2013 Chevrolet Sonic: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
50%
94 of 188 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
50% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2013 Chevrolet Sonic are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 64% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 29 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 43%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE01/27/2016CRASH1 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 CHEVROLET SONIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED TO THE ON POSITION, THE ENGINE REVVED CONTINUOUSLY. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO …
POWER TRAIN09/08/2015CRASH1 INJURED
I WAS GOING UP HILL APPROACHING A PARKING SPACE IN THE GARAGE WHERE I WORK. I WENT TO TURN INTO THE PARKING SPACE AND MY TURBO ENGINE SPED UP AND SLAMMED ME INTO THE GARAGE WALL. THE AIR BAGS WERE DEPLOYED. THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION ON THIS CHEVY SONIC. IF I HAD PARKED ON THE TOP FLOOR, I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN KI…
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING01/08/2026FIRE
The contact owned a 2013 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that the vehicle had previously sustained undercarriage damage while driving at 20 MPH and hitting a pothole. The undercarriage was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle started to overheat. A coolant temperatu…
Three of 94 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (6)
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
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 …
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore all-wheel-drive vehicles manufactured August 23, 2012, to September 9, 2013; Verano vehicle…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala; and 2013 Chevrolet Sonic veh…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
6 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
