Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
28–32 mpgcombined; city 24–28, highway 33–38; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$10,150–$11,600U.S. average; Ohio $9,070–$10,370 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2014 Sonic. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 150 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Sonic. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Electrical system
49
0
2
0
Engine
38
0
2
0
Unknown or other
34
2
1
1
Air bags
24
7
0
8
Power train
20
1
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
15
0
0
0
Steering
13
3
0
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
8
1
0
0
Service brakes
6
1
1
1
Exterior lighting
5
0
0
0
Structure
3
1
0
0
Vehicle speed control
3
0
0
0
8 more parts
Equipment
2
0
0
0
Seat belts
2
0
0
0
Seats
2
0
0
0
Suspension
2
1
0
0
Wheels
2
1
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
Visibility
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2014 Sonic over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
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 to open the door. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114 "Theft Protection."
Risk: Without audible indicators, the driver may leave the key in the ignition, increasing the risk of theft.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17130.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured July 28, 2014, to August 1, 2014. Due to a loss of electrical connection in the steering column, in the event of a severe crash, the driver's frontal air bag deployment may be limited to the first-stage deployment only instead of the intended first-stage and second-stage deployments.
Risk: If only the first-stage of the driver's frontal air bag deploys without the additional second-stage, the driver has an increased risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will test the terminals in the IP harness clock spring coil connector and replace any loose terminals, free of charge. The recall began in October 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14537.
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, to August 16, 2012 equipped with a Calix oil pan/block heater. In cold temperatures, the insulation on the engine block heater cord can become damaged, allowing the wires to be exposed.
Risk: Exposed wires increase the risk of electrical shock and personal injury if the cord is handled while it is plugged in.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine oil pan/block heater cord with a new cord that is rated for temperatures of minus 40 degree Celsius. The recall began in August 2014. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14257.
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.
Risk: If the front fuel tank strap bracket separates, the increased load may lead to the failure of the other tank support. As a result, the fuel tank may come loose from the vehicle causing a fuel leak. A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, may result in a fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front fuel tank strap bracket, and repair it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on November 7, 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13296.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 1,507 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2014 Sonic, the latest on Sep 26, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (654), electrical system (317), engine and engine cooling (169), engine (142), power train (108).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2014 Sonic.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: compact cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 7–8 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Sonic Front-Wheel Drive
1.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
28 / 38 / 32
Sonic Front-Wheel Drive
1.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
27 / 36 / 30
Sonic Front-Wheel Drive
1.8 L, 4 cyl
Manual 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
26 / 34 / 29
Sonic Front-Wheel Drive
1.8 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
24 / 34 / 28
Sonic 5 Front-Wheel Drive
1.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
28 / 38 / 32
Sonic 5 Front-Wheel Drive
1.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
27 / 36 / 30
Sonic 5 Front-Wheel Drive
1.8 L, 4 cyl
Manual 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
26 / 34 / 29
Sonic 5 Front-Wheel Drive
1.8 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
24 / 34 / 28
Sonic 5 RS Front-Wheel Drive
1.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
26 / 33 / 29
Sonic 5 RS Front-Wheel Drive
1.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
25 / 33 / 28
Sonic RS Front-Wheel Drive
1.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
26 / 33 / 29
Sonic RS Front-Wheel Drive
1.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
25 / 33 / 28
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data