2013 Chevrolet Sonic: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
217 NHTSA owner complaints · 6 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
The Chevrolet Sonic's years to avoid are 2012 (AVOID at 32 on 354 complaints) and 2013 (40 on 217); the years to buy are 2016 to 2019, which score 88, 94, 95 and 95 on 48, 37, 14 and 8 complaints. The 2014 car is a CAUTION at 60 and the 2015 car the first BUY at 70. Read the full note on the model page. 2013 specifically: this is one of the years the note above says to approach with care — 217 complaints on record, verdict AVOID.
Read the guide
Used Chevrolet Sonic, Trax and Blazer: the years to avoid, including 2013 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 217 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 16.69
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Vehicle enters into catalyst monitor too early. Monitor Fales indicating that the catalyst is below efficiency threshold. A vehicle is run for a significant amount of time before being allowed to enter the driving conditions for the catalyst monitor, monitor will pass. This indicates that there is a programming failure, not an actual component failure. Theory has been tested multiple times. Catalyst had also been tes…
On 7-27-2023 General Motors issued a recall on 2013 models of Sonic, my VIN was not included in this recall. However on 4-16-2025 my sonic was involved in a impact incident in which the air bags should have deployed, and did not. It is my opinion that Chevy, knowing of the issues with the model of car, should have issued a recall for my vehicle as well, but did not. As a result I suffered additional strain and injury…
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Sonic. The contact stated that upon turning off the vehicle, the ignition key remained stuck in the ignition switch. Additionally, the contact noticed that the gear shift indicator was indicating that the transmission was in park(P) and in drive(D) simultaneously. The contact stated that upon moving the gear shifter in and out of park(P) several times, and shifting back to park(P), t…
Recalls: 6 campaigns (6 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 14V417000 | Equipment:Electrical | 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 manufactured May 10, 2011,… |
| 12V454000 | Electrical System | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured from May 29, 2012, through August 29, 2012. When a turn signal lamp fails to operate, the Body Control Module (BCM) in these vehicles does not detect this condition and will not indicate the condition to the driver. |
| 13V220000 | Electrical System | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala; and 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. Originally, in May 2013, GM recalled 1,627 model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; and model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala vehicles. |
| 13V464000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly:Mounting | General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured August 2, 2013, through August 12, 2013. Due to insufficient welds, the front fuel tank strap bracket may separate from the vehicle. |
| 23V516000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Camero, Sonic, and Volt vehicles. The driver-side air bag inflator may explode during deployment due to a manufacturing defect. |
| 16V257000 | Equipment:Electrical:Radio/Tape Deck/Cd Etc. | 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… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 30 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,050
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Electrical System56 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Engine55 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other45 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Power Train38 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Air Bags25 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Fuel/Propulsion System13 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
Other Chevrolet Sonic years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Chevrolet Sonic?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (56 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2013 Chevrolet Sonic a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 40/100, computed from 217 NHTSA complaints and 6 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2013 Chevrolet Sonic's most common problem?
56 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2013 Chevrolet Sonic sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $540–$1,310 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2013 Chevrolet Sonic cost to run per year?
About $4,717 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $23,585 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2013 Chevrolet Sonic have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for the 2013 Chevrolet Sonic, 6 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 02/07/2014. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other compacts of about the same age.
What will a 2013 Chevrolet Sonic really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 217 complaints, 6 recalls on record
- 217 NHTSA complaints on record (16.7/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (7.6/yr)
- 6 recall campaigns, 6 touching safety-critical systems