Total Complaints
264 filings
CHEVROLET SPARK · model year
264 NHTSA complaints, 21 crash reports, and 6 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
New Car Assessment Program
The 2014CHEVROLETSPARK carries 264 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 21 crashes, 0 fires, 14 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2014 SPARK is engine with 49 filings, followed by power train (43) and electrical system (38). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 6 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2014 SPARK, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
264 filings
Crashes Reported
21 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE | 49 |
| POWER TRAIN | 43 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 38 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 23 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 16 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 16 |
| AIR BAGS | 13 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 10 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 9 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 8 |
| STEERING | 7 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 7 |
| SEAT BELTS | 6 |
| SUSPENSION | 5 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 3 |
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
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 l
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
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
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
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.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
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
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Spark vehicles manufactured from May 7, 2014, to May 26, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the left and right lower control arm attaching bolts in the front suspension may not be tightened to specification.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
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 leave
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Spark. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. Additionally, the transmission was shifting hard. The diagnostic trouble codes: P0700 and P0841 were retrieved after the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall repair that was performed in May 2016, where the transmission pulley was replaced. The contact stated that the recall repair had failed to prevent a failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.
Mileage: 114,000
transmission issues
transmission issues
transmission issues
transmission recall issued to me on fed. 2020 that extended transmission warranty due to hard shifts. only thing done was a transmission flush.on 07/21/2023. now the car has 83,000 miles on it and is gotten worse over time. the flush just kept the same problem. no power after hitting gas. At Maher Chevy St. Petersburg Florida, they said there was nothing they could do. problem has been throughout vehicles life. And they made us believe they were changing the transmission.
The GM bulletin N19227110 indicates that they are aware of over 10% of Chevrolet Spark models from the years 2014-2015 experiencing transmission problems. Although this bulletin expired last year, it is important to note that they do not provide coverage for vehicles purchased used with fewer than 120,000 miles. This situation poses a significant danger, as the transmission may potentially be contaminated with dirt and debris, leading to unexpected jerking or complete failure, and in some cases, vehicles have caught fire. Furthermore, unless the vehicle is taken to a GM service center, the issue may remain undetected. According to my research, this problem is similar to the one that Nissan faced with their CVT transmissions, which were subject to a recall for the same reason.
The GM bulletin N19227110 indicates that they are aware of over 10% of Chevrolet Spark models from the years 2014-2015 experiencing transmission problems. Although this bulletin expired last year, it is important to note that they do not provide coverage for vehicles purchased used with fewer than 120,000 miles. This situation poses a significant danger, as the transmission may potentially be contaminated with dirt and debris, leading to unexpected jerking or complete failure, and in some cases, vehicles have caught fire. Furthermore, unless the vehicle is taken to a GM service center, the issue may remain undetected. According to my research, this problem is similar to the one that Nissan faced with their CVT transmissions, which were subject to a recall for the same reason.
The GM bulletin N19227110 indicates that they are aware of over 10% of Chevrolet Spark models from the years 2014-2015 experiencing transmission problems. Although this bulletin expired last year, it is important to note that they do not provide coverage for vehicles purchased used with fewer than 120,000 miles. This situation poses a significant danger, as the transmission may potentially be contaminated with dirt and debris, leading to unexpected jerking or complete failure, and in some cases, vehicles have caught fire. Furthermore, unless the vehicle is taken to a GM service center, the issue may remain undetected. According to my research, this problem is similar to the one that Nissan faced with their CVT transmissions, which were subject to a recall for the same reason.
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Spark. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that on another occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power. The vehicle was towed back to the same independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the standard shift had failed. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the contact stated that a year after the previous repair was made, the failure reoccurred for the third time. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed. Several local dealers were contacted; however, the contact was informed that the dealers did not repair vehicles with transmission failure. The failure mileage was ap
Mileage: 100,000
Transmission failing - when stopped and trying to go from a dead stop the car will not move for a minute the rpm's rev high and the car will barely move maybe two to five miles per hour while the rpm's just rev higher. When climbing a hill the car seems to lose power and not shift like it should. If starting in morning the car may shift for a few minutes then it seems to only shift like downshifting. Other times it seems to run ok and shift ok but the next time you could be trying to merge on the freeway and the car will not go will not get up speed. This dangerous when entering a freeway and trying to get speed up to match vehicles on freeway already. It is also dangerous when making left turns without shifting correctly and car just has little movement revs the rpm's but doesn't move enough to make the turn safely I front of other vehicle waiting to start forward on the green light. It is also dangerous when climbing a hill. I was stopped at a red light when light turned green I pr
Transmission failing - when stopped and trying to go from a dead stop the car will not move for a minute the rpm's rev high and the car will barely move maybe two to five miles per hour while the rpm's just rev higher. When climbing a hill the car seems to lose power and not shift like it should. If starting in morning the car may shift for a few minutes then it seems to only shift like downshifting. Other times it seems to run ok and shift ok but the next time you could be trying to merge on the freeway and the car will not go will not get up speed. This dangerous when entering a freeway and trying to get speed up to match vehicles on freeway already. It is also dangerous when making left turns without shifting correctly and car just has little movement revs the rpm's but doesn't move enough to make the turn safely I front of other vehicle waiting to start forward on the green light. It is also dangerous when climbing a hill. I was stopped at a red light when light turned green I pr
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Spark M300. The contact stated that the air bag and the seat belts warning lights were illuminated, and a message stating that the air bags would not deploy in the event of a crash was displayed. The contact stated while at a complete stop at the traffic light, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The vehicle was pushed to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer by roadside assistance, who purchased a new battery for the vehicle from the dealer; however, the dealer informed the contact that Roadside assistance could not install the battery because it would interfere with the business operations. The dealer advised the contact that she would need to pay the battery installation and diagnostic testing fee. The contact declined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Mileage: 100,000
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Spark M300. The contact stated that the air bag and the seat belts warning lights were illuminated, and a message stating that the air bags would not deploy in the event of a crash was displayed. The contact stated while at a complete stop at the traffic light, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The vehicle was pushed to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer by roadside assistance, who purchased a new battery for the vehicle from the dealer; however, the dealer informed the contact that Roadside assistance could not install the battery because it would interfere with the business operations. The dealer advised the contact that she would need to pay the battery installation and diagnostic testing fee. The contact declined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Mileage: 100,000
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Spark M300. The contact stated that the air bag and the seat belts warning lights were illuminated, and a message stating that the air bags would not deploy in the event of a crash was displayed. The contact stated while at a complete stop at the traffic light, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The vehicle was pushed to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer by roadside assistance, who purchased a new battery for the vehicle from the dealer; however, the dealer informed the contact that Roadside assistance could not install the battery because it would interfere with the business operations. The dealer advised the contact that she would need to pay the battery installation and diagnostic testing fee. The contact declined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Mileage: 100,000
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Spark. The contact stated while attempting to accelerate from a complete stop, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact continued to depress the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle lurched forward while responding sluggishly. The contact stated that the RPMS was high, but the vehicle failed to exceed 50 MPH. No further information was available. The contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently while driving from a complete stop. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under GMC Campaign Number: N192271110 because the special coverage had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 114,720.
Mileage: 114,720
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Spark. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact stated that the vehicle was slowly coming to a stop and that the transmission would not shift into the proper gear. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to park the vehicle on the side of the road safely. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed. The contact was informed that the clutch was faulty and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the shifter and the clutch had failed three times. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
Mileage: 150,000
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Spark. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle had not been diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,833.
Mileage: 81,833
Car braked in front of me to avoid a crash; I did the same. I managed to leave enough space and I did not make contact with the car in front of me. As I was stopped behind the car in front of me, another car rear-ended me going â 35 mph. Consequently, my car was compressed between both cars. There was severe damage to the hood/front end of my car from the force of the car behind me pushing against the car in front of me; moderate damage to the rear. No airbags deployed. I was left with a sprained back and a concussion. I do believe I have complications with my spine and nervous system to this day because of this accident.
Transmission needs to be replaced per mechanic, costing around $3,5000-$5,000 Jerking or shuddering during the normal course of driving Hesitations while attempting to accelerate from a stopped position Engine stalls out or intermittently shutting off Rough start or hard shift and sudden acceleration Hesitations while attempting to accelerate from a stopped position
Transmission needs to be replaced per mechanic, costing around $3,5000-$5,000 Jerking or shuddering during the normal course of driving Hesitations while attempting to accelerate from a stopped position Engine stalls out or intermittently shutting off Rough start or hard shift and sudden acceleration Hesitations while attempting to accelerate from a stopped position
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
Fuel Line Leak
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.