Recall for the Chevrolet Sonic

Under the cover of an all-new identity, the Chevrolet Sonic is in fact the second-generation of the Chevrolet Aveo, so it comes as no surprise that some of its parts were made with cost-cutting in mind. For example, it would seems that 2012 Sonics equipped with the 1.8 litre engine and the 6-speed automatic transmission are fitted with a weak transmission turbine shaft that can break, thus severing the only link between the engine and the gearbox.

If the turbine shaft breaks when the transmission is in one of the first 3 gears, the car will simply refuse to shift higher than 3rd. If however the vehicle is travelling at highway speed, it will coast until the speed is low enough to shift into 3rd. This, as you can imagine, can be problematic if there are cars behind you.

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GM will replace these turbine shafts free of charge. While the manufacturer has not yet announced an official timetable, the repairs should not be delayed too much since the problem affects more than 20,000 cars.