Selling a broken-down Chevy Spark

Two checks can change the decision: a GM transmission program on 2014-2015 cars, and open recalls on the VIN. Both are below, with NHTSA's year-by-year counts.

The Spark in three versions

GM Korea built the Spark, and the design started life in 1998 as the Daewoo Matiz. US buyers got two gas generations and a short-run electric one. Counts are our tally of NHTSA's complaint and recall data from October 10, 2026. NHTSA's complaint counts lump the Spark EV in with the gas car, so the EV has no separate figure.

2013-2015: the 1.2-liter car

Production of the US version began April 16, 2012, and cars reached dealers that August. The engine is a 1.2-liter four, 84 hp and 83 lb-ft. On a 2013 the choices were a manual (five forward gears) or a four-speed automatic. For 2014 the automatic became a Jatco CVT.

Oil use. GM's emission recall bulletin 14110 covers 2013-2014 Sparks with the 1.2 (RPO LL0). A PCV valve that wears early can make the engine use too much oil. That can foul a spark plug and light the check-engine lamp, and in GM's words, "if uncorrected, cause engine damage and lack of engine power." The fix is a new PCV valve, and sometimes a new number 4 plug. Engine complaints run 22 on the 2013 and 40 on the 2014, though the counts don't say which part failed.

The CVT. GM special coverage N192271110 covers 2014-2015 Sparks with the CVT (RPO M4M). After "an unexpected harsh shift event," the drive pulleys and internal belt can be damaged, and loose debris then hurts the rest of the transmission. Left alone, the car can drop into reduced power and lose drive altogether. The dealer replaces the transmission at no charge. GM's terms run "for a period of 10 years or 120,000 miles (193,000 km), whichever occurs first, from the date the vehicle was originally placed in service, regardless of ownership." Power train complaints are 28 on the 2014 and 21 on the 2015.

Recalls on these years. Recall 14V440 is the serious one: 1,919 Sparks built May 7 to 26, 2014, whose front lower control arm bolts may not be tight. An arm can separate from the steering knuckle, so GM told owners not to drive until it was fixed. The secondary hood latch can corrode at its pivot. Recall 14V593, filed in September 2014, called for a new striker on 89,294 Sparks. Recall 22V640 followed in 2022 with a new striker and latch for 120,688 Spark and Spark EV cars, and NHTSA's notice says cars already repaired under 14V593 "will need to have the new remedy" too. Three radio recalls fixed software that could silence the warning chimes: 15V416 (45,785 vehicles, with the 2015 Sonic), 16V257 (317,572, with the Sonic and Trax) and 16V422 (18,780).

2014-2016: the Spark EV

The Spark EV was a compliance car, built to satisfy state electric-vehicle mandates rather than for nationwide sales. It went on sale in California and Oregon in June 2013, as a 2014 model, and reached Maryland in 2015. The EPA rated it at 82 miles. The 2014 used a 21.3 kWh A123 battery and the 2015-2016 a 19 kWh LG Chem pack. Two GM-wide air bag software recalls, 16V651 (3,640,162 vehicles) and 17V437 (40,683), included the 2014-2016 Spark EV.

2016-2022: the 1.4-liter car

GM bulletin PI1543 calls the 2016 a redesigned, reengineered second generation of the nameplate in the US. It has a 1.4-liter four, 98 hp and 94 lb-ft, with a five-speed manual or a CVT, built at Changwon, South Korea. The ACTIV trim arrived for 2017, and a 2019 facelift added optional low-speed automatic emergency braking. Production ended in August 2022, and the Changwon plant switched to the new Trax.

Complaints drop sharply on this generation. The 2016 has 42, and 20 of them concern the service brakes. Recall 17V307 covers 55,068 2016-2017 Sparks whose passenger air bag could injure a young child sitting unbelted in the front seat; dealers fitted a new passenger air bag module. Recall 18V774 caught 12 vehicles, 2019 Encore, Spark, Traverse and Trax models, whose air bag module was left in manufacturing mode.

Spark complaints, crashes and recalls by year

NHTSA logs each owner complaint under the model year the owner names. "Crashes" counts complaints that report one. Recall counts include Spark EV campaigns, and a campaign covering several years counts in each.

Power train and engine tie for the most-named components across all years, 83 complaints each.

Should you repair it?

On a small, older car, one large repair can top its resale value. Get the quote in writing, check the going price for a running Spark with similar miles, and compare. If the quote is close, selling it whole is the simpler path.

1. Check recalls first at NHTSA's VIN lookup. On a 2013-2015, look for 22V640 even if the hood latch was fixed once before.
2. CVT out on a 2014-2015? Ask a dealer to look up special coverage N192271110 on the VIN before you approve a rebuild. Our CVT failure guide covers the symptoms.
3. Burning oil on a 2013-2014? Ask whether the PCV valve work from bulletin 14110 was ever done.

Getting your Spark picked up

1. Have ready the VIN, the mileage, whether it's a manual, CVT or EV, and what's wrong.
2. Request an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Say where the car is: at the curb, in a parking lot, in a driveway or at a repair shop. A Spark is small, but note flat tires or wheels that won't turn.
4. Keep it whole. Leave the battery, wheels and converter where they are. Tell us about anything that's already missing.
5. When the driver arrives, show a photo ID and hand over the title. No title? Start with our no-title guide.

Other small Chevys: the Sonic, the Trax and the Bolt. Or see the full Chevrolet list.