The 2016 Chevrolet Spark is associated with 42 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 3 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Service Brakes, accounting for 18 reports (43% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 3 certified vehicle configurations spanning 1.4l 4-cyl and all-electric configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 33 to 34 MPG combined. All-electric variants deliver up to 119 MPGe with an estimated range of 82 miles. Detailed NHTSA crash-test ratings are not available in the current AutoUtility dataset for this model year.

Key Data Findings
  • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 42 reports
  • Safety Recall Campaigns: 3 campaigns
  • Top Reported Defect Area: Service Brakes (18 / 43%)
  • Safety Incident Signals: 3 crash / 1 fire / 2 injury reports
  • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: Not rated by NHTSA
  • EPA Efficiency: 33–34 MPG (3 variants)
Data Note: Compiled directly from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.
Fuel Economy
33–34MPG
3 EPA certified variants (1.4l 4-cyl and all-electric configurations)
Reported Complaints
42
42 submitted owner reports
Safety Recalls
3
3 official NHTSA recalls
NCAP Safety Rating
Not rated by NHTSA

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2016 Chevrolet Spark?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Spark 1.4L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) 31 MPG 40 MPG 34 MPG $1,800 / yr
Spark 1.4L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Manual 5-spd 30 MPG 39 MPG 33 MPG $1,850 / yr
Spark EV 100% Electric Electric Motor Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (A1) 128 MPGe 109 MPGe 119 MPGe 82 mi $650 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.
Electric Range & Charging: The 2016 Chevrolet Spark provides an official EPA-rated driving range of up to 82 miles on a single battery charge.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2016 Chevrolet Spark?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
5 HB FWD
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Optional and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Optional in official NHTSA records for tested 2016 Chevrolet Spark models.
View complete 2016 Chevrolet Spark crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2016 Chevrolet Spark?

Summary of 42 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
42
Crash Reports
3
Fire Reports
1
Complaints w/ Injury
2
Total Injuries
2

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Service Brakes 18 complaints (1 crash)
Air Bags 5 complaints (2 crashes)
Electrical System 3 complaints
Powertrain 2 complaints
Visibility & Wipers 2 complaints

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2016 Chevrolet Spark problems & component breakdown (16 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2016 Chevrolet Spark?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #17V437000 Active Recall
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

Defect Summary: 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.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: 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.
NHTSA Campaign #17V307000 Active Recall
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Defect Summary: 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."

Free Manufacturer 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.
NHTSA Campaign #16V651000 Active Recall
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

Defect Summary: 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.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: 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.
View all 2016 Chevrolet Spark recalls & campaign history (3 campaigns) →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.