Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 29 safety complaints
about the 2017 Chevrolet Spark with the US government. Of those, 5 describe a crash, 6 people were injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the air bags.
The most complained-about system is the power train,
named in 9 complaints, 31% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 13,000 miles,
the median across the 19
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers February 2017 to July 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
29 complaints on file
29
Complaints
5
Describe a crash
0
Mention fire
6
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free.
Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can
answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a
model year.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
POWER TRAIN 9 · 31%
9 31%
SERVICE BRAKES 8 · 28%
8 28%
AIR BAGS 5 · 17%
5 17%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5 · 17%
5 17%
ENGINE 4 · 14%
4 14%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 3 · 10%
3 10%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 · 7%
2 7%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 · 3%
1 3%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 · 3%
1 3%
SEAT BELTS 1 · 3%
1 3%
SEATS 1 · 3%
1 3%
STEERING 1 · 3%
1 3%
048
Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 29.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2017 at 8.
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2017 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA has not crash tested the 2017 Chevrolet Spark. Its New Car Assessment Program
tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach
motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so
an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It
is not a low score.
What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a
different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people
inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke
during ordinary use.
Recall campaigns
1 on file
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
17V307000 · May 9, 2017
The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Chevrolet Spark vehicles. In the event of a crash, if a young child is seated improperly and not wearing a seat belt while in the front passenger seat, deployment of the front passenger air bag may injure the occupant's neck. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
The risk
In the event of a crash with a frontal air bag deployment, an unbelted child in the front passenger seat has an increased risk of injury.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2017. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17199.
General Motors LLC · up to 55,068 vehicles across all model years covered
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
AIR BAGS
3 injured · crash · towed · 34,000 miles
DURING MORNING RUSH HOUR ON THE HIGHWAY, (I WAS DRIVING IN THE LEFT LANE), TRAVELING AROUND 50MPH. I WAS ABOUT 3 CAR LENGTHS BEHIND, WHEN THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED ABRUPTLY, AND PROMPTLY DROVE AWAY. I SLAMMED MY BRAKES TO THE FLOOR AND SIMULTANEOUSLY SWERVED TO THE EMERGENCY LANE TO AVOID AN IMPACT. WITH BOTH OF MY FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, MY CAR KEPT SLIDING LIKE IT WAS ON ICE FOR AROUND 80 FEET, BECAUSE THE ABS SYSTEM FAILED. THE ONLY THING THAT STOPPED ME WERE THE 2 VEHICLES THAT WERE ILLEGALLY PARKED IN THE EMERGENCY LANE. WHILE SKIDDING, I HIT THE CEMENT HIGHWAY DIVIDER (ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE). I THEN SLAMMED INTO THE 1ST PARKED CAR, WHICH WAS PUSHED INTO THE 2ND VEHICLE. I WAS …
NHTSA complaint 11331148, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed · 1,240 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2017 CHEVROLET SPARK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO AN EMBANKMENT. THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE TORSO, HEAD AND NECK. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1,240. UPDATED 05/09/17*LJ *CN
NHTSA complaint 10956035. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
1 injured · crash · towed · 2,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2017 CHEVROLET SPARK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE BRAKES SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED AND THE DRIVER CRASHED INTO A PARKED BULLDOZER. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A LEFT KNEE INJURY, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000.
NHTSA complaint 11010588. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · 13,000 miles
SWIRVED TO SHOULDER OF THE ROAD CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND CURTIN AIR BAGS DEPLOYED IN STANDING POSITION.
NHTSA complaint 11097314. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
My transmission has been acting up like other stated where it will rev the motor high and then jerk and shift hard. There are no recalls for it when there are known issues with the transmission for the 2017. I was driving down the road and went to stop and my brakes were very hard and almost had to stand on them to stop, almost hit a couple cars, very dangerous situation. This has happened twice to my 2017 spark and both time it was due to vacuum pump. I have taken my car to a mechanic for these issues and the mechanics have also told me they have seen both of these issues with the 2017 spark and that a recall needs done.
NHTSA complaint 11753620. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Spark. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked or while driving at various speeds, the A/C was blowing out hot air. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and the air conditioning hose was leaking and the condenser needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to another dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the freon was low and that the compressor needed to be replaced. The hoses and the condenser were replaced three times. The contact stated that the failures had occurred on several occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and suggested that the vehicle be taken to the …
NHTSA complaint 11747404, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
When the car reaches a certain speed (50 mph plus) it jerks and jolts. The engine light is on and a P-code is present. Each mechanic says something different.
NHTSA complaint 11676086. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
I feel that there are issues with the transmissions on the 2017 Chevy spark. I noticed that there have been complaints in years such as 2014 and 2019. I find that my 2017 exhibits exact same transmission issues as years that came before or after. Lots of indecision with the car about whether to upshift or downshift. Sometimes violent jerking back and forth. Normally. Especially bad between 4th and 5th and 5th and 6th in the upper gears. But in the lower gears more recently it has become more pronounced. This has been going on for quite some time and is getting worse. The car is not that old. First. Noticed it when the car was at 40,000, mi. It is now recently went past 100 and the problem …
NHTSA complaint 11608093, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
crash
vehicle brakes went out suddenly after hearing a loud POP sound...brakes wouldn't respond and pedal hard, ran off road and could only glide to a roll stop and not really then...fortunately a repair shop adjacent so drove their and rolled stop. initial look shop advised vacuum pump needs to be diagnosed...they came back with a 'caution on file #pip5598a which advised of known issue but no recall... they came back with a 479$ fee to diagnose exactly what's wrong (those pics enclosed) they are now staring they will not guarantee week or warranty and say engine must be replaced...they are still working up quote to repair vacuum pump, camshaft and timing chain but now are saying will be well …
NHTSA complaint 11520650, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
120,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Spark. The contact stated that on various occasions, and while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle shuddered while accelerating. The contact stated that the failure persisted while driving above 50 MPH. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. An independent mechanic arrived at the residence and diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved fault codes for the transmission pump. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
NHTSA complaint 11516782. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's
lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, newest campaign on this vehicle filed May 9, 2017.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst