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2016 Chevrolet Spark

Verified August 31, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
not rated
Recalls
1
on record
MPG
34
combined

Open recalls on record

1 safety recall. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.

Vehicle Summary

2016 Chevrolet Spark

1 recall
42 complaints
34 MPG combined

Before You Buy

Confirm all 1 recall were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 3 complaints reporting a crash
Review the 42 owner complaints on record
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
1
Owner complaints
42
Complaints citing a crash
3

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

1 Recall on Record

These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

1 NHTSA campaign affecting this model year.

  • 17V307000high

    Airbag system issue

    AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

    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.

    Full campaign record

NHTSA crash-test ratings

NHTSA holds no crash-test rating for this model year.

Not every model year is tested. A missing rating is not a poor rating.

Fuel economy & emissions

EPA figures for the 2016 Chevrolet Spark, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.

31

City

40

Hwy

34

Comb

Annual fuel cost
$1,800
Tailpipe CO₂
259 g/mi

How this compares

At 34 MPG combined, the 2016 Chevrolet Spark ranks 2nd of 6 subcompact cars EPA rated for 2016 — 8 MPG better than the 26 MPG median for that group.

That places it a little above the middle of its class. Fuel cost is close enough to its rivals that other running costs will probably matter more.

EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $1,800, $650 less than the $2,450 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $9,000, a $3,250 difference against a class-median vehicle.

Tailpipe CO₂ is 259 grams per mile — about 3.9 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.

Consumer complaints

42 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

42
Total
3
Crashes
1
Fires
2
Injuries

Most reported components

  • BRAKES20
  • AIR BAGS5
  • ENGINE5
  • ELECTRICAL3
  • FUEL SYSTEM2

Notable Issues

42 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 2 reports involve injuries. 3 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

brake problems (soft pedal, noise, failure)20
airbag concerns (warning light, deployment issues)5
engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)5

Safety timeline

Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2016 Chevrolet Spark, newest first.

  1. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation EA21002

    Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  2. Recall

    Recall 17V307000

    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.

Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Subcompact Cars
Drive type
Front-Wheel Drive
Engine
1.4L 4-cyl
Fuel type
Unknown
Transmission
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Seats
0

Fuel economy

31

City

40

Hwy

34

Comb

Annual cost
$1,800
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

Explore related

Adjacent model years

All Chevrolet Spark years

Common problems

Chevrolet Spark problems

204 owner complaints analyzed

Systems recalled

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation EA21002

    Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  2. Recall

    Recall 17V307000

    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.