The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that the catalytic convertor had previously been replaced; however, the failure returned one year later. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking, and the check engine warning light briefly illuminated. There was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact added engine oil leak sealer to prevent an oil leak. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Chevrolet Sonic check engine light comes on
113 of the 955 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Sonic describe check engine light, most of them for the 2012 model year.
- owner complaints
- 113
- worst model year
- 2012
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,000
- typical mileage
- 60,000
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
By model year
Often reported together
Stalling 19Overheating 10Loss of power 10Misfire 9Jerking 8Won't start 7Knocking 6Fire or smoke 5
Trouble codes mentioned
P0171 5P2138 4P0299 2P0011 2P2270 1P2076 1P1101 1P0717 1P0700 1P0597 1
What owners say
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 vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact exited the highway and continued to drive at slower speeds. The vehicle was taken to an Auto Zone, where it was diagnosed with turbo charger failure. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired, and the failure persisted. The vehicle was driven but was no longer driven on the highway. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Around April of 2025, I noticed loud engine noises and cold start loud noises coming from the engine. My car has been in the shop multiple times since then and I opened a case with GM about multiple repair issues with my 2014 Chevy Sonic LT even though I take excellent care of the vehicle and perform all maintenance on the vehicle, and now this loud engine noise issue and leaking oil. I was driving home from a relative's home Saturday night Dec 27th late evening on the expressway when I noticed my car driving very sluggish and jerking and make extremely loud engine noises and continued burning oil smell in the cabin of the vehicle. No check engine light or oil light, now I had stopped by the service department earlier in the week when and oil pressure light came on, and they stated no issues. I made it home without incident, but the car was not running right. The car was brought to the dealership service department Monday Dec 29th, and they informed me they found broken plastic pieces of guard rails that secure the timing chains in the engine which may have caused serious damage to the engine. The dealership wanted 4k dollars to repair it after they could not properly diagnose a known online issue that I found out a lot of these Chevy drivers have found out about and having me repair other items on the car instead of fixing the leaking oil problem and whatever was going on in the engine. The manufacturer has not inspected this issue now only the service department at the local Chevy dealership has, however I had a case open with GM before this final incident occurred on Nov 1st after my last repair and complaint to the dealership about loud engine noises. GM would not take my concerns seriously and stated we are sorry, but your car is out of warranty even though this is a known issue of this plastic guard rail failing and other serious engine issues with Chevy. I would like the federal safety agency to be involved in this matter and investigate this matter if possible.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine was idling roughly. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of fuel. The contact stated that the canister purge valve had previously been replaced, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the canister purge valve needed to be replaced a second time. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle lost power. The check engine OBD reader had lost communication with the transmission. The contact merged to the side of the road. The contact then went to auto parts store and attempted to change the speed sensor; however, the parts store had given the contact the incorrect part. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was already repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V315000 (POWER TRAIN). The vehicle had lost throttle and power. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and linked the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V315000 (POWER TRAIN). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the catalytic converter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 115,000.
Vehicle keeps throwing error code P2138 there is a current known issue that GM is aware of see notice 070604019F. Water gets in the electrical connections of sensors and is an issue as it causes check engine light and can decrease power of the acceleration of the vehicle which is a safety hazard. My vehicle has been with the dealer now for a third time for same issue. They’ve had it for 3 weeks and 2 days total. Still an issue.
Stalls when reduced speed. CEL constant. Codes indicate Emission promlem. Cleared by replacing intake valve. CEL came back on.
Was driving in heavy rain when car suddenly cut power and decelerated showed code 84 and the CEL came back with P2138. It is a known issue that rain gets up into the connector and causes a malfunction.
In June of 2023 I was driving my vehicle and suddenly the Traction Control, power steering and check engine light came on. I was able to get the vehicle safely home without the use of the power steering. Once I shut the vehicle off, it would not start again. I got the vehicle to my local dealership and they diagnosed it as one of the main wire harnesses was rubbing against a bolt near the battery, which is a known issue, and caused an electrical short in the system. It caused the ECU and electronic power steering to short out. They replaced the ECU, but have not been able to replace the eletronic power steering because it's no longer being manufactured. The vehicle at the time of incident was only 6 years old. I feel like this is a violation of the Magnuson-Moss Act. There are no third party vendors that make this part. It has only ever been available through GM directly.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Chevrolet Sonic check engine light
Why does the check engine light come on in the Chevrolet Sonic?
Owners who report it most often also describe engine stalls while driving, engine overheating and sudden loss of power, and the codes they mention most are P0171, P2138 and P0299.
Which Chevrolet Sonic years have check engine light problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2012 (41 complaints), 2013 (22 complaints) and 2014 (21 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix check engine light on the Chevrolet Sonic?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,000 (median of 10 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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