Reliable Auto DB

2016 Chevrolet Spark reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 42 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Chevrolet Spark over 11 years — 7 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 1 recall on file, including Inflator.

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

42

Per year

7

Recalls

1

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (20 of 42), then Air bags (5) and Electrical system (5). Those filings include 3 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Spark has 83 complaints, 6 per year, and the 2017 has 29 complaints, 5 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

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 2016 Chevrolet Spark. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2017-05-09 · NHTSA campaign 17V307000
Summary 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."
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.

Complaints by component (42 total)

Service brakes
20
Air bags
5
Electrical system
5
Powertrain
4
Engine
2
Fuel and propulsion system
2
Steering
2
Visibility and wipers
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Exterior lighting
1
Seats
1
Show 3 more Show less
Crash-flagged

3

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

2

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

6201613201732018620195202022021320222202322025
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "While driving in early 2025, my 2016 Chevrolet Spark EV suddenly lost all ability to accelerate. The vehicle remained powered on but would not respond to the accelerator, and I was unable to fully shut it off. This…"
    Electrical system, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2025-12-10
  • "I am the owner of a 2016 Spark EV, and the driver was my family member. The vehicle was charged and had a remaining driving range of 51 miles when the vehicle suddenly shut down on a major city road without any prior…"
    Unknown or other, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2025-05-11
  • "The contact owned a 2016 Chevrolet Spark. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle was T-bone crashed into on the driver's side by a second vehicle. During the crash, the driver-side…"
    Air bags · filed 2023-10-20
  • "I was driving downhill with the car in L on a highway and brakes failed. I could not engage the brakes at all but somehow the car slowed to a stop and I managed to pull into a parking spot and park. Two lights came on:…"
    Service brakes · filed 2023-10-09
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Spark. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the transmission was slipping, and the cruise control was not operating correctly. Additionally, the RPM was elevated with the check…"
    Powertrain · filed 2022-07-20

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Chevrolet Spark 5 HB FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2016 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 1.4L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 31 40 34 MPG $1900
Spark 1.4L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed Front-wheel drive 30 39 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 2015 Chevrolet Spark Next year 2017 Chevrolet Spark See every Chevrolet Spark model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Chevrolet Spark reliable?

Owners have filed 42 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Chevrolet Spark over 11 years — 7 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 1 recall on file, including Inflator.

What are common problems with a 2016 Chevrolet Spark?

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (20 of 42), then Air bags (5) and Electrical system (5). Those filings include 3 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 2 that report an injury.

Is the 2016 Chevrolet Spark more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Spark has 83 complaints, 6 per year, and the 2017 has 29 complaints, 5 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Chevrolet Spark been recalled?

The 2016 Chevrolet Spark has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Chevrolet Spark?

Owners have filed 42 complaints about the 2016 Chevrolet Spark with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Chevrolet Spark get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 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.