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Light NHTSA footprint — 42 owner complaints and 1 active recall campaign. Either a clean record or thin data; we'll show what's there.
The 2016 Chevrolet Spark has 42 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 recall on file (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). The most-reported system is brakes at 19 complaints, typically surfacing around 18,951 miles (~$450 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 Spark | 146 | 5 |
| 2014 Spark | 175 | 6 |
| 2015 Spark | 83 | 5 |
| 2016 Spark (this page) | 42 | 1 |
| 2017 Spark | 29 | 1 |
| 2018 Spark | 9 | 0 |
| 2019 Spark | 14 | 1 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: brakes is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 18,951 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 1 active recall on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 8.0/10 model. The priciest documented failure is powertrain (~$2,500) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet spark. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the entertainment screen and instrument panel lighting failed without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure recurred. The manufacturer was made…
The windshield wipers stopped operating while driving on a highway in the rain. The car was at highway speed. Extremely dangerous. The mechanic found the wiper motor was defective and pulled too much amperage that it burned internal fuse box relay. Wiper motor and fuse box…
While driving in early 2025, my 2016 Chevrolet Spark EV suddenly lost all ability to accelerate. The vehicle remained powered on but would not respond to the accelerator, and I was unable to fully shut it off. This created a safety hazard because I could not properly control or…
The contact owned a 2016 Chevrolet Spark. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle was T-bone crashed into on the driver's side by a second vehicle. During the crash, the driver-side curtain air bags did not immediately deploy. The contact…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
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.
NHTSA has an open defect investigation covering this vehicle — the step that can precede a recall, not a finding of fault. EA21002 on NHTSA →
How NHTSA investigations work, and what's open now →
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 8.0 out of 10 based on 42 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2016 Chevrolet Spark is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
On the NHTSA data, the 2016 Chevrolet Spark does not need avoiding. Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally. The record behind that call: No systemic severe-failure pattern in the complaint record; Reliability score 8.0/10 — above the segment average; 1 recall campaign on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the brakes first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 19 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 18,951 miles. Average repair cost runs about $450 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 8.0 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 42 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is brakes. Typical failure occurs around 18,951 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is brakes, with 19 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 18,951 miles. Average repair cost runs about $450 at an independent shop.
The brakes is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $450 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 18,951 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 42 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $450, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.