Common Problems For a 2015 LS 1.8 6A?

[Ddiddy]

My girlfriend and I recently purchased a 2015 Chevy Sonic LS 1.8L 6A with 104k miles for $3,500. It needed the timing belt replaced, so I bought timing belt kit (which included timing belt, tensioner, idler pulley & water pump) and installed it along with a new thermostat back in 5/21. Also did some other preventative/catch up maintenance, including transmission fluid change, spark plug changes, brake pads & rotors, brake fluid as well as engine oil & filter. I believe I have made sure this car is ready for the road for my girlfriend.

And then she says the car is jarring her when she takes off, I investigate, pinpoint a faulty coil pack and replace it, and that problem is fixed. And then about 2 months later, she calls me and tells me that her car is smoking from the hood, so I take a half PTO day and drive to her work to see the problem. It is the oil cooler inlet pipe (under the exhaust manifold) has began to leak coolant onto the manifold/cat. I replace this part and that took care of the issue.

What I am worried about here is are these cars truly reliable? I travel a lot for work so I won’t be around to help take care of these problems. What else should I look out for and should I just sell the car due to unreliability? When I researched the car before we bought it, it had good reviews pretty much everywhere.

 

[Casual Observer]

Hey Ddiddy! So I too have a 2015 Sonic LS 1.8L (mine has 102K). So far I haven't had anything major go wrong with it. I've been doing the usual preventative maintenance. I have had to replace sway bar links multiple times now but they are cheap and easy to do. Anecdotally mine has been decent, though there are some noises that scare me a bit for the future. Car complaints has some issues but for the amount of these vehicles on the road it doesn't seem that bad.

 

[DanTheEldest]

I have the same car (original owner, 2015 LS 1.8L, 88k miles) and haven't had many issues. The purge solenoid was replaced after it threw a code (the car still drove fine), and the L/H transmission seal (5 spd manual) was leaking and replaced under warranty. Otherwise, it's been routine maintenance. The only real issues I've had have been cheap plastic bits falling apart. The driver's side sun visor swivel mechanism exploded to where it just flopped, and the passenger's sun visor vanity mirror fell out after the mounting tabs broke off. I bought the base model with manual windows and mirrors because I figured it would be more reliable, but the adjuster on the driver's side mirror broke. I replaced both visors and the mirror, and it only took about an hour to do all, but the interiors are pretty cheaply made. I also replaced the coolant reservoir because the original developed a crack. Again, not difficult, but some nickel-and-dime stuff. All in all, it's been a pretty reliable car, but the low-cost plastic bits wear out quickly.