Reliable Auto DB

2017 Chevrolet Spark reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2017 Chevrolet Spark holds 29 complaints after 10 years, a rate of 5 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

29

Per year

5

Recalls

1

Years on the road

10

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (9 of 29), then Service brakes (8) and Air bags (5). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 4 that report an injury.

Next to 2016 and 2018

The 2016 Spark has 42 complaints, 7 per year, and the 2018 has 9 complaints, 2 per year. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

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 2017 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 (29 total)

Powertrain
9
Service brakes
8
Air bags
5
Electrical system
5
Engine
4
Visibility and wipers
3
Exterior lighting
1
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Seat belts
1
Seats
1
Speed control
1
Steering
1
Suspension
1
Visibility
1
Wheels
1
Show 7 more Show less
Crash-flagged

5

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

4

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

820174201822019520202202242023120241202522026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "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…"
    Powertrain, Service brakes · filed 2026-07-29
  • "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…"
    Visibility · filed 2026-06-30
  • "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."
    Powertrain, Electrical system · filed 2025-07-25
  • "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…"
    Powertrain · filed 2024-08-12
  • "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…"
    Service brakes · filed 2023-05-05

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2017 Chevrolet Spark 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 30 38 33 MPG $1950
Spark 1.4L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed Front-wheel drive 29 38 33 MPG $1950
Spark ACTIV 1.4L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 30 37 33 MPG $1950
Spark ACTIV 1.4L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed Front-wheel drive 29 37 32 MPG $2050

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 2016 Chevrolet Spark Next year 2018 Chevrolet Spark See every Chevrolet Spark model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2017 Chevrolet Spark reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2017 Chevrolet Spark holds 29 complaints after 10 years, a rate of 5 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 2017 Chevrolet Spark?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (9 of 29), then Service brakes (8) and Air bags (5). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 4 that report an injury.

Is the 2017 Chevrolet Spark more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2016 Spark has 42 complaints, 7 per year, and the 2018 has 9 complaints, 2 per year. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

Has the 2017 Chevrolet Spark been recalled?

The 2017 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 2017 Chevrolet Spark?

Owners have filed 29 complaints about the 2017 Chevrolet Spark with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2017 Chevrolet Spark get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2017 Chevrolet Spark is 32.8 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.