IllustrationTRANSMISSION FAILURE ON HIGHWAY
2015 Chevrolet Spark
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2015 Chevrolet Spark do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 23.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Spark years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
150–25K
1025–50K
750–75K
175–100K
6100–150K
0150K+
39 reports with mileage · 37 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports1 fire reports5 injury reports
Power Train complaints
25 reportsBEARING INITIALLY WENT AT APPRX 40K MILES.. REPLACING SAME BEARING AT OVER $440 OUT OF POCKET (1) YR LATER AS EXCEEDED THE 12K MILES WARRANTY. SERVICE AT DEALERSHIP STATES "BEARINGS ARE NOT MEANT TO LAST".. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A BEARING IN ANY VEHICLE, EVER. TO HAVE MY BEARING FAIL EAR YEAR IS A PROBLEM.
THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT, STABILITY LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP IT IS HAVING RANDOM MISFIRES. THE DEALERSHIP IS WANTING ME TO PAY AROUND $350 TO HAVE THE CARBON CLEANED OUT BUT THEY CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT WILL FIX IT. THEY SAID MY WARRANTY DOESN'T CO…
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THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT, STABILITY LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP IT IS HAVING RANDOM MISFIRES. THE DEALERSHIP IS WANTING ME TO PAY AROUND $350 TO HAVE THE CARBON CLEANED OUT BUT THEY CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT WILL FIX IT. THEY SAID MY WARRANTY DOESN'T COVER IT. THEN I ASKED IF I GO THAT ROUTE AND IT DOESN'T FIX IT, WHAT THE NEXT STEP IS. THEY SAID TO TAKE THE ENGINE OUT AND CLEAN IT BY HAND, ROUGHLY $1000, AND THE WARRANTY DOESN'T COVER THAT EITHER. I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH THEIR RESPONSE AND AFTER READING PAGES AND PAGES OF THE SAME ISSUE IN FORUMS AND NO ONE MENTIONING THEY HAD TO GO THROUGH THESE STEPS HAS LEAD ME TO BELIEVE IT IS ONLY PUTTING A BANDAID ON THE ISSUE. I DIDN'T BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY JUST TO HAVE TO DOLE OUT HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS.
12 TRIPS TO DEALERSHIP, 70 DAYS IN SHOP, 5 DEALERSHIPS, 3 STATES. THE CAR CANNOT ACCELERATE TO SAFE SPEEDS FROM A COMPLETE STOP. OUR RAMPS ARE METERED AND THE CAR JUST WON'T GO, HAVE TO HAVE THE CAR SHIMMY BEFORE IT WILL GO AND THE FOOT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR. GM STATES THAT THIS IS NORMAL. IT'S WORSE WHEN THE AC OR HEATE…
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12 TRIPS TO DEALERSHIP, 70 DAYS IN SHOP, 5 DEALERSHIPS, 3 STATES. THE CAR CANNOT ACCELERATE TO SAFE SPEEDS FROM A COMPLETE STOP. OUR RAMPS ARE METERED AND THE CAR JUST WON'T GO, HAVE TO HAVE THE CAR SHIMMY BEFORE IT WILL GO AND THE FOOT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR. GM STATES THAT THIS IS NORMAL. IT'S WORSE WHEN THE AC OR HEATER WAS ON, GM RECOMMENDATION IS TO NOT DRIVE WITH AC OR HEATER ON AS IT MAKES THE CAR SEEM LIKE IT'S UNDER A HEAVY LOAD. ALSO SMELL EMITS FROM VENT THAT IS MAKING PEOPLE SICK. TOOK TO FIRE STATION AS THE SYMPTOMS PRESENT LIKE CARBON MONOXIDE. DEALERSHIPS HAVE CONFIRMED IT'S SOME SORT OF CHEMICAL BUT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. DOESN'T MATTER IF CAR IS BEING DRIVEN OR RUNNING WHILE SITTING STILL. FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID NO CO SO NOW LOOKING AT HAVING IT TESTED AT A AIR QUALITY LAB.
TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON AFTER STARTING CAR WHICH THE WEATHER WASN'T A FACTOR AT ALL, DRY WARM DAY, BUT THE TRANSMISSION GEAR DID NOT. CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. TURNED CAR OFF AND RESTARTED, GOT GEAR NOTIFICATION BACK BUT THE TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T GO IN GEAR. CAR HAS 8,000 MILES ON IT. FINALLY CAR MOVED BUT WOULDN'T GO PAST 10 MP…
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TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON AFTER STARTING CAR WHICH THE WEATHER WASN'T A FACTOR AT ALL, DRY WARM DAY, BUT THE TRANSMISSION GEAR DID NOT. CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. TURNED CAR OFF AND RESTARTED, GOT GEAR NOTIFICATION BACK BUT THE TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T GO IN GEAR. CAR HAS 8,000 MILES ON IT. FINALLY CAR MOVED BUT WOULDN'T GO PAST 10 MPH. ONSTAR STATES 3 DIFFERENT CODES POPPED UP AND TO TAKE CAR IN WITHIN 7 DAYS. HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED BECAUSE THE CAR WOULDN'T GO INTO GEAR AT ALL. CALLED CHEVY CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAID THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY HAVE HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING AND THE OPEN RECALL IS FOR ROUGH SHIFTING WHICH I HAD AN APT SET UP FOR FEB. 22, 2016 TO GET THE OPEN RECALL FIXED. CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AND WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. NOT FOR WHAT MY CAR IS DOING. AFTER CAR MOVED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FINALLY CAME ON BUT HAS A DIFFERENT CODE THAN THE PREVIOUS TWO CODES. ONSTAR SAID THAT CODE HAS TO DO WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND EMISSIONS. A NEW CAR SHOULDN'T HAVE THESE KIND OF ISSUES ESPECIALLY 6 MONTHS OF BUYING THE VEHICLE NEW. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING A CHEMICAL CAUSING THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS TO BECAME ILL. THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THE ILLNESS COULD BE CAUSED ETHANOL GLYCOL POISONING. *JS
Official recalls
522V640000 · Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch
Aug 25, 2022
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Chevrolet Spark and 2014-2015 Chevrolet Spark EV vehicles. The secondary hood latch may corrode at the latch pivot, preventing the hood latch from properly engaging.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A hood latch failure can result in the vehicle's hood opening unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the hood striker assembly and hood latch assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 12, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is A222359300. This recall supersedes and expands NHTSA recall number 14V-593. Vehicles previously repaired under 14V-593 will need to have the new remedy performed.
16V422000 · Electrical System:software; Equipment:electrical:radio/tape Deck/cd Etc.
Jun 10, 2016
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Chevrolet Sonic and Trax, and 2013-2015 Spark vehicles equipped with a Bring Your Own Media radio. The affected radios may fail to provide an audible warning chime when the driver fails to fasten their seatbelt or if the driver leaves the key in the ignition. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 208 "Occupant Crash Protection" and 114 "Theft Protection."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Without audible indicators, the driver may not fasten their seatbelt, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The recall began on July 22, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 45340.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Electrical System:software
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Chevrolet Sonic and Trax, and 2013-2015 Spark vehicles equipped with a Bring Your Own Media radio. The affected radios may fail to provide an audible warning chime when the driver fails to fasten their seatbelt or if the driver leaves the key in the ignition. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 208 "Occupant Crash Protection" and 114 "Theft Protection."
Consequence: Without audible indicators, the driver may not fasten their seatbelt, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The recall began on July 22, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 45340.
Equipment:electrical:radio/tape Deck/cd Etc.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Chevrolet Sonic and Trax, and 2013-2015 Spark vehicles equipped with a Bring Your Own Media radio. The affected radios may fail to provide an audible warning chime when the driver fails to fasten their seatbelt or if the driver leaves the key in the ignition. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 208 "Occupant Crash Protection" and 114 "Theft Protection."
Consequence: Without audible indicators, the driver may not fasten their seatbelt, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The recall began on July 22, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 45340.
16V257000 · Electrical System:software; Equipment:electrical:radio/tape Deck/cd Etc.
Apr 28, 2016
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Chevrolet Sonic and Trax vehicles and 2013-2015 Chevrolet Spark vehicles equipped with a Bring Your Own Media radio. The affected radios may fail to provide an audible warning chime when the driver, after turning off the ignition and leaving the key in the cylinder, waits 10 minutes or longer to open the door. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114 "Theft Protection."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Without audible indicators, the driver may leave the key in the ignition, increasing the risk of theft.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17130.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Electrical System:software
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Chevrolet Sonic and Trax vehicles and 2013-2015 Chevrolet Spark vehicles equipped with a Bring Your Own Media radio. The affected radios may fail to provide an audible warning chime when the driver, after turning off the ignition and leaving the key in the cylinder, waits 10 minutes or longer to open the door. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114 "Theft Protection."
Consequence: Without audible indicators, the driver may leave the key in the ignition, increasing the risk of theft.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17130.
Equipment:electrical:radio/tape Deck/cd Etc.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Chevrolet Sonic and Trax vehicles and 2013-2015 Chevrolet Spark vehicles equipped with a Bring Your Own Media radio. The affected radios may fail to provide an audible warning chime when the driver, after turning off the ignition and leaving the key in the cylinder, waits 10 minutes or longer to open the door. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114 "Theft Protection."
Consequence: Without audible indicators, the driver may leave the key in the ignition, increasing the risk of theft.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17130.
15V416000 · Equipment:electrical:radio/tape Deck/cd Etc.
Jun 30, 2015
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Spark vehicles manufactured April 30, 2014, to May 20, 2015, and 2015 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured June 18, 2014, to June 10, 2015. In the affected vehicles, equipped with the base radio and OnStar, the radio may lock up due to a software issue, causing the display to go blank and all audio functions to cease. Because of this, there may be no warning chimes such as the reminder to buckle the seat belt and the key being left in ignition when the driver goes to exit the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208 "Occupant Crash Protection", and 114 "Theft Protection."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Without audible indicators, the driver may leave the key in the ignition, increasing the risk of theft. If a driver or front passenger does not buckle their seat belt, there would be no chime to remind them to fasten their seat belts. If a driver or passenger does not buckle their seat belt there is an increased risk that they will be injured in a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The recall began on August 11, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15504.
14V593000 · Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch
Sep 24, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Chevrolet Spark vehicles manufactured January 17, 2012, to July 29, 2014. The secondary hood latch may prematurely corrode at the latch pivot causing the striker to get stuck out of position, preventing it from properly engaging the hood latch.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the secondary hood latch corrodes causing the latch to be stuck out of position, and the primary hood latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the striker with a new part which has superior corrosion protection, free of charge. The recall began on January 7, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14456.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.