RoadVitals

2016 Chevrolet Spark EV Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
14
Latest Jun 1, 2018
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
3
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
2

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2016 Chevrolet Spark EV, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Brakes1071.4%
  • Airbags321.4%
  • Interior & seats17.1%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

10
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

I WAS DRIVING A 2016 CHEVROLET SPARK EV ON A CITY ROADWAY WHEN I HAD A COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE AND ALMOST WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. AT THE START OF MY COMMUTE, I TURNED THE VEHICLE ON WHICH WAS PARKED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE GARAGE. I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A LOUD SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT LEFT PORTION OF THE VEHICLE AS THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS PULSATING. AS I PULLED OUT ONTO THE ROADWAY THE PULSATING AND THE LOUD SOUND CONTINUED AS A SET OF WARNING LIGHTS TURNED ON. THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE (ABS WARNING, STABILITRAK AND SERVICE BRAKES). I BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN TO APPROX. 30 MPH IN A 50 MPH ZONE AS I CAME TO AN INTERSECTION. AS I CAME TO A BUSY INTERSECTION I APPLIED THE BRAKE TO STOP FOR A RED LIGHT AS THE VEHICLE WAS NOT STOPPING. I FORCEFULLY PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH MAXIMUM FORCE POSSIBLE AS THE VEHICLE BARELY SLOWED DOWN. I ALSO HAD TO PUT THE SELECTOR TO "L" WHICH HELPED THE VEHICLE SLOW AS I STOPPED APPROX. 3 FEET PAST THE LIMIT LINE. IF I WERE GOING 10MPH FASTER AND IF THERE WAS A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME AT THE RED LIGHT I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A TRAFFIC COLLISION DUE TO THE COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. AFTER, I DROVE THE VEHICLE (5MPH) INTO A PARKING LOT AS THE LIGHTS AND BRAKES WERE STILL NOT OPERATING. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF FOR 5 MINUTES THEN TURNED THE VEHICLE BACK ON. WHEN I TURNED THE VEHICLE ON EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL AS THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS AND THE BRAKES WORKED LIKE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO. CONDITIONS DURING THIS TIME WAS A TYPICAL CALIFORNIA SUNNY DAY AND THERE WERE NO UNUSUAL CONDITIONS. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME EXPERIENCING A COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE, HOWEVER, THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME TAKING THE CHEVY SPARK IN FOR BRAKE PROBLEMS. ON 10/3/2016 THE BRAKE MODULES WERE REPLACED DUE TO THE PULSATING PROBLEMS HOWEVER THE BRAKES DID NOT FAIL THE FIRST TIME. MY VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE DEALER AS OF THE DATE OF THIS COMPLAINT.

NHTSA ID 11034167 · filed Oct 17, 2017

SUDDEN AND STRONG BRAKE PEDAL APPLICATIONS OCCASIONALLY RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANTLY MORE PEDAL TRAVEL, SIGNIFICANTLY LESS BRAKING FORCE, AND SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER STOPPING DISTANCES THAN TYPICALLY EXPERIENCED DURING SIMILAR BRAKE PEDAL APPLICATIONS. EACH EVENT OCCURRED ON WARM, DRY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STREETS DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS, TRAVELING BETWEEN 30-40 MPH. ON EACH OCCASION, THE BRAKES -- INCLUDING REGENERATION -- FUNCTIONED AS EXPECTED JUST PRIOR TO AND JUST AFTER THE EVENT, AND THE BATTERY WAS IN A STATE OF PARTIAL DISCHARGE, BUT DURING EACH EVENT THE PEDAL FEEL WAS SIMILAR TO THE FEEL EXPERIENCED JUST AFTER CHARGING TO 100% (WHEN REGENERATIVE BRAKING IS NOT YET AVAILABLE.) I SUSPECT THAT ON EACH OF THESE OCCASIONS, THE CAR'S REGENERATIVE BRAKING WAS UNEXPECTEDLY DEACTIVATED FOR REASONS UNKNOWN, AND THE SUBSEQUENT MECHANICAL-ONLY BRAKE APPLICATION (ON COLD PADS) RESULTED IN THE PEDAL FEEL/BRAKING FORCE/STOPPING DISTANCE CHANGES. NOTE THAT I NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS IN TWO YEARS OF DRIVING A FIAT 500E ON THE SAME ROUTE, IN THE SAME WAY, YET THIS HAS OCCURRED WITH MY CHEVROLET SPARK EV ON AT LEAST THREE OCCASIONS AS OF SEPTEMBER 1ST 2017.

NHTSA ID 11022827 · filed Sep 12, 2017
All 10 reports naming brakes

Airbags

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH AND HIT A POT HOLE WHICH RESULTED IN THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG CURTAINS DEPLOYING. THERE IS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO TIRE OR CAR

NHTSA ID 11099255 · filed Jun 1, 2018

MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN RECALLED, AND MY LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP HAS SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT FOR 2 WEEKS FROM NOW. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE TO ALLOW YOUR CUSTOMERS TO DRIVE A VEHICLE THAT YOU DESIGNED WITH DANGEROUS FLAWS FOR ANY AMOUNT OF TIME. IT IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE THAT THIS RECALL IS NOT BEING TAKEN WITH URGENCY AND CARE. SOMEONE HAS DIED BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. IN ADDITION, GM APPEARS TO NOT FEEL ANY AMOUNT REMORSE FOR SELLING DEATHTRAP VEHICLES TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC.

NHTSA ID 10910935 · filed Oct 1, 2016

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Interior & seats

Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

THE CAR WAS STOPPED AND WAS HIT FROM THE REAR ON A CITY STREET. THE IMPACT SPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 15MPH (ESTIMATED). THE DRIVER SEAT SLID BACK UPON IMPACT AND APPEARED TO DERAIL AND WAS STOPPED BY THE REAR SEAT. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE SEAT WOULD NOT SLIDE FORWARD. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS A MAJOR VEHICLE SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE DOCUMENTED..

NHTSA ID 11033389 · filed Oct 14, 2017

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .