2016 Chevrolet Spark EV Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Spark EV years
- Not enough data 1st of 4 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 14 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Chevrolet Spark EV. That is the most of any Spark EV model year in the database (4 years). The most reported problem area is service brakes (10 complaints, 71%), typically at around 3,006 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 1 injury. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 14owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 Chevrolet Spark EV problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 10 | 71% | 3,006 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 21% | 4,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 7% | 14,029 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 Chevrolet Spark EV recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seat belts:pretensioner; air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.
Seat belts:pretensioner; air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
- Pedestrian alert sounds (DP22005) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V063000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I was driving approximately 25 mph and hit a pot hole which resulted in the passenger and driver side air bag curtains deploying. There is no visible damage to tire or car
I was driving a 2016 chevrolet spark ev on a city roadway when i had a complete brake failure and almost was involved in a collision. At the start of my commute, i turned the vehicle on which was parked on the outside of the garage. I noticed that there was a loud sound coming from the front left…
The car was stopped and was hit from the rear on a city street. The impact speed was approximately 15mph (estimated). The driver seat slid back upon impact and appeared to derail and was stopped by the rear seat. After the accident, the seat would not slide forward. I am concerned that this is a…
Sudden and strong brake pedal applications occasionally resulted in significantly more pedal travel, significantly less braking force, and significantly longer stopping distances than typically experienced during similar brake pedal applications. Each event occurred on warm, dry southern california…
4 times while driving, 1 time while stationary, the car's brake assist (power braking system) has gone out. Each time, it was difficult to slow the vehicle and bring it to a stop. There was a "service stabilitrak" warning followed immediately by a "service brake assist" warning. Concurrently, the…
Other Chevrolet Spark EV years
← 2015 Spark EV · 2017 Spark EV →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 Spark EV | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 14 | 2 |
| 2015 Spark EV | 7 | 3 |
| 2014 Spark EV | 4 | 3 |
See all Chevrolet Spark EV problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
Similar Chevrolet models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Chevrolet Spark EV?
Owners most often report service brakes, air bags, seats problems. The top one, service brakes, accounts for 10 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Chevrolet Spark EV?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 Chevrolet Spark EV a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Spark EV model years, the 2016 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.