Reliable Auto DB

2015 Chevrolet Spark reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2015 Chevrolet Spark has 83 complaints with NHTSA after 12 years, or 6 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Spark years here — over the median of the other years, which is 3. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Latch, Electrical system, software, and Radio.

2012 Chevrolet Spark
Photo by Ethan Llamas, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

83

Per year

6

Recalls

5

Years on the road

12

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (26 of 83), then Engine (11) and Electrical system (9). Those filings include 4 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 5 that report an injury.

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 Spark has 176 complaints, 20 per year, and the 2016 has 42 complaints, 7 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2015 Chevrolet Spark. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (5)

Recall latches, locks, and linkages, hood, latch 2022-08-25 · NHTSA campaign 22V640000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall electrical system, software 2016-06-10 · NHTSA campaign 16V422000
Summary 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."
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.
Recall equipment, electrical, radio 2016-04-28 · NHTSA campaign 16V257000
Summary 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."
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.
Recall equipment, electrical, radio 2015-06-30 · NHTSA campaign 15V416000
Summary 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."
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.
Recall latches, locks, and linkages, hood, latch 2014-09-24 · NHTSA campaign 14V593000
Summary 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.
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.

Complaints by component (83 total)

Powertrain
26
Engine
11
Electrical system
9
Service brakes
9
Fuel and propulsion system
7
Speed control
7
Air bags
6
Electronic stability control (ESC)
5
Latches, locks, and linkages
4
Structure
4
Seat belts
3
Equipment
2
Exterior lighting
2
Seats
2
Suspension
2
Wheels
2
Engine and engine cooling
1
Forward collision avoidance
1
Steering
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Show 12 more Show less
Crash-flagged

4

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

5

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

22015920167201762018152019820204202162022520231120248202522026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Spark. The vehicle was purchased from a private seller. The contact became nauseated after driving the vehicle for the second time. The contact’s throat, chest, and eyes hurt, and his…"
    Engine and engine cooling · filed 2026-03-17
  • "INCIDENT SUMMARY In February 2025, while driving on the freeway, my vehicle experienced a sudden and complete loss of power. The battery rapidly depleted without warning, causing the vehicle to decelerate dangerously in…"
    Electrical system, Speed control, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-01-12
  • "Vehicle: 2015 Chevrolet Spark, odometer 79,000 miles Component that failed: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) – pulley damage causing complete loss of propulsion.What happened: While driving, the vehicle suddenly…"
    Powertrain, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2025-11-22
  • "This report concerns a known CVT defect and subsequent TCM failure that left the vehicle unsafe and inoperable. The vehicle suffered internal CVT failure consistent with GM Special Coverage N192271110. After the first…"
    Engine · filed 2025-11-19
  • "Vehicle began slipping out of gear between 1st & 2nd, then started losing power at 74,760 miles. Extended service coverage has been issued for model for CVT transmission pulley system, however only covers 10 years or…"
    Engine · filed 2025-10-23

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2015 Chevrolet Spark 5 HB FWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2015 Chevrolet Spark Ev 5 HB FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Spark 1.2L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed Front-wheel drive 31 38 34 MPG $1900
Spark 1.2L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 30 37 33 MPG $1950
Spark EV — Automatic (1-speed) Front-wheel drive 128 109 119 MPG / 82 mi range $650

Specs and fitment

3rd generation (US), 2012–2022
Body styles Hatchback
Oil 5W-20 (1.2L); dexos1 , 4 qt capacity
Tire size 185/55R15 (LS/LT); Spark EV front 185/55R15 front / 185/55R15 (LS/LT); Spark EV rear 195/55R15 rear

Known issues for this generation

Recall 14V-593 covers certain 2013-2015 Chevrolet Spark vehicles: the secondary hood latch may prematurely wear, which can allow the hood to open while driving. Dealers replace the secondary latch. Separately, recalls 15V-416, 16V-257, and 16V-422 address Bring Your Own Media radios on certain Spark (and Sonic/Trax) vehicles that may fail to provide an audible warning for rear-park assist or other chimes; dealers update radio software or replace units per the campaign. Recall 17V-307 covers certain 2016-2017 Spark vehicles for FMVSS 208 occupant-crash protection: with an improperly seated, unbelted young child in the front passenger seat, passenger air-bag deployment may injure the occupant's neck; dealers replace the passenger air-bag module. The US catalog on this site includes Spark through 2022.

Compare

Previous year 2014 Chevrolet Spark Next year 2016 Chevrolet Spark See every Chevrolet Spark model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Chevrolet Spark reliable?

The 2015 Chevrolet Spark has 83 complaints with NHTSA after 12 years, or 6 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Spark years here — over the median of the other years, which is 3. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Latch, Electrical system, software, and Radio.

What are common problems with a 2015 Chevrolet Spark?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (26 of 83), then Engine (11) and Electrical system (9). Those filings include 4 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 5 that report an injury.

Is the 2015 Chevrolet Spark more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 Spark has 176 complaints, 20 per year, and the 2016 has 42 complaints, 7 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016.

Has the 2015 Chevrolet Spark been recalled?

The 2015 Chevrolet Spark has 5 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2015 Chevrolet Spark?

Owners have filed 83 complaints about the 2015 Chevrolet Spark with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 Chevrolet Spark get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 Chevrolet Spark is 62 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Chevrolet Spark take?

5W-20 (1.2L) meeting dexos1 is the common fill on the US third-gen years here.

When did Chevrolet stop selling the Spark in the US?

The US catalog includes model years through 2022; there is no 2023+ Spark year in vPIC for this site.

What does recall 14V-593 cover on early Spark?

Certain 2013-2015 Spark vehicles: the secondary hood latch may prematurely wear, which can allow the hood to open while driving. Dealers replace the secondary latch.