What 146 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Chevrolet Spark EV

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET SPARK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SHOTTENKIRK CHEVROLET (755 W HICKMAN ROAD, WAUKEE, IA 50263 (515) 987-8575) TO HAVE A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE SERVICE. THE TECHNICIAN WAS PERFORMING THE TASK OF BLEEDING THE BRAKES AND NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE BLEEDER VALVE WAS INOPERABLE. IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE BLEEDER VALVE ON THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ADVISED THE CONTACT TO CALL NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

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SLOWLY PULLED CAR INTO THE DRIVEWAY. ENTERED THE GARAGE WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. HALF WAY INTO GARAGE, THE ENGINE OVER ACCELERATED AND MADE THE CAR LUNGE FORWARD. MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE BRAKES WENT INTO ABS MODE, WITH PULSATING. THE CAR RAMMED INTO SOME STORAGE TOTES AND ALSO MY SNOWBLOWER. THE OVER ACCELERATION OF THE ENGINE STOPPED. ALL OF THIS TOOK ABOUT 10 - 15 SECONDS. NO AMOUNT OF PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL STOPPED THIS CAR. NO, I DID NOT HAVE MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL. THE CAR WENT INTO MY LOCAL CHEVY DEALER 2 DAYS LATER. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY RAN SOME TESTS, HAD IT UP ON A LIFT & EVEN HAD A MECHANIC TAKE IT OUT TO TRY TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. OF COURSE, THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT ALL THESE OVER & UNDER ACCELERATION PROBLEMS BEFORE LIVES ARE LOST! MY CAR HAS A FEW MINOR DENTS ON THE HOOD, FROM FALLING TOTES MY SNOWBLOWER IS SLIGHTLY DENTED BUT MY NERVES ARE SHOT. I AM REALLY SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET SPARK. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH IN INCLEMENT WEATHER, THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE LEFT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,280.

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MY WIFE WAS DRIVING 3 CAR LENGTHS BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE. THEY STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, SO SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES. SHE SAID THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS STIFF AND DID NOT MOVE, ALSO, DID NOT STOP VEHICLE. AT THE SAME TIME, THE FRONT WHEELS WERE PULSATING AND MOVING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT WITHOUT HER MOVING STEERING WHEEL. SHE PULLED UP EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP BEFORE HITTING CAR. WHAT SHOULD WE DO? *TR

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I WAS GOING TO PARK IN A PARKING SPACE AND 4 PEOPLE WENT CROSS IN FRONT OF ME AND I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ME AND I ALMOST HIT THEM.I HIT THE BRAKE AGAIN AND IT STOPPED JUST IN TIME.TWO DAYS LATER MY WIFE WAS BEHIND A TRUCK AND SHE HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKE AND IT DID THE SAME THING TO HER AND SHE BROKE HER 4TH TOE AND SPRAINED HER ANKLE AND HURT HER HIP.THE ONLY WAY SHE GOT IT STOPPED WAS SHOVING IT INTO PARK.I HAD THE DEALER AT CREWS CHEVROLET TO TOE IT IN AND THEY SAY THEY CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG.I REFUSE TO DRIVE IT BECAUSE I AM AFRAID IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN.I WANT GM TO TAKE IT BACK AND REFUND MY MONEY. *TR

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I WAS PULLED OVER BY A POLICE OFFICER AND ISSUED A FIX IT TICKET BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE OFFICER NEITHER OF MY REAR BRAKE LIGHTS WERE WORKING. I MIGHT ADD THAT THE OFFICER FOLLOWED ME FOR SEVERAL BLOCKS AND SAW ME STOP AT LEAST 4 TIMES BEFORE PULLING ME OVER. *TR

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I WAS IN THE CAR WITH MY SON PULLING INTO MY YARD WHICH IS AT AN INCLINE AND THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. WHEN I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES THEY FAILED AND THE CAR CRASHED INTO MY BRICK HOUSE. THE CAR HAS BEEN TOTALED OUT AND THE HOUSE HAS STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. ALL THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, HOWEVER, MY SON HAD NO INJURIES AND I WALKED AWAY WITH SIGNIFICANT BRUISING AND LACERATIONS ON MY LEGS. I HAVE CONTACTED GM AND THEY ARE CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING MY CLAIM. *TR

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MY HUSBAND WAS PULLING THE CHEVY SPARK INTO A PARKING PLACE WHEN FOUR PEOPLE DECIDED TO CROSS OVER IT. WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED TO ALLOW THEM TO SAFELY PASS, THE CAR ACCELERATED INSTEAD. THE BRAKES PRESSED BACK AGAINST HIS FOOT HE SAID AND CAR EVENTUALLY STOPPED. WE WERE BOTH CONFUSED, SURPRISED AND AFRAID! THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVEN AGAIN UNTIL I TOOK IT OUT TWO DAYS LATER. IT HAPPENED ONCE MORE WHEN I WAS BRAKING AT A RED LIGHT BEHIND A LARGE TRUCK AT A VERY LOW SPEED. I PRESSED THE BRAKE HARDER A SECOND TIME AND THEN TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. THIS TIME THE ACCELERATION CONTINUED EVEN AFTER MY FOOT WAS TAKEN OFF THE BRAKE. I SHOVED THE CAR INTO PARK TO GET IT TO STOP. I SUSTAINED A BROKEN TOE AND FRACTURED ANKLE FROM THE FORCE OF TRYING TO STOP THE CAR. A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THIS, WHEN APPLYING THE GAS, THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AT TWO CONSECUTIVE RED LIGHTS. ENGINE WAS VERY SLOW AND CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE TO THE SPEED LIMIT AND HESITATED ALL THE WAY HOME. THE CAR HAS A FACTORY RECALL ON THE AIR CONDITIONER RIGHT NOW AS WELL, WHICH WE RECEIVED FROM GM. WE ARE TERRIFIED TO DRIVE THIS CAR NOT KNOWING IF THESE DEFECTS WILL CONTINUE! THE CAR IS IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND WE ARE IN CONTACT WITH THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT A BUY BACK FROM GM. WE BOUGHT THE SPARK AUGUST 30, 2013, SO IT IS NOT EVEN A YEAR OLD. I HAVE DONE A SEARCH FOR OTHERS WHO MAY BE HAVING THE SAME OR SIMILAR ISSUES. THERE ARE REPORTS OF VERY SIMILAR INCIDENTS ON SITES FOR COMPLAINTS FOR BOTH ISSUES OF BRAKE ACCELERATION AND THE GAS PEDAL HESITATION ALSO REPORTS OF THE SPARK ENGINE STOPPING IN TRAFFIC. THIS IS VERY CONCERNING AND DANGEROUS. WE HOPE THIS IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY AND INVESTIGATED. *TR

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ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS I HAVE DRIVEN MY CAR AND PARKED IT. WHEN I HAVE RETURNED TO THE CAR IT WILL NOT START. ON STAR DIAGNOSTICS TELLS ME THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION, ENGINE AND ANTI BRAKE SYSTEM AND THAT I AM TO GET IT TO THE DEALER/REPAIR IMMEDIATELY. I HAVE HAD TO WAIT SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE I CAN GET IT STARTED AGAIN. I HAVE BEEN IN SITUATIONS WHERE I AM IN AN AREAS WITHOUT PHONE OR CELL RECEPTION TO CALL FOR HELP. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER REPAIR SHOP 4 TIMES AND THEY ARE UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THEY SAY UNTIL THEY CAN REPLICATE THE PROBLEM - THEY CANNOT FIX IT. FINALLY WITH THIS LAST (4TH) VISIT THEY WERE ABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM TWICE. BUT I WAS INFORMED THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THE PROBLEM IS COMING FROM AND THEY HAVE NO SOLUTION AT THIS TIME. THEY WILL RETURN THE CAR TO ME AFTER 9 DAYS AS IS WITH NO FIX. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE ACROSS COLORADO FOR FEAR I WILL BE STRANDED. *TR

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET SPARK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, HE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN BUT THE TIRES AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A CEMENT BARRIER AND A WOODEN POST. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,600.

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