Recalls & safety ratings

2016 CHEVROLET SONIC

Every NHTSA recall campaign covering the 2016 CHEVROLET SONIC, and the crash-test ratings for the body styles that were tested.
  • 2
    Recalls
  • 48
    Owner complaints
  • 0
    Investigations

Sourced from NHTSA recall and safety-rating data — last checked 6 September 2026.

2 recall campaigns

A campaign usually covers only part of a model year's production, so it may not apply to a particular car. Check the VIN to be certain.

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.

NHTSA campaign 16V257000 · General Motors LLC

Summary

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."

Consequence

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.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

NHTSA campaign 16V422000 · General Motors LLC

Summary

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."

Consequence

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.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

NHTSA crash-tests vehicles and rates them out of five stars. More stars mean a safer car. Ratings are per body style, so a model can appear more than once below.

2016 Chevrolet Sonic 4 DR FWD

Overall

Frontal crash

Driver
Passenger

Side crash

Driver
Passenger
Pole

Rollover

12.6% chance of rollover in a single-vehicle crash.

  • Electronic stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: Optional
  • Lane departure warning: Optional

2016 Chevrolet Sonic 5 DR FWD

Overall

Frontal crash

Driver
Passenger

Side crash

Driver
Passenger
Pole

Rollover

12.6% chance of rollover in a single-vehicle crash.

  • Electronic stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: Optional
  • Lane departure warning: Optional

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