2015 Chevrolet SPARK: complaints, problems and recalls

ON MAY 15, 2015, AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 15 FREEWAY MILES, I TOOK THE FREEWAY OFF RAMP. AFTER TRAVELING ABOUT 1/2 MILE, AFTER EXITING, THE "PROPULSION POWER IS REDUCED" WARNING LIGHT CAME ON FOLLOWED BY THE VEHICLE SLOWING DOWN ALTHOUGH I'M PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR FOR MORE POWER. AFTER STOPPING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE CAR MOVED VERY SLOWLY EVEN WHEN I'M FLOORING THE ACCELERATOR. I FINALLY MADE IT TO THE CHURCH PARKING LIGHT WITH THE VEHICLE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 5 MPH. THE CAR WAS TOWED BACK TO MY HOUSE, ABOUT 17 MILES AWAY. THE FAILURE COULD HAVE BE…

Owner-reported narrative. 450 miles reported. Look up ODI 10721576 at NHTSA ↗

THE CENTER CONSOLE SCREEN (INFOTAINMENT) IS VERY BRIGHT ON ITS LOWEST LIGHT LEVEL SETTING. NO WAY TO TURN OFF THE SCREEN OR DIM IT MORE THE WHERE THE FACTORY SETTING IS. TALKED WITH DEALER, ONSTAR CALL CENTER, AND CUSTOMER ACTIVIST AT CHEVROLET. THEY ALL SAY IT IS A FACTORY SETTING THAT CANNOT BE CHANGED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, BECAUSE AT ITS LOWEST SETTING I CAN NOT SEE IF THERE IS ANY WILDLIFE OF HUMANS ALONG THE EDGE OF THE RURAL ROAD AT NIGHT. IT IS LIKE DRIVING IN A CONDITION EQUIVALENT TO HAVING A CONSTANT ONCOMING HIGH BEAM LIGHT.…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10767439 at NHTSA ↗

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 …

Owner-reported narrative. 8,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10837369 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS A FRONT-SEAT PASSENGER IN THIS VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REAR-ENDED. THE DRIVER OF OUR VEHICLE HAD BRAKED BUT WAS STILL MOVING AT APPROX 25-30 MPH; THE CAR THAT HIT US WAS LIKELY GOING 55-60 MPH. THIS ACCIDENT HAPPENED AT APPROX. 4:25 PM ON APRIL 29, 2016 ALONG NORTHBOUND I-5, JUST PAST LACEY, WA. THE SKY AND AIR WERE CLEAR AND THE HIGHWAY SURFACE WAS DRY. THE WA STATE TROOPERS RESPONDED AND CITED THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE; OUR VEHICLE DID NOT HIT ANYTHING, AND OUR DRIVER WAS NOT CITED. I AM NOT AWARE OF THE EXTENT OF DAM…

Owner-reported narrative. 15,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10864075 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS DRIVING A CHEVY SPARK 2015 TO MY LOCAL SUPERMARKET, LESS THAN 3 OR SO MILES FROM MY HOME. I WAS SEVERAL MILES UNDER THE 40 MPH SPEED LIMIT. I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE OF A TWO LANE ROAD. I COULD SEE STOPPED TRAFFIC QUITE A WAYS AHEAD OF ME ' ALSO IN THE RIGHT LANE. THERE WERE AT LEAST 6-7 CARS IN FRONT OF ME AND A TRUCK IN FRONT OF THE CARS. I COULD SEE THE CARS/TRUCK WERE STOPPED FOR THE STOPLIGHT BUT THEY WERE QUITE A WAYS AHEAD OF ME. THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE LEFT LANE SO I DECIDED TO MAKE A LANE CHANGE AS THERE WAS PLENTY OF ROOM AHEA…

Owner-reported narrative. 14,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10894265 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS HEADING EAST ON I40 TOWARDS RALEIGH NC DRIVING THE SPEED LIMIT WHEN THE HOOD OF THE CAR CAME UP AND HIT THE WINDSHIELD. AT FIRST I DIDNT REALIZE WHAT IT WAS. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND THATS WHEN I SAW THAT IT WAS THE HOOD OF THE CAR. I SHUT THE HOOD AND CHECKED TO SEE IF IT WAS LATCHED. IT STAYED LATCHED SO I CONTINUED HOME. THERE WERE SMALL PIECES OF GLASS EVERYWHERE. IT HAPPENED ABOUT AN HOUR INTO MY DRIVE.

Owner-reported narrative. 35,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10906108 at NHTSA ↗

VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON STREET, GOING STRAIGHT, WHEN STEERING LOCKED UP AND CAR COULD NOT BE CONTROLLED. THIS RESULTED IN CAR GOING OFF IN A DITCH. SPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 35MPH. RIGHT FRONT WHEEL LOCKED IN POSITION, AND NO CONTROL WAS POSSIBLE. THIS WAS APPROX. ONE-EIGHTH OF A MILE FROM HOME. CAR WAS BACKED OUT OF DITCH, AND VERY CAREFULLY AND SLOWLY DRIVEN HOME. FROM THERE IT WAS TOWED TO SAPAUGH CHEVROLET IN HERCULANEUM, MISSOURI. INSPECTION RESULTS HAVE BEEN INCONCLUSIVE. REPORTED TO GENERAL MOTORS. WE ARE NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THE …

Owner-reported narrative. 16,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10916542 at NHTSA ↗

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 …

Owner-reported narrative. 8,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10925592 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2014-09-24 (September 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: 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.

Reported: 2015-06-30 (June 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: 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.

Reported: 2016-04-28 (April 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: 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.

Reported: 2016-06-10 (June 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: 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.

Reported: 2022-08-25 (August 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: 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.