2012 CHEVROLET SONIC Electrical System Problems
56 NHTSA complaints on file
All Electrical System Complaints — Page 2
WAS DRIVING AND SMELT SOMETHING BURNING AND THOUGHT SOMEONE WAS BURNING SOMETHING AND I DROVE THRU THE SMOKE AND SO I KEPT DRIVING AND A MILE DOWN THE ROAD I KEPT SMELLING SOMETHING BURNING SO I PULLED OVER AND LOOKED AROUND IN MY CAR THEN GOT OUT AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AND NOTHING SO I WENT AHEAD AND DROVE HOME THEN LOOKED AROUND AGAIN AND DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING SO I JUST WENT INSIDE THEN THE NEXT DAY AFTER IT RAINED I SEEN THAT BOTH MY FOG LIGHTS HAD MOISTURE IN THEM AND WHEN I GOT DOWN AND LOOKED BOTH MY FOG LIGHTS ARE ALL BURNT AND MELTED INSIDE, I GUESS IT GOT SO HOT IT MELTED THE LIGHT HOUSING AND ALL THAT.. IT GOT SO HOT ITS BLACK INSIDE MY FOG LIGHTS AND U CAN SEE WHERE IT GOT HOT AND THE PLASTED MELTED AND RAN DOWN TO THE...
ACCESSORY CIGARETTE LIGHTER WAS BEING USED TO CHARGE A CAR PHONE WHILE ON A TRIP OUT OF STATE, WHEN WE STOPPED TO GET GAS AND HAD THE CAR OFF AND RETURNED IT ON AFTER FILLED WITH GAS ALL THE GAUGES ON THE CAR WENT CRAZY DROPPING ALL THE WAY DOWN TO ZERO ON ALL GAUGES EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS WORKING PROPERLY DURING THIS TIME, EVEN THE SPEEDOMETER SHOWED ZERO, I DONT KNOW IF IT WAS BECAUSE WE CHARGING THE PHONE OR WHAT CAUSED IT. BUT THIS ONLY HAPPENED ONCE SO FAR. *TR
IDLES ROUGHLY, IDLE INCREASES DRAMATICALLY WHILE THE CAR IS AT A STOP, AND THE ENGINE STALLS VERY FREQUENTLY, REGARDLESS OF TEMPERATURE OR WEATHER CONDITIONS. ON START-UP, OR WHILE STOPPED WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, THE IDLE WILL BECOME ROUGH AND VARY BETWEEN 200-3,000 RPM, BUT NOT STALL. ALSO AT TIMES, WHILE STOPPED, THE IDLE WILL INCREASE FROM NORMAL, SMOOTH IDLE UP TO ABOUT 3,000 RPM FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE SECOND, THEN DROP BACK DOWN TO 750 RPM (NORMAL IDLE SPEED) WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. THE ENGINE WILL ALSO STALL AT PARKING LOT SPEEDS WHEN I PUSH IN THE CLUTCH TO SHIFT FROM 2ND TO 1ST GEAR. THE CAR ALSO OFTEN STALLS WHEN PULLING OUT FROM A STOP. A RE-START CANNOT BE ATTEMPTED FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 SECONDS. TURN THE KEY, NOTHING HAPPENS. I'VE OWNED THIS VEHICLE (1.4L TURBO ENGINE WITH 6 SPD MANUAL TRANSMISSION) SINCE 05/21/2012, AND OVER 8,000 MILES LATER, IT STILL...
RADIO RANDOMLY TURNS ON WHEN CAR IS SHUT OFF. LAST NIGHT IT TURNED ON 13 TIMES. IT ACTIVATES THE FULL ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN THE CAR. WON'T SHUT OFF UNLESS CAR IS STARTED AND XM RADIO IS TUNED TO FM AND SHUT OFF. THEN IF YOUR LUCKY IT MAY STAY OFF. I HAVE BEEN REPORTING THIS TO THE DEALERSHIP IN VERMONT AND CHEVROLET FOR 8 MONTHS. THEY TELL ME IT IS NOT AN ISSUE. THEY TESTED RADIO SAID IT WORKS FINE. IT IS WORSE WHEN COLD OUT. RADIO RANDOMLY TURNS ON. WILL NOT SHUT OFF. *TR
STALLS EASILY AND FREQUENTLY WHEN PULLING OUT FROM A STOP AND IS THEN DIFFICULT TO RESTART, OR I MUST WAIT ABOUT 5 SECONDS BEFORE I CAN ATTEMPT A RESTART. UNEVEN IDLE MOST OF THE TIME. DEALER BLAMES ME FOR THE STALLING (SAYS I'M NOT USED TO THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION, BUT MANY ARE COMPLAINING ON THE ONLINE FORUM WWW.SONICOWNERSFORUM.COM) MOST IMPORTANTLY, YESTERDAY (08/04/2012), THE FULLY WARMED 1.4L TURBO ENGINE IN MY SONIC REV'D TO FROM IDLE (750 RPM) TO EXACTLY 3,000 RPM THEN BACK DOWN TO 750 RPM (WHILE 6 SPD MANUAL IN NEUTRAL, CLUTCH FULLY DEPRESSED, RIGHT FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE AND NOT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I HAD STOPPED AT THE END OF A DRIVEWAY AND WAS WAITING ON TRAFFIC SO THAT I COULD PULL OUT. MY RIGHT FOOT NEVER MOVED FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL AND WAS IN NO WAY TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE IDLE SPEED INCREASED...
I PURCHASED MY CAR BRAND NEW WITH 3 MILES ON IT IN NOVEMBER 2011. WHEN I HIT AROUND 7500 MILES I NOTICED THE CAR WHEN STOPPED ON A HILL WOULD DRIFT BACKWARDS - WHEN I GOT TO 7800 MILES THE WHENEVER I WAS IN TRAFFIC TRAVELING AROUND 5-13 MPH I NOTICED THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT ON IT'S OWN THE RPM'S WOULD SHOOT UP AND THE TACH WOULD REV BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT GO. I WOULD NEED TO PUT IT IN PARK AND THEN DRIVE AND IT WOULD BE FINE. THIS HAPPENED ALMOST EVERY DAY FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS. WHEN GOING TO PARK AND PUT IT IN REVERSE TO BACK IN THE CAR WOULD HESITATE ABOUT 30 SECONDS BEFORE IT WOULD MOVE.. I CONTACTED MY DEALER AND TOOK IT IN. ONSTAR SAID THEY DID NOT FIND ISSUES WHEN THEY CHECKED. THE DEALER CORRECTED THE PROBLEM.. ON THE ENGINE CONTROL...
Other 2012 CHEVROLET SONIC Problem Areas
Power Train
150 complaints
Engine
82 complaints
Unknown Or Other
46 complaints
Air Bags
34 complaints
Suspension
19 complaints
Fuelpropulsion System
16 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control
15 complaints
Service Brakes
14 complaints
Steering
13 complaints
Visibilitywiper
11 complaints
Electronic Stability Control Esc
9 complaints
Structurebody
9 complaints
Exterior Lighting
6 complaints
Engine And Engine Cooling
4 complaints
Seat Belts
4 complaints
Traction Control System
3 complaints
Wheels
3 complaints
Equipment Adaptivemobility
2 complaints
Fuel System Gasoline
2 complaints
Power Trainautomatic Transmission
2 complaints
Service Brakes Hydraulic
2 complaints
Electrical Systemhorn
1 complaint
Electrical Systemignition
1 complaint
Electrical Systemignitionswitch
1 complaint
Latcheslockslinkages
1 complaint
Power Trainautomatic Transmissionlever And Linkagecolumn Shift
1 complaint
Seats
1 complaint
Steeringcolumn
1 complaint
Structure
1 complaint
Structurebodydoor
1 complaint
Tires
1 complaint
Vehicle Speed Controlaccelerator Pedal
1 complaint
Visibility
1 complaint
Visibilityglass Siderear
1 complaint
Visibilityrearview Mirrorsdevices
1 complaint
Visibilitywindshield
1 complaint
Visibilitywindshield Wiperwasher
1 complaint