The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is a compact car that came with a choice of 1.4L 4-cyl and 1.8L 4-cyl engines. At 14 years old, many are reaching the point where repairs cost more than the car is worth. Running or not, we'll make you an offer and tow it away for free.
| Body style | Midsize Cars, Compact Cars |
|---|---|
| Engines | 1.4L 4-cyl, 1.8L 4-cyl (turbocharged versions available) |
| Transmissions | Automatic (S6), Manual 5-spd, Manual 6-spd |
| Drive | Front-Wheel Drive |
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
| Fuel economy | 24–28 city / 34–38 highway / 28–32 combined MPG |
| EPA annual fuel cost | $2,100–$2,400 a year (EPA estimate at current fuel prices, 15,000 miles) |
| Tailpipe CO₂ | 278–317 grams per mile |
| Curb weight (NHTSA test vehicle) | 2,820 lb |
| Gross vehicle weight rating | 3,566–3,782 lb |
| Versions tested by EPA | 8 configurations: Sonic 5, Sonic |
| Age | 14 years |
Specs, fuel cost and emissions from the EPA's fueleconomy.gov data; weights from NHTSA crash-test records. Your car's exact equipment may differ.
NHTSA lists 7 safety recalls covering the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. Open recalls don't stop you from selling or junking the car, but check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which apply to yours.
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 vehicles manufactured August 8, 2012, to June 20, 2013; Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured August 7, 2012, to August 16, 2013, and 2012-2014 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles…
Risk: Exposed wires increase the risk of electrical shock and personal injury if the cord is handled while it is plugged in.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured March 1, 2012, to June 29, 2012, and equipped with a 6 speed automatic transmission and 1.8L four cylinder engine. In the affected vehicles, the transmission turbine shaft may fracture.
Risk: If the transmission turbine shaft fracture occurs during vehicle operation in first or second gear, the vehicle will not upshift to the third through sixth gears, limiting the vehicle's speed. If the fracture occurs during operation in thir
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles manufactured December 2, 2011 to July, 16, 2012, Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured December 7, 2011 to July 25, 2012, Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured December 5, 2011 to August 2, 2012, and Chevrolet Camaro vehicles manufactured December 1…
Risk: If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, that air bag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic, and model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
Risk: If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, that air bag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.
General Motors is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Cruze, and Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
Risk: If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal airbag, that airbag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured from May 5, 2011, through February 24, 2012. These vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 104, "Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems." The windshield wiper washer hose on these vehicles may separate from…
Risk: A lack of washer fluid could impede the driver's view, increasing the risk of a crash.
General motors (gm) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured from june 2, 2011, through november 21, 2011. On some of these vehicles, the front brake inner or outer pad may be missing.
Risk: A missing pad could result in reduced brake system performance, increasing the risk of a crash.
Owners have filed 354 complaints about the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic with NHTSA. 27 reports involved a crash and 5 reports involved a fire. Owners reported 18 injuries.
Complaints are reports from owners and aren't verified by NHTSA. One complaint can list several components. Mileage is the median odometer reading owners reported for that component.
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, by version tested.
| Version | Overall | Frontal crash | Side crash | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Dr, FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 12.6% |
| 5 Hb, FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 12.6% |
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP). Ratings from different model years or rating systems aren't directly comparable.
Manufacturers have filed 1,589 technical service bulletins and communications with NHTSA covering the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. These are repair instructions for known issues, not recalls.
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins).
NHTSA opened 2 defect investigations covering the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic.
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to
Air Bag Non-deployment
General Motors (GM) has initiated a safety recall of 31,520 model year (MY) 2012 Buick Verano and Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic vehicles to address a defect condition that could result in the primary or secondary stage air bag not deploying.These vehicles are a small percentage of all MY 2012 vehicles and were buil
Sell a 2013 Sonic › · All Chevrolet Sonic years
It depends on its condition, whether major parts like the engine, transmission and catalytic converter are still there, and current scrap and parts prices where you live. Its parts make up much of its value. Enter your ZIP code above for a free offer on your specific car.
Yes. We buy 2012 Sonics that don't start, were in an accident, failed inspection or have a blown engine or transmission. Towing is always free.
Yes. Open recalls don't prevent a junk sale. NHTSA lists 7 recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic; you can check whether any are still open on yours with the VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Usually the title and a photo ID. Rules differ by state, including what to do with your plates and whether to file a notice of sale. Check our state-by-state car title guides for the official forms.
Data retrieved October 2026.
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