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Chevrolet Sonic driver's seat back may be weakly welded

NHTSA campaign 18V342000 · Reported 2018-05-27 · General Motors LLC

medium How serious is it? About this label

In the event of a rear-impact crash, the seat-back may fail, increasing the risk of injury. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.

What's wrong, in plain English

On some 2018 Chevrolet Sonic cars, a welded joint in the frame of the driver's seat back was not done properly, which leaves that seat back weaker than it should be. If someone hits your car from behind, the driver's seat back could break instead of holding you in place, and you could be hurt more badly in the crash. A dealer will install a whole new driver's seat back for free.

What you should do

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm your Sonic is covered. 2. Call a Chevrolet dealer, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (recall 18178), to book the repair. 3. The dealer replaces the driver's seat back at no charge to you.

Affected vehicles (1)

2018 Chevrolet Sonic

Who to contact

Chevrolet — official Chevrolet recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-222-1020

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Chevrolet seat recalls: loose seat bolts and bad welds explained · all 7 Chevrolet recalls in this area

Official notice

Component: SEATS
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. A joint in the driver's seat-back frame may not be properly welded, reducing the strength of the seat-back frame.
Safety risk: In the event of a rear-impact crash, the seat-back may fail, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat-back, free of charge. The recall began June 28, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18178.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.