOISE THEY HEARD AND THEY NEEDED MORE TIME TO WORK ON IT. WE REQUESTED A RIDE ALONG WITH THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN AND THE NOISE WAS ABSENT ON TURNING RIGHT AT A SLOW SPEED BUT VERY APPARENT NOW IN THE FRONT END OF THE CAR WHEN TURNING IN TO PARK AT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. AT THAT TIME WE REQUESTED TO SPEAK WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER AND ARE IN THE PROCESS OF NEGOTIATING A DEAL FOR A DIFFERENT CAR AS THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ON-GOING ISSUE. WE LOVED THE GREAT GAS MILEAGE AND SPORTY LOOK BUT THE SUSPENSION SEEMS TO BE TROUBLED. *TR