2012 Chevrolet Sonic Service and Repair Manual

This factory service and repair manual for the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic has three engines to keep straight, and they are not variations on one theme: a naturally aspirated 1.6L DOHC inline-four of 98 cubic inches, a 1.8L of 110 cubic inches set up for flex fuel, and a turbocharged 1.4L of 83 cubic inches. All three appear in a four-door sedan and a four-door hatchback across LS, LT and LTZ trims, so fuel, ignition and boost diagnostics have to be read against the engine actually fitted.

Engines covered

• 1.6L inline-four (98 cu in) — DOHC, naturally aspirated, gasoline
• 1.8L inline-four (110 cu in) — DOHC, naturally aspirated, flex-fuel
• 1.4L inline-four (83 cu in) — DOHC, turbocharged, gasoline

Body styles covered

• 4-door sedan
• 4-door hatchback

Trims covered

• LS
• LT
• LTZ

Known issues on the 2012 Sonic. Seven recalls are on the federal record. On cars with the 1.8L and a six-speed automatic, the transmission turbine shaft can fracture, capping the car in the lower gears or leaving it to coast with no drive at all. Some cars were built with a front brake pad missing, which cuts braking performance. A shorting bar in the driver's frontal air bag can intermittently touch the bag terminals, and while it does the bag will not deploy in a crash. Complaints total 354, heaviest on the power train at 150, then the electrical system at 45 and the engine at 27.