What 28 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Chevrolet Spark EV

vehicle brakes went out suddenly after hearing a loud POP sound...brakes wouldn't respond and pedal hard, ran off road and could only glide to a roll stop and not really then...fortunately a repair shop adjacent so drove their and rolled stop. initial look shop advised vacuum pump needs to be diagnosed...they came back with a 'caution on file #pip5598a which advised of known issue but no recall... they came back with a 479$ fee to diagnose exactly what's wrong (those pics enclosed) they are now staring they will not guarantee week or warranty and say engine must be replaced...they are still working up quote to repair vacuum pump, camshaft and timing chain but now are saying will be well over 2k to just SEE if will work and wont guarantee

NHTSA ODI 11520650

AT RAILWAY PARKING LOT, FIRST CAR BLOCKED WHEN BACKING OUT OF SPACE. AFTER 3 TRIES, ABLE TO MOVE ON, EXITING LOT AND ABOUT TO TURN RIGHT INTO STREET, CAR SWERVED HARD RIGHT BY ITSELF AND LOUDLY HIT CURB. PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL AND TIRE TOTALLY DAMAGED. I HAD TO GET IT TOWED TO COLLISION SHOP. IT IS STILL AT THE SHOP WHERE AM TOLD REPAIR AT MINIMUM WILL COST OVER $ 1400.00! I FOUND 2 RECALLS EMAILS THAT SAME NIGHT AND TRUL Y BELIEVE THE CAR MALFUNCTIONED. AM JUST THANKFUL NO ONE WAS INVOLVED BUT ME. COULD HAVE BEEN DRAMATIC IF CAR WAS ON THE ROAD AND MALFUNCTION MADE ME HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE INSTEAD OF A CURB. HAVE HAD TO RENT A CAR, AND COST IS MOUNTING. FOUND THRU ONLINE RESEARCH THAT OTHER SPARK OWNERS HAD SAME PROBLEM. THIS COULD CAUSE FATAL ACCIDENT. EVEN WHEN FIXED, I WILL BE PETRIFIED TO DRIVE THIS CAR AGAIN WITH FEAR OF RECURRENCE OF SAME PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 11366149

DURING MORNING RUSH HOUR ON THE HIGHWAY, (I WAS DRIVING IN THE LEFT LANE), TRAVELING AROUND 50MPH. I WAS ABOUT 3 CAR LENGTHS BEHIND, WHEN THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED ABRUPTLY, AND PROMPTLY DROVE AWAY. I SLAMMED MY BRAKES TO THE FLOOR AND SIMULTANEOUSLY SWERVED TO THE EMERGENCY LANE TO AVOID AN IMPACT. WITH BOTH OF MY FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, MY CAR KEPT SLIDING LIKE IT WAS ON ICE FOR AROUND 80 FEET, BECAUSE THE ABS SYSTEM FAILED. THE ONLY THING THAT STOPPED ME WERE THE 2 VEHICLES THAT WERE ILLEGALLY PARKED IN THE EMERGENCY LANE. WHILE SKIDDING, I HIT THE CEMENT HIGHWAY DIVIDER (ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE). I THEN SLAMMED INTO THE 1ST PARKED CAR, WHICH WAS PUSHED INTO THE 2ND VEHICLE. I WAS SUBSEQUENTIALLY REAR-ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE, WHICH FOLLOWED MY SAME PATH. ONLY THE STEERING WHEEL AND KNEE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THE LEFT SIDE AIRBAG (1ST IMPACT) NEVER DEPLOYED, WHICH LEFT SIGNIFICANT BRUISING ON MY LEFT SHOULDER AND LEFT EAR. MY CAR WAS TOTALED, BUT THE CABIN REMAINED MOSTLY INTACT. I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE WALKED AWAY WITH ONLY A BROKEN THUMB AND BRUISING THROUGHOUT MY BODY. IF THE ABS HADN'T FAILED, I WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO STOP SAFELY AND AVOID MULTI CAR COLLISION. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11331148

SWIRVED TO SHOULDER OF THE ROAD CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND CURTIN AIR BAGS DEPLOYED IN STANDING POSITION.

NHTSA ODI 11097314

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2017 CHEVROLET SPARK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE BRAKES SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED AND THE DRIVER CRASHED INTO A PARKED BULLDOZER. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A LEFT KNEE INJURY, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000.

NHTSA ODI 11010588

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2017 CHEVROLET SPARK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO AN EMBANKMENT. THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE TORSO, HEAD AND NECK. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1,240. UPDATED 05/09/17*LJ *CN

NHTSA ODI 10956035