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What 41 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Chevrolet Spark EV

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (41)Crash / fire / injury (4)Brakes (20)Airbags (5)Electrical system (4)Transmission & drivetrain (4)Engine (2)Steering (2)Visibility & wipers (2)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (1)Fuel system (1)Lights (1)

1 of 41 complaints match · Electrical system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Mar 9, 2018Electrical systemFire

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

NHTSA ODI 11078277

Working with the data? Download all 41 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 26, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2016 Chevrolet Spark EV verdict →