2017 Chevrolet Sonic: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
37 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 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. 2017 specifically: a year the record favours — 37 complaints, score 94/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Chevrolet Sonic, Trax and Blazer: the years to avoid, including 2017 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 37 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 4.11
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
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 vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact exited the highway and continued to drive at slower speeds. Th…
Multiple attempts to fix camshaft/ camshaft position sensor. Causes car to decelerate at high speeds. Shaking while at high speeds
Recalls: 0 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|
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 28 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,200
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.
- Engine19 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Air Bags6 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Electrical System5 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Steering4 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Unknown Or Other4 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Fuel/Propulsion System4 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 2017 Chevrolet Sonic?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (19 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2017 Chevrolet Sonic a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 94/100, computed from 37 NHTSA complaints and 0 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2017 Chevrolet Sonic's most common problem?
19 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2017 Chevrolet Sonic sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 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 2017 Chevrolet Sonic cost to run per year?
About $4,207 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $21,038 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.
Compare with
Other compacts of about the same age.
What will a 2017 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.
Thin evidence — 37 complaints, 0 recalls on record
- 37 NHTSA complaints on record (4.1/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (7.6/yr)
- 0 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality