2016 Chevrolet Spark: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2016 Chevrolet Spark
On the 2016 Chevrolet Spark, the failure owners report most often is other electrical problem, with 5 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 42,500 miles. Overall it scores 63 out of 100, high risk for a 2016.
High risk for a 2016 — 242nd riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. 36 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 15 named failure modes on the 2016 Chevrolet Spark, and the three most-reported carry 33% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Other electrical problem leads with 5 reports and about 0.4 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other brake problem follows with 4 reports, median 10,000 miles.
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure follows with 3 reports, median 35,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into brakes (9), electrical (8) and transmission (3).
When these failures get reported
28 of the reports on the 2016 Chevrolet Spark came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 42,500 miles.
Cumulatively, 61% by 50,000 miles and 93% by 100,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 21% of the dated reports.
39% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 15. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
What happens when these parts fail
Across the named modes, 1 a fire. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 3.94, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other electrical problem at $250–$2,000, other brake problem at $300–$1,800, control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure at $700–$3,000 and other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
14% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 5 | 5 | — | 39k | — | 0.4 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 4 | 3 | — | 10k | — | 0.3 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 3 | 3 | — | 35k | — | 0.2 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 3 | 3 | — | 97k | — | 0.2 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 2 | 2 | — | 68k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 2 | 2 | — | 65k | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 57k | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Master cylinder or brake booster failure | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 85k | — | 0.1 | $450–$2,200 | Critical |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 1 | 1 | — | 85k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Wiper or washer failure | glass | 1 | 1 | — | 50k | — | 0.1 | $120–$800 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 42k | — | 0.1 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 1 | 1 | — | 5 | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 6 | 4 | — | 49k | — | 0.4 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2016 Chevrolet Spark draws about 2.6 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 79th percentile of complaint rates among 2016 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 13,767 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2016 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other electrical problem
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 aware of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 7,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2016 chevrolet spark. While driving approximately 45-50 MPH, there was an abnormal smoke odor in the cabin of the vehicle. Suddenly, the vehicle caught fire. The fire department was notified and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact stated that the fire started from inside the vehicle and spread throughout the vehicle. A fire report was filed. The contact was informed by the fire department that the fire might have been caused by an electrical issue, but was unable to substantiate the claim. The vehicle was towed to baker's recovery and towing. There were no injuries sustained. Paul-richard gmc (769 w main st, peru, in 46970, (765) 323-4317) was notified. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 44,000. *tt *tr
Other brake problem
On the way back to my san francisco home from the novato chevrolet dealer where I had just purchased a new black 2016 chevrolet spark ev my brakes stopped functioning. Just coming off the golden gate bridge, on a significant downhill grade, my brakes stopped functioning properly. At first the brakes started to be harder to push and then with my foot to the floor, provided almost no stopping power. The stopping distance was dangerously long. Very dangerous! Just over 2 miles.there was no way for me to stop the car immediately. Only minimally . With my foot to the floor, I was able to slow the car enough that 2 miles later, I was finally able to pull over and come to a stop. On the display panel, there were warning lights continuously on: - "service break assist" - "brake" warning light - "ABS" warning light - "tcs" warning light I was lucky to pull over with no (fatal) accident, and then waited almost 3 hours from dusk to night in the dark to have gm tow it back to the dealer, then get a cab, paying out of pocket to go home. The odometer read 37 miles.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 chevrolet spark. While being operated at a low speed, the brakes made an abnormal noise without warning. The vehicle was taken to classic chevrolet (located at 1101 w state highway 114, grapevine, tx) where it was diagnosed that the brakes needed to be adjusted and the brake wheel cylinder was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was approximately 9,659.
Recalls on the 2016 model year
NHTSA has issued 1 recall campaign covering the 2016 Chevrolet Spark, affecting an estimated 13,767 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
55,068 vehicles 2017-05-09- Defect
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Chevrolet Spark vehicles. In the event of a crash, if a young child is seated improperly and not wearing a seat belt while in the front passenger seat, deployment of the front passenger air bag may injure the occupant's neck. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- Consequence
- 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.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2017. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17199.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2016 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Where 2016 sits in the model line
High risk for a 2016 — 242nd riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. Because the ranking is against the same model year only, age cancels out of it.
Across the 8 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2016 comes out best at 63 and 2019 worst at 82, with 2016 itself at 63.
No other year of this model scores meaningfully better than 2016, so if this generation is what you want, the year is not the lever.
Within the 2013–2018 generation specifically, 2016 is the strongest year at 63 and 2013 the weakest at 78.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2013-2018 generation, 2016 Chevrolet Spark scores best at 63 and 2013 Chevrolet Spark worst at 78.
What this page cannot tell you
36 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 36 reports, 28 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 78% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Chevrolet Spark?
The most-reported failures are other electrical problem (5 reports, median 40,000 miles), other brake problem (4 reports, median 10,000 miles) and control module (ecm/pcm/bcm) failure (3 reports, median 35,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2016 Chevrolet Spark reliable?
It scores 63 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 242nd riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2016 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Chevrolet Spark is best?
Within the 2013–2018 generation, 2016 scores best at 63 out of 100 and 2013 worst at 78. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed