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Light NHTSA footprint — 29 owner complaints and 1 active recall campaign. Either a clean record or thin data; we'll show what's there.
The 2017 Chevrolet Spark has 29 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 recall on file (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). The most-reported system is powertrain at 8 complaints, typically surfacing around 66,667 miles (~$2,500 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 Spark | 175 | 6 |
| 2015 Spark | 83 | 5 |
| 2016 Spark | 42 | 1 |
| 2017 Spark (this page) | 29 | 1 |
| 2018 Spark | 9 | 0 |
| 2019 Spark | 14 | 1 |
| 2020 Spark | 19 | 0 |
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: airbags is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 13,435 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: 8.2/10 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 2017 Chevrolet spark. While driving 35 MPH, the brakes seized without warning. The contact pulled over and stopped the vehicle. When the vehicle was turned off and restarted, it resumed normal operation and was driven home. Capital Chevrolet Buick GMC of…
At railway parking lot, first car blocked when backing out of space. After 3 tries, able to move on, exiting lot and about to turn right into street, car swerved hard right by itself and loudly hit curb. Passenger side wheel and tire totally damaged. I had to get it towed to…
As I was idling up behind the car in front of me at a 4-way stop, and braking gently, my engine puttered out and turned off. I was able to restart the car after putting it in park and turning the ignition off then back on.
The following has now happened on 3 separate occasions when driving on a highway: when driving at highway speeds (50 -55 MPH) and hitting a bump that jolts the car (not necessarilly a huge bump), the entire engine and electrical system cuts off and shuts down. This happens…
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.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 8.2 out of 10 based on 29 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2017 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 2017 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 8.2/10 — 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 powertrain first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 8 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 66,667 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 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 8.2 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 29 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is powertrain. Typical failure occurs around 66,667 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 powertrain, with 8 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 66,667 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop.
The powertrain is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 66,667 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 29 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $2,500, 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.