Chevrolet Spark
2013–2022
NHTSA has 2 open investigations on this vehicle right now.
Overview
The Chevrolet Spark is a budget-minded subcompact city car sold from 2013 to 2022, popular with young buyers and those needing basic transportation. The reliability picture shows concentrated problems in the transmission, electrical systems, and airbag modules—enough that NHTSA is actively investigating two safety concerns as of this writing. While many Sparks serve as dependable economy cars, the ones that do break tend to have expensive, complicated failures.
What Breaks
Transmission problems dominate the complaint record. Shift quality issues—shuddering, harsh shifts, hesitation—appear around 49,000 miles across 131 complaints. More serious automatic transmission internal failures cluster around 82,000 miles, and CVT-equipped models show problems around 36,000 miles. Manual transmission clutches fail prematurely at 47,000 miles in a smaller but notable set of complaints.
The body control module fails at a median of 42,000 miles (98 complaints), causing electrical gremlins ranging from instrument cluster blackouts to total loss of power. Wiring harness issues appear at 34,000 miles and strand some owners.
Airbag and restraint system failures are both frequent (80 complaints) and severe: 39% are rated high-severity incidents, with 35% involving vehicles that needed towing. These occur early, around 40,000 miles, and often involve the airbag warning light illuminating due to sensor or module faults.
Engine stalling affects 64 owners at just 31,000 miles. While these incidents didn't result in tows in the data, losing power unexpectedly in traffic is a serious safety risk. Brake master cylinder and booster failures appear at 36,000 miles, with 19% classified as severe.
Safety Recalls
Nine recall campaigns have been issued. Multiple recalls addressed infotainment radio software that could cause rearview camera failure—a significant safety gap when reversing. Two airbag campaigns targeted restraint control modules and deployment issues. Hood latch failures prompted two campaigns for latches that could open while driving. One recall addressed a software fault in the electronic brake control module that could disable electronic stability control. Review your VIN at NHTSA.gov to confirm all recalls have been completed.
Warranty Extensions and TSBs
Chevrolet issued 1,610 technical service bulletins for the Spark, an unusually high count for a small-volume subcompact. This suggests the engineers spent considerable time chasing problems after launch. While we don't have warranty extension data in this dataset, the sheer volume of TSBs indicates the manufacturer was aware of recurring issues across many systems. Transmission software updates, body control module reprogramming, and airbag sensor recalibrations appear frequently in service records.
Owner Watch-Outs
- Test drive aggressively for transmission shudder or delayed shifts, especially between 40,000-60,000 miles; repairs often involve replacing the entire transmission at $2,500-4,000.
- If the airbag warning light illuminates, address it immediately—this system has a pattern of sensor and module failures that can prevent airbags from deploying in a crash.
- Pay attention to any electrical oddities (flickering gauges, intermittent starting issues); body control module replacement runs $800-1,200.
- Verify all nine recall campaigns have been completed before purchase, especially the brake control module software and hood latch fixes.
- Engine stalling complaints suggest keeping an eye on throttle body cleanliness and fuel system maintenance; these issues often appear before 40,000 miles.
Data Notes
This analysis draws from 740 classified NHTSA complaints covering model years 2013-2022, nine recall campaigns, and 1,610 TSBs. Two open NHTSA investigations are ongoing. Median complaint mileage is relatively low (30,000-50,000 miles for most systems), suggesting problems emerge early in the vehicle's life. The airbag severity percentages reflect a genuine safety concern worth taking seriously.
Specs
1.2L 4-cyl In-Line — 58% of decoded VINs
Body style
Hatchback/Liftback/Notchback
Fuel
Gasoline
Transmission
Automatic
Doors
4
GVWR
Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)
Trims seen: LS, 1LT, 2LT
1.4L 4-cyl In-Line — 31% of decoded VINs
Body style
Hatchback/Liftback/Notchback
Drivetrain
FWD/Front-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Gasoline
Transmission
Automatic
Doors
4
GVWR
Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)
Trims seen: LS, 1LT (LT), 1LT, 2LT (LT)
Decoded from 200 VIN patterns on file for this model. Shown as separate engine configurations rather than one blended reading, since this model has been sold with more than one. Another 10% decoded to less common or unclear configurations, not shown individually.
Scheduled maintenance
4-cylinder, front-wheel drive (sedan/compact/crossover)
Again at 30,000 mi
Initial service; varies by coolant type
Generated from this vehicle's engine/drivetrain type, not decoded from this specific vehicle — treat as close, not exact, until you check the owner's manual. Researched from Toyota's published scheduled-maintenance guide for gas 4-cylinder models (Corolla/Camry/RAV4 class).
Trends
Complaint trends by era
← All yearsClick a window below to see complaint data scoped to just those years.
2013–2017 models account for the most complaints on record — 90% of 740 classified. The dominant issue has shifted from transmission in 2013–2017 models to body_interior in 2018–2022 models.
Year-over-year complaint volume
Complaints filed per individual model year, not blended into 5-year bands like the chart above — hover a bar for exact numbers. Recent model years show fewer complaints mainly because they've been on the road less time.
664 complaints · 18 recalls · mostly transmission
76 complaints · 1 recall · mostly body_interior
5-year windows, not manufacturer generations — this database doesn't have reliable platform/redesign data to draw real generation boundaries from. Recent model years show fewer complaints mainly because they have been on the road less time, not necessarily because they're more reliable — read this as complaint volume and mix by era, not a reliability trend.
What breaks, and when — 2018–2022 only
← All years76 classified complaints · 1 recall for 2018–2022 specifically.
Median onset: 35,175 miles. 69.6% of these involved a crash, fire, or injury.
Tends to show up later than this model's other issues. · More common in newer model years. · Typically $330–$620 to fix a body_interior repair, nationally.
Median onset: 2,000 miles.
Tends to show up earlier than this model's other issues. · More common in older model years. · Typically $200–$6,500 to fix a transmission repair, nationally.
Median onset: 25,000 miles.
More common in older model years. · Typically $250–$5,240 to fix a electrical repair, nationally.
Onset mileage not consistently reported.
Typically $230–$3,010 to fix a engine repair, nationally.
Median onset: 17,500 miles.
Tends to show up earlier than this model's other issues. · More common in newer model years. · Typically $230–$1,260 to fix a brakes repair, nationally.
Median onset: 1,254 miles.
Tends to show up earlier than this model's other issues. · More common in newer model years. · Typically $330–$620 to fix a body_interior repair, nationally.
Median onset: 131,328 miles.
Tends to show up later than this model's other issues. · More common in older model years. · Typically $250–$5,240 to fix a electrical repair, nationally.
Median onset: 67,322 miles.
Tends to show up later than this model's other issues. · Typically $230–$3,010 to fix a engine repair, nationally.
From owner-filed complaints to NHTSA, not independently verified. Federal mileage reporting on recent complaints is sparse — see methodology. Cost ranges are national estimates from book labor hours and parts pricing, not this vehicle's actual repair history — they don't account for your location or shop type.
See the full repair-cost breakdown →Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — complaints, recalls, investigations, service bulletins. Methodology. This is not an inspection and not a recommendation to buy or avoid this vehicle.