CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is fairly new & is already showing an early trend of transmission problems.
Owners report hesitation when shifting & grinding/hard shifting into gears. Some dealers are calling the condition "normal". Another owner reported his dealership replaced the transmission under warranty, but the new transmission had the same exact grinding problem. Design defect?
We noticed within a month of buying the car that the Tranny seemed to take too long to shift and caused the engine to work harder and seemingly lack power. We even noticed that it took too long to engage that we almost got hit a couple of times and had to adjust the way we drive to compensate. We took it to Chevy dealership where we bought it and they said this was an electronic tranny and that this was normal because the tranny had to send signals to the computer which then sent to engine. That never sat well with me, but I had to trust them. They did adjust it to make it more responsive. Over the last five years I took it in a couple more times for the same issue to get the "same adjustment". Of course that was when it was under warranty. We are now 3mo from having it paid off and it is no longer under warranty, Yet it still has the same issue. Soooo good job Puyallup Chevrolet, we wont be buying from you again.
It was very annoying to have the sonic hesitate so much. But the dealership said there was a bulletin on it and replaced the air intake pipe free of charge.
When I purchased the car and asked for the car-fax on the car the dealership said that they didn't have a car-fax, but they had an "auto-check" on the vehicle but they were not the same thing. When I went back to the dealer to get a car-fax on the car it had 5 pages of transmission work that has basically been hidden from me when I bought the car. So recently it has been hesitating to shift from 2nd gear to 3rd gear and so I brought it in while it was still covered under the warranty and they claimed that nothing was wrong and that it is just normal shifting so I was like whatever and brought it home. Not even 11 days later it starts to hesitate and on top of that the car wouldn't shift out of 2nd gear and I had to pull over and let the car sit for an hour with the hood up. Brought it back in and they recently just told me that there isn't anything wrong with the car. So I guess their way to get around not putting a new transmission in a car is to say that there is nothing wrong with the car.
All in all I do not recommend anyone to purchase this car with all the transmission issues that I have been reading about. It is not reliable enough.
I have taken my car in 4 times for this same issue. The guy from the dealership has rode with me and knows what it is doing, but because my car doesn't show a code and nothing can be done is what they keep telling me. I don't know what to do about this issue. It's so obvious but it can't be fixed due to no code are showing when they put it on the machine....Really Hate This Vehicle!!!!! Nothing but issues since I drove it off the lot.
The shift pattern has never felt right. I have mentioned this to the dealership and contacted Chevrolet directly shortly after purchase. No resolution.
- tattoofink,
Lakewood, CA, US
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
I bought this car in 2012. Every since I bought the car there was recalls and they had replaced and corrected so they say.. However I bought an automatic that drives like a standard ALL the time. If I wanted to buy a standard, I would have. The service engine light comes on and off all the time and when I take it to the dealership they tell me it just needs to be reset. Every time I drive and I stop at a light, my tracking control light comes on and feels like I am going to drop my transmission. I have bought many cars and this car hands down has to be the worst car I have ever bought in my entire life.. If I could afford to trade it in I would have done so a very long time ago
The first time I was told to have it serviced and paid approx $100. I brought it in again for the recall. Then since the recall has nothing to do with the problems I'm having. I have to pay another $109 to have it diagnosed under my warranty.
The car chugs like the little engine that couldn't. Taking off from a stop is embarrassing!!!! The car is gonna give me and my passengers whiplash! And it just doesn't have the power to go. Just chugs along. Worst car I have ever owned!!! And I am still waiting to hear back from the dealer how much more $$$$ this POS is gonna set me back!
So my car is an automatic.When I purchased it, it was remarkable in accelerating.Now after worn in, it lags tremendously. I have to trick the transmission to shift to get any speed merging onto freeway. I HAVE TO LET OFF GAS FOR A SEC, then accelerate again quickly and transmission shifts. Not happy..Don't buy!
I complained about the downshifting, they removed valve body and inspected to find the cause & they found metal debris and worn valves. If I hadn't complained I don't know if they would have found I had a problem. I still don't like the way it's shifting, it seems the transmission can't keep up with the engine when I turn corners from a stop or when I slow down and then try and speed back up.
The car's shifting is terrible to begins with, extremely rough, however second to third gear change is the worst. Consistent slipping when third gear is initially engaged. Sometimes takes third gear a good 4-5 seconds to fully engage and causes the car to lurch forward when it engages. It compares to when you have a standard transmission and you give it excessive gas with the clutch in place then suddenly let the clutch off.
It is February now 6th time in, and I've spoken with the Sales Manager about turning in my vehicle and getting my money back. He told me that because I have the second highest mileage in the NATION, I would have to pay $7,000.00 out of my pocket to have them take back my vehicle, and I would get NOTHING back on the $5,000.00 that I've already paid on it!!!
The Dealership refuses to admit there's a problem, even with conclusive PROOF of it hesitating, and won't do a damned thing to resolve the issue, nor will they take it back without ME paying for it! The Bank can't do anything to help me, other than to screw up my nearly perfect credit by repo-ing the vehicle. So I'm PRAYING that I can solve this through the Lemon Laws and be rid of this vehicle, get something back in what I've paid on it, and be done with this awful headache I've had since April of 2012.
If ANYONE even THINKS to get a Sonic... DON'T!!! It's nothing but a polished turd! The whole line should be recalled and crushed into cubes, then stacked on top of one another in the middle of the dessert, and atomized by an atomic bomb.
I took it in to my Dealership's Service Department again in January for the 5th time, ready with photos of the issue happening at various speeds from 50-77 MPH and the RPMs revving, and comparison photos of the same speeds and the RPMs at their normal range. Again they road tested it, and again they could not duplicate the issue, no codes, no check engine light coming on! I spoke with the Service Manager, who called GM and spoke with a technical advisor, who looked into the issues I was having and opened a case number. But since there are no codes coming up, there "isn't a problem with the transmission" that they can see. That it "sounds like a normal 6 speed transmission", even though I have photographic PROOF of the problem. Nothing is done to fix the problem. A week later I show them VIDEO of the issue. They STILL refuse to admit there's a problem with it!!!
Guys.., I am new to this vehicle, Believe me, I didn't even had a test drive before I purchased this vehicle because I trust the brand Chevrolet. But now I am desperately mad with this vehicle Sonic.!!!
I can't understand that who the hell programmed this acceleration system, otherwise I would say the entire transmission system/gear ratio design. Even if you are speeding at 120/140 KM/Hour, with a small braking action this car will gets down the gears to 2nd or 3rd and the vehicle will slow down like a snail....!!! then he will get pickup after some time....No one will expect this type of vehicle in this advanced world..!!!
I am really afraid to change the line in road because the person who are coming behind me doesn't aware about the sonic transmission system..!!!!
Guys...Chevy team/GM team.. recommend you to reprogram the acceleration/transmission system if it possible...!!!! It will be a grate and sincere approach to your customers..!!!
Up shifting too soon, causing a significant loss of engine power. Has small jumping when shifting and feathering the gas pedal. No codes, No check engine light. When getting to higher speeds, it is revved high but not shifting itself, dealer called it a transmission slip. Also DANGEROUS! No codes = DEFECT!
After coming to a complete stop, the transmission fails to go into 1st gear without being forced. Dealer has advised the vehicle is in normal operating condition.
Brought the car to Paramus Chevy in Paramus, NJ - 3 weeks after buying the car and they told me that's the way it is, and they couldn't do anything about it.
They wouldn't start the car or take it for a test drive!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
We noticed within a month of buying the car that the Tranny seemed to take too long to shift and caused the engine to work harder and seemingly lack power. We even noticed that it took too long to engage that we almost got hit a couple of times and had to adjust the way we drive to compensate. We took it to Chevy dealership where we bought it and they said this was an electronic tranny and that this was normal because the tranny had to send signals to the computer which then sent to engine. That never sat well with me, but I had to trust them. They did adjust it to make it more responsive. Over the last five years I took it in a couple more times for the same issue to get the "same adjustment". Of course that was when it was under warranty. We are now 3mo from having it paid off and it is no longer under warranty, Yet it still has the same issue. Soooo good job Puyallup Chevrolet, we wont be buying from you again.
- Paul P., Ruston, US