AutoUtility currently tracks 37 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2017 Chevrolet Sonic. Engine & Cooling issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 17 complaints (45.9% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 6 filings cite a crash, 1 cites a fire, 4 report one or more injuries.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
17 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
6 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
5 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
5 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"Oil cooling system has been replaced. Major leak in AC line needs replacement. Purge solenoid stop functioning and was replaced, now there is an additional major coolant leak"
"The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the engine made an abnormally rough sound, the transmission failed to shift as intended, and..."
"The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that, while driving at 40 MPH, another vehicle failed to yield at a stop sign. As a result, the contact was unable to stop in time and collided with the driver's side B Pillar center region of the other vehicle. The air bags did deploy,..."
"Multiple attempts to fix camshaft/ camshaft position sensor. Causes car to decelerate at high speeds. Shaking while at high speeds"
"I have replaced the same part now 4 times. I have multiple receipts. Cause the car the shut off or slow down while on the highway."
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2020)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Chevrolet Sonic | 114 | 15 | 3 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Chevrolet Sonic | 48 | 8 | 2 | View 2016 Problems → |
| 2017 Chevrolet Sonic Current Page | 37 | 6 | 0 | Current |
| 2018 Chevrolet Sonic | 14 | 0 | 1 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Chevrolet Sonic | 8 | 0 | 0 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Chevrolet Sonic | 10 | 0 | 0 | View 2020 Problems → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 24 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,ENGINE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year
Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.
Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.
EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2017 Chevrolet Sonic
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2017 Chevrolet Sonic is Engine & Cooling, appearing in 17 records (45.9% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Air Bags & Restraints (6) and Electrical System (5).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 37 consumer defect complaints and 0 safety recall campaigns for the 2017 Chevrolet Sonic.
Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.
Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2017 Chevrolet Sonic, 6 filings cite a crash, 1 cite smoke or fire, and 4 report one or more injuries.
Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.