2014 Chevrolet Spark problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (37) · Vehicle Speed Control (25) · Engine (22)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Chevrolet Spark model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
122 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (6)
Latches/Locks/Linkages:hood:latch 2022-08-25 · campaign 22V640000 · 120,688 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A hood latch failure can result in the vehicle's hood opening unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the hood striker assembly and hood latch assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 12, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is A222359300. This recall supersedes and expands NHTSA recall number 14V-593. Vehicles previously repaired under 14V-593 will need to have the new remedy performed.
Electrical System:software 2016-06-10 · campaign 16V422000 · 18,780 vehicles
Defect: 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 leaves the key in the ignition. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 208 "Occupant Crash Protection" and 114 "Theft Protect
Risk: Without audible indicators, the driver may not fasten their seatbelt, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The recall began on July 22, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 45340.
Electrical System:software 2016-04-28 · campaign 16V257000 · 317,572 vehicles
Defect: 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 leaving the key in the cylinder, waits 10 minutes or longer to open the door. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114
Risk: Without audible indicators, the driver may leave the key in the ignition, increasing the risk of theft.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17130.
Equipment:electrical:radio/Tape Deck/Cd Etc. 2015-06-30 · campaign 15V416000 · 45,785 vehicles
Defect: 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 lock up due to a software issue, causing the display to go blank and all audio functions to cease. Because of this, there may be no warning chimes such as the reminder to buckle the seat belt and the
Risk: Without audible indicators, the driver may leave the key in the ignition, increasing the risk of theft. If a driver or front passenger does not buckle their seat belt, there would be no chime to remind them to fasten their seat belts. If a driver or passenger does not buckle their seat belt there is an increased risk that they will be injured in a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The recall began on August 11, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15504.
Latches/Locks/Linkages:hood:latch 2014-09-24 · campaign 14V593000 · 89,294 vehicles
Defect: 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 hood latch.
Risk: If the secondary hood latch corrodes causing the latch to be stuck out of position, and the primary hood latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the striker with a new part which has superior corrosion protection, free of charge. The recall began on January 7, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14456.
Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm 2014-07-21 · campaign 14V440000 · 1,919 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: 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.
Risk: If the lower control arm bolts are not tightened properly, the lower control arm may separate from the steering knuckle while driving, causing a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners are instructed NOT to drive their vehicles until the recall remedy has been completed. Owners should call a Chevrolet dealer immediately to arrange for their vehicle to be transported free of charge for servicing. GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the left and right lower control arm attaching bolts to make sure that they are tightened to the proper specification, free of charge. The recall began on August 1, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-2
Service bulletins (1,479)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-26 · PIT5698F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi provides diagnostics tips on how the lin bus works and how to diagnosis it.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-04 · PIP4902W · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.
Unknown Or Other 2026-04-01 · PIT3271Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
Unknown Or Other 2026-03-09 · PIP6104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a gds2 session log and upload to a technical assistance case in cx connect.
Unknown Or Other 2026-03-09 · PIP4902V · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.
Unknown Or Other 2026-01-08 · PIP4902U · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.
Showing the 6 most recent of 1,479 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-08-17 · Service Brakes“vehicle went into “limp mode” while merging onto a busy road, nearly causing a collision with both oncoming traffic and other vehicles attempting to merge onto the road. the vehicle was towed to a mechanic. the mechanic diagnosed the following: “checked system codes. found p0324 knock sensor module performance code. found the attached tsb by gm. be…”
2026-07-06 · Latches/Locks/Linkages:hood:latch · 65,000 mi“the contact owns a 2014 chevrolet spark. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the hood independently unlatched and crashed against the front windshield, causing damage to the windshield and bending the hood out of shape. additionally, the hood became stuck in a locked position following the impact. the vehicle was taken to…”
2026-07-05 · Vehicle Speed Control“the date was xxx there was a recall on the transmission for my 2014 chevrolet spark i took my car to ben mynatt [xxx]. they check my car and told me that my car transmission was effected and that they put an order for a new transmission. they called me the next day to bring the car in which i did, they gave me a loaner. on xxx they called me and …”
2026-05-07 · Power Train · 76,000 mi“the contact owns a a 2014 chevrolet spark. the contact stated that while on several occasions at various speeds, the transmission warning light illuminated and the vehicle lost power. the vehicle was steered to the side of the road and turned off for approximately 30 mins and then restarted. the contact stated that after 30 minutes to an hour the f…”
2026-04-04 · Vehicle Speed Control“the vehicle experiences intermittent loss of power and unstable acceleration while driving at normal speeds (approximately 45–55 mph). the vehicle will surge, hesitate, and fail to maintain consistent speed, creating an unsafe condition in traffic. while driving, the vehicle does not consistently respond to throttle input and may unexpectedly lose…”
2026-04-01 · Power Train“without warning, car began to drop out of 5th gear while driving, entering neutral at high speeds. this is a manual transmission and you can see the shifter physical move itself into 5th gear. driver almost lost control of the vehicle out of surprise to what had just happened. when searching in reddit, this appears to be a widespread issue for thi…”
2026-02-18 · Power Train · 114,000 mi“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…”
2025-07-13 · Power Train“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…”
2025-05-27 · Vehicle Speed Control“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 d…”
2025-01-07 · Power Train · 100,000 mi“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 a…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.