MODELYEARINDEX

Which Chevrolet Spark years to avoid

Across 8 scored model years, the 2014 and 2013 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Chevrolet Spark Full report
F
Grade 2013–2021
2014 vs model median 4.5×
Model median3× median
Engine 37
Drivetrain 23
Electrical 20
Avoid

2013 · 2014

Best

2019 · 2021

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2013
4.43× 172 F
2014
4.53× 150 F
2015
1.05× 36 C
2016
0.48× 22 B
2017
1.04× 30 B
2019
0.46× 15 A
2020
0.96× 23 B
2021
0.29× 11 A

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2013 F 172 reports · median 22,000 mi

  1. Engine 37

    In june of 2013, my A/C stopped working on my 2013 chevrolet spark. The car was taken in for warranty service three times. The expansion valve and compressor were replaced and the A/C was partly restored. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Drivetrain 26

    Vehicle while coasting in gear will accelerate on it`s own. Engine RPM increases approx 300 RPM.. Happens 10- 15 times daily. I drive 120 miles one way to work. Car now has 7000 miles. Purchased in dec 2012. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Electrical 26

    The steering wheel controls (cruise control, audio etc) do not illuminate. After some research, I have found that gm has remedied this issue with models manufactured after november 2012. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

18 crash · 3 fire · 6 injuries

2014 F 150 reports · median 24,000 mi

  1. Engine 37

    24 hours after purchase of a 2014 chevy spark, the check engine light came on and car is slow to accelerate. The check engine light was not on when arriving at dealership, but the diagnostics showed a knock sensor code. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Drivetrain 23

    I purchased a 2014 chevy spark on 2-26-2014. 40 hours later the check engine light came on and vehicle was struggling to shift. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Electrical 20

    The contact owns a 2014 chevrolet spark. The contacted while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle started to shake and failed to accelerated higher then 40 MPH as all warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

19 crash · 13 injuries

The best year for the Spark

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2021 is the best-scoring Spark model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 92.7 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2021 0.29× 11 A
2019 0.46× 15 A
2016 0.48× 22 B

Recalls

9 campaigns on record, 1 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
16V257000 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. 2013–2015 317,572
22V640000 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH 2013–2015 120,688
14V593000 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH 2013–2015 89,294
17V307000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2016, 2017 55,068
15V416000 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. 2014, 2015 45,785
16V422000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE 2013–2015 18,780
14V440000 Park it SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM 2014 1,919
14V298000 AIR BAGS 2013 61
18V774000 AIR BAGS 2019 12

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2014 were reported at a median of 24,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Chevrolet Spark years should you avoid?
2014, 2013 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Chevrolet Spark model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Chevrolet Spark?
2021 is the best-scoring Chevrolet Spark model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 92.7 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Spark have?
9 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Chevrolet Spark model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2014 Spark
Complaints in window
150
Severity-weighted
264
Model median (weighted)
58
vs model median
4.53×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
8
Open investigations
0
Score 10 F