2016 Chevrolet Spark recalls and problems

The 2016 Chevrolet Spark has 1 recall and 29 owner complaints on file with NHTSA; the most reported problem area is service brakes.

2016 Chevrolet Spark
Photo: 2016 Chevrolet Spark by Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
How the 2016 compares
Fewest complaintsMost complaints

High complaint count among 10 Spark model years — 4th most.

1recalls
29complaints
1crashes
1fires
1injuries
42,000median miles

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not verified and not adjusted for sales. Ranking compares this model's own years only.

Does your car have an open recall?
Recalls apply to specific vehicles. Only a VIN lookup on NHTSA's official site shows whether yours is affected and still unrepaired.
Check your VIN →

1 recall

Air Bags

May 9, 2017 · NHTSA campaign 17V307000 · 55,068 vehicles

Problem: 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."

Risk: In the event of a crash with a frontal air bag deployment, an unbelted child in the front passenger seat has an increased risk of injury.

Remedy & notes

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.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Recall text as published by NHTSA and the manufacturer.

What owners complain about

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA; one complaint can name several areas. Not verified by NHTSA.

Complaints by year filed

2016: 3 complaints20162017: 3 complaints20172018: 2 complaints20182019: 6 complaints201962020: 5 complaints20202021: 2 complaints20212022: 3 complaints20222023: 2 complaints20232025: 2 complaints20252026: 1 complaints20261

NHTSA investigations

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
Summary

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been n…

2016 vs. other Chevrolet Spark years

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2016. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2016 Chevrolet Spark have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign covering the 2016 Chevrolet Spark, the latest from May 9, 2017 (air bags). A recall applies to specific vehicles: enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected and still open.

What are the most common problems with the 2016 Chevrolet Spark?

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention service brakes (10), electrical system (6), unknown or other (5). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.