Is your car affected?
Check by VIN to confirm the
exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (3)
Electrical system: software
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."
Risk and remedy
Risk: Without audible indicators, the driver may not fasten their seatbelt, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Electrical system: software
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."
Risk and remedy
Risk: Without audible indicators, the driver may leave the key in the ignition, increasing the risk of theft.
Remedy: 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.
Equipment: electrical, radio/tape deck/cd etc.
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."
Risk and remedy
Risk: Without audible indicators, the driver may leave the key in the ignition, increasing the risk of theft. If a driver or front passenger does not buckle their seat belt, there would be no chime to remind them to fasten their seat belts. If a driver or passenger does not buckle their seat belt there is an increased risk that they will be injured in a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Canadian recalls (4)
Show 4 Canadian recalls
Lights and instruments
2017-02-03 · campaign 2017-051
Certain vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 - Lighting System and Retroreflective Devices. The headlamp high-beam lens is not marked with the bulb type, contrary to the requirements of the standard. Correction: An manufacturing change has been undertaken to prevent this non-compliance condition from continuing. No corrective recall action is required as the non-compliance condition is deemed to be non-safety related.
Electrical
2016-06-08 · campaign 2016-292
Certain vehicles equipped with a "Bring Your Own Media" (BYOM) radio may fail to conform to Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 114 - Theft Protection and Rollaway Protection and CMVSS 208 - Occupant Protection in Frontal Impacts. The radio software may fail to provide an audible warning/reminder chime that meets the requirements of the standard when the key is left in the ignition and the driver door is opened, or when the driver fails to fasten their seatbelt. This can sometimes occur when the driver turns the ignition off with the headlamp or hazard warning flashers on and then restarts the vehicle while the radio is going through the “sleep” sequence. The loss of an audible warning when a key is left in the ignition may increase the risk of vehicle theft, and may fail to alert the driver that he or she is unbelted, increasing the risk of injury to the driver in a crash. Correction: Dealers will reprogram the radio with corrected operating software. Note: This recall involves vehicles that were previously repaired under recall 2016-191 that now require re-inspection and repair.
Electrical
2016-04-28 · campaign 2016-191
Certain vehicles equipped with a "Bring Your Own Media" (BYOM) radio may fail to conform to Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 114 - Theft Protection and Rollaway Protection. The radio software may fail to provide an audible warning/reminder chime that meets the requirements of the standard if the ignition key is left in the off position and the driver delays opening the driver’s door for more than 10 minutes, or opens and closes the door several times. The loss of an audible warning when a key is left in the ignition may increase the risk of vehicle theft. Correction: Dealers will reprogram the radio with corrected operating software.
Electrical
2015-06-25 · campaign 2015-279
Certain vehicles may fail to conform to Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 114 - Theft Protection and Rollaway Protection, and CMVSS 208 - Occupant Crash Protection. The radio may become inoperative, causing a no-chime condition and disabling the audible warning if the key is in the ignition and the driver’s door is opened, or if a front outboard seat belt is not buckled. A loss of the seat belt audible warning may increase the likelihood of a front outboard occupant being unbelted, increasing the risk of injury in a crash. Similarly, the loss of an audible warning when a key is left in the ignition may increase the risk of vehicle theft. Correction: Dealers are to program the radio with updated software.
Owner complaints (114)
Owners filed 114 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic (15 crashes, 3 fires, 19 injuries, 1 deaths reported). Among 10 model years of this model, it ranks #4 for the most complaints (median 48).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Electrical system | 34 | |
| Air bags | 27 | |
| Engine | 23 | |
| Unknown or other | 22 | |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 12 | |
| Power train | 12 | |
| Steering | 6 | |
| Equipment | 4 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2015 Chevrolet Sonic 4 DR FWD | 5★ | 5★ | 5★ | 4★ |
| 2015 Chevrolet Sonic 5 DR FWD | 5★ | 5★ | 5★ | 4★ |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2015 Chevrolet Sonic version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| Sonic 1.4 L Automatic (S6) | 27 | 36 | 30 | $2,250 |
| Sonic 1.4 L Manual 6-spd | 28 | 38 | 32 | $2,100 |
| Sonic 1.8 L Automatic (S6) | 24 | 34 | 28 | $2,400 |
| Sonic 1.8 L Manual 5-spd | 26 | 34 | 29 | $2,300 |
| Sonic 5 1.4 L Automatic (S6) | 27 | 36 | 30 | $2,250 |
| Sonic 5 1.4 L Manual 6-spd | 28 | 38 | 32 | $2,100 |
| Sonic 5 1.8 L Automatic (S6) | 24 | 34 | 28 | $2,400 |
| Sonic 5 1.8 L Manual 5-spd | 26 | 34 | 29 | $2,300 |
| Sonic 5 RS 1.4 L Automatic (S6) | 25 | 33 | 28 | $2,400 |
| Sonic 5 RS 1.4 L Manual 6-spd | 26 | 33 | 29 | $2,300 |
| Sonic RS 1.4 L Automatic (S6) | 25 | 33 | 28 | $2,400 |
| Sonic RS 1.4 L Manual 6-spd | 26 | 33 | 29 | $2,300 |
Need this data in your app?
Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Explore the API →Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport
Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada).
Recalls updated 2026-10-30.