2014 Chevrolet Spark: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
176 NHTSA owner complaints · 6 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 176 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 14.67
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
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. Believed to be the issue: engine has piston slap and would need rebuilt …
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 a glass repair shop, where the windshield was replaced; however, the …
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 failure reoccurred. The vehicle taken to an independent mechanic where …
Recalls: 6 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 16V422000 | Electrical System:Software | 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. |
| 14V440000 | Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Arm | 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. |
| 14V593000 | Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch | 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. |
| 22V640000 | Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch | 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. |
| 16V257000 | Equipment:Electrical:Radio/Tape Deck/Cd Etc. | 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… |
| 15V416000 | Equipment:Electrical:Radio/Tape Deck/Cd Etc. | 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… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a city car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 33 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $1,850
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine51 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train49 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Electrical System39 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Vehicle Speed Control24 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
- Fuel/Propulsion System16 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Unknown Or Other16 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
Other Chevrolet Spark years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2014 Chevrolet Spark?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (51 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2014 Chevrolet Spark a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 38/100, computed from 176 NHTSA complaints and 6 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2014 Chevrolet Spark's most common problem?
51 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2014 Chevrolet Spark sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2014 Chevrolet Spark cost to run per year?
About $4,408 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $22,042 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2014 Chevrolet Spark have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for the 2014 Chevrolet Spark, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 10/06/2016. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other economys of about the same age.
What will a 2014 Chevrolet Spark really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 176 complaints, 6 recalls on record
- 176 NHTSA complaints on record (14.7/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (3.2/yr)
- 6 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems