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2020 Chevrolet Spark 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.
19
Latest Nov 4, 2025
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
8
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.
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What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2020 Chevrolet Spark, 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

  • Airbags733.3%
  • Electrical628.6%
  • Engine314.3%
  • Seat belts14.8%
  • Steering14.8%
  • Tires & wheels14.8%
  • Driver assistance14.8%
  • Fuel system14.8%

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

Airbags

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

7
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact was a passenger in a 2020 Chevrolet Spark. The contact stated that, while the owner was driving at an undisclosed speed through an intersection, another vehicle failed to yield for a red light. As a result, the other vehicle collided with the passenger side front quarter panel of the vehicle. The air bags did deploy, which the contact held responsible for the injuries she sustained. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a storage facility and deemed a total loss by the owner's insurance provider. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. Both the driver and the contact were transported to an area hospital by EMT. The driver was treated for whiplash, back pain, and shortness of breath. The contact was treated for an injured sternum, injured left knee, injured left ankle, injured right hip, broken right hand middle finger, and whiplash. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID 11696452 · filed Oct 29, 2025

My 2020 Chevy Spark was hit from behind at a rate of 40-50 mph. The airbags did not employ. However, the vehicle that struck the car, all of its airbags deployed.

NHTSA ID 11546673 · filed Sep 26, 2023

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

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

6
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Spark. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact exited the vehicle, unlatched the hood, and wiggled the battery cable, and the vehicle worked as intended. No warning light was illuminated. An independent mechanic and the dealer were contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was inspected, and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the battery cables needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced; however, the battery was not replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 243,656.

NHTSA ID 11697462 · filed Nov 4, 2025

Vehicle caught on fire from the inside somewhere towards the driver side in dash. Instrument cluster and dash completely burnt. Entire inside interior of car burnt

NHTSA ID 11541052 · filed Aug 27, 2023

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

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Spark. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to restart. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 38,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID 11655775 · filed Apr 21, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Spark. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. An unknown message was displayed. The vehicle was able to restart, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the O2 sensor was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The mechanic performed an oil change however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,848.

NHTSA ID 11611665 · filed Aug 29, 2024

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

Seat belts

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

All of the airbags were too strong. The doctor thought my leg was broken from the leg airbag. I was even wearing ugg boots to my knees, so I would have had a worse injury without them. I got a concussion from the airbag that hit my face and my nose was broken. My left hand was severely bruised almost covering the whole hand, my legs were bruised with cuts all over. There were bruises as if pieces were flying at my legs from within the airbags. One circular bruise on my leg lasted almost a year. Also, the seatbelt was too harsh. It pulled at my shoulder and the injury has lasted until now. My passenger had cuts on her legs and severe bruises on her stomach from the seatbelt. We were in a head-on accident with the other car going about 45 at us and going faster and faster.

NHTSA ID 11440908 · filed Nov 18, 2021

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

Steering

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

DRIVING 3-5 MPH IN A PARKING LOT, WHILE IN THE APEX OF THE LEFT TURN TO PARK IN THE SPOT, THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO SHUTTER LEFT AND RIGHT, NOT SO VIOLENTLY THAT I COULD NOT CONTROL THE VEHICLE, BECAUSE I WAS DRIVING VERY SLOW, BUT JUST ENOUGH TO FEEL, AND SEE THE STEERING WHEEL MOVE LEFT AND RIGHT BETWEEN 1/8 - 1/16 INCH IN RAPID PULSES. IT LASTED ABOUT 5 - 7 SECONDS. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 26 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THE NEW VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED BY FLATBED TRUCK ON 03/31/2020 WITH ONLY 5 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, THE DATE OF THE EVENT WAS 04/05/2020. WEATHER DRY, TIRES FULL. IT CONCERNS ME, AS MY WIFE DRIVE THIS VEHICLE WITH MY GRANDCHILDREN. PLEASE ADVISE. THANK YOU.

NHTSA ID 11321038 · filed Apr 13, 2020

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

Tires & wheels

Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Spark equipped with Kumho Tires, Tire Line: Solus TA31, Tire Size: 185/55/R15, DOT Number: Y0MBYAY1. The contact stated that the driver's and passenger's side front tires and the passenger's side rear tire had chunks of rubber separating from the tread. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the driver's and passenger's side front tires and the passenger's side rear tire needed to be replaced. The tires were not replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the tires were not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was 22,817.

NHTSA ID 11499991 · filed Jan 3, 2023

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

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

Our car broke down on 07/08/2021 and went into the shop on 07/12/2021. It was eventually determined the engine had to be replaced. The car was in the shop until 09/02/2021. The following day during a test drive I noticed some minor, unusual response, almost unnoticeable, from the brakes, but there were no warning lights or messages. I connected a code reader and received the following codes: U0422, U0151, and C0800. I think all of them are sent by the ECU and involve communication problems with the ABS and the restraint systems, but yet, no warnings. I took it back to the shop. They found a shorted or bad Body Control Module, probably caused during the engine swap. If I hadn’t found those codes, perhaps the brakes or restraint systems may not have performed correctly in an accident. Obviously, the BCM can be defective and no warning lights are displayed, yet the car seems to perform almost normal. My wife did not detect the unusual braking response. We have parked the car. It seems to me, if the BCM goes defective, there should be a red light, stop immediately warning. I think every system in the car has to communicate with it. Could it be a problem created in the factory?

NHTSA ID 11436014 · filed Oct 8, 2021

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

Fuel system

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

The fuel line or a component which is part of the fuel system was chewed through by a rodent and the gas was pouring out of the rear of the car. My safety was at risk because if I didn't first smell the gas and then see the dripping gas, something may have sparked and caused the car to catch on fire or explode. The problem was confirmed by the dealer who sold me the car and who repaired the problem. The problem was not inspected by the manufacturer, etc. There were no warning lights that could have warned about the problem until the tank ran dry. I did see online that there is a class action against Toyota and Honda because the wires in their cars are coated with a soy material which is attracting rodents. My 2020 Chevy Spark was purchased new. The car I had previously sat out in the same parking area for 9 years and I have never had rodents attracted to the wires or fuel system.

NHTSA ID 11528584 · filed Jun 23, 2023

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 .