GM Recalls 2012 Chevrolet Sonic Vehicles for Transmission Shaft Fracture Risk
General Motors is recalling 21,567 model year 2012 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles because the transmission turbine shaft may fracture, potentially limiting speed or causing the vehicle to coast.
What this means for you
Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.
Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect (transmission shaft fracture) that explicitly increases the risk of a crash, meeting the criteria for a Severe rating.
Plain-English summary
General Motors LLC is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured between March 1, 2012, and June 29, 2012. The recall affects vehicles equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission and a 1.8L four-cylinder engine. A total of 21,567 vehicles are affected by this safety recall.
The defect involves the transmission turbine shaft, which may fracture. If the fracture occurs while the vehicle is operating in first or second gear, the vehicle will not upshift to higher gears, limiting its speed. If the fracture occurs while operating in third through sixth gear, the vehicle will coast until it slows enough to downshift, which increases the risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission turbine shaft free of charge. The recall began on August 8, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 for more information.
The recalled product
- Product
- CHEVROLET SONIC
- Brand
- CHEVROLET
- Manufacturer
- General Motors LLC
- Category
- Vehicle — Transmission
- Affected units
- 21,567
Is your product affected?
Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.
Model numbers (1)
- SONIC
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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