GM recalling nearly 5,000 Chevrolet Sonics due to missing brake pads

If you’ve recently purchased a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic and felt that the brakes were a bit.. off, it’s likely that you’re not imagining it; General Motors announced today that select 2012 Chevrolet Sonic models are being recalled due to missing front brake pads.

GM says that (potentially) affected vehicles were produced at a Michigan factory between June 2, 2011 and November 21, 2011. The 4,873 brake pad-less Chevrolet Sonics were sold in both the U.S. (4,296 vehicles) and Canada (577 vehicles).

According to GM’s statement, the “error” resulted from the brake pads falling off during production, and the issue wasn’t spotted until regular warranty service was performed on a rental Chevrolet Sonic.

The company says it will begin notifying customers by January and, if you believe your vehicle is affected by the issue, GM says you can simply take it to your local authorized dealer. If your 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is found to be missing an inner or outer front brake pad, they’ll replace it free of charge.

On the bright side, GM says that no crashes have been reported as the result of the factory’s little mistake, and your Chevrolet Sonic should still be safe to drive.

Let us know if you own one of the affected vehicles, and if you’ve had any problems beyond abnormally long braking distances.