After two years without a car and a year of taking Ubers to work—struggling with a kids’ car seat, relying on buses, and having to accommodate others’ schedules—I finally decided to get this beauty yesterday. The terms aren’t ideal since my credit took a hit after being unemployed for seven months before starting my current job last October 2023. I’ve been working hard to recover, but I’m thrilled to regain some of my time and stop spending over $1,000 on Ubers each month.
Meet Phoenix: it has 87,000 miles and looks fantastic. Is there anything I should know about owning and maintaining a Sonic?
Good luck, man! I hope you didn’t end up with a lemon like mine.
I’ve had to replace the water pump twice, the thermostat and housing three times, the starter, coolant/water outlet housing, purge valve, head gasket, and the AC compressor.
My car has 112,000 km (it’s a Canadian model). I bought it with 32,000 km and have been replacing parts since 55,000 km.
If you need to change parts, go for genuine GM parts since they last longer. Alternatively, you could do what I did and switch everything to aluminum.
I hope your car treats you better than mine. Mine’s off the road two to three times a year.
They’re great, affordable cars, but they’re cheap for a reason.
Familiarize yourself with the parts and their prices to avoid being overcharged by mechanics. Always opt for original parts or upgrade to aluminum parts from ZZP Performance. I’ve ordered all the parts that have failed and will be doing that upgrade soon.
Ooh, my favorite color! Congratulations!
As others have mentioned, set aside some money for the repairs that will inevitably come up.
Mine has been running well since I replaced the intake manifold, valve cover, thermostat, and water housing.
Wishing you luck too, and I hope you didn’t end up with a lemon like mine💀 It’s frustrating because it has such a smooth ride, and it’s an adorable car. However, I’ve had to replace parts of my coolant system several times (I’m on my second coolant tank and thermostat housing in just a year).
The coolant system has historically been a weak point for older models, and I assume it may still be for newer ones like yours and later models. Fortunately, you have a warranty from the dealership, which hopefully covers the powertrain and possibly even bumper-to-bumper.
In addition, upgrading to parts from ZZPerformance, such as silicone radiator hoses, an aluminum thermostat housing, and an aluminum coolant outlet, could help prevent issues that many others encounter. You might consider purchasing these parts and having your mechanic install them, as long as it doesn’t void your warranties.
Also, remember to change the oil every 5,000 miles (or every 3,000 if you have the 1.4 turbo engine) and plan to replace those parts once the warranty expires.
Make sure to stay informed about service bulletins. There’s one regarding the water pump, turbo, and thermostat housing that the manufacturer has extended to 10 years or 150,000 miles. In my experience, sometimes dealerships won’t inform you about these, so having the documentation yourself will be very useful.
Don’t let others’ negative experiences sway you. This car can be a great budget option with many years of life if properly maintained, especially in today’s market.