Showing the 2013 Spark 1LT. We haven't verified this trim's engine; the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
31–34 mpgcombined; city 28–31, highway 36–37; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$9,550–$10,480U.S. average; Ohio $8,540–$9,360 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
Recall campaigns
5over its history, 1 replaced by a later one; check a VIN for open onesRepaired under campaign 14V593000? NHTSA's record says it still needs the newer remedy of campaign 22V640000.
Owner complaints
146filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales
Trims
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2013 Spark. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 146 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Spark. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Engine
35
2
1
0
Electrical system
34
0
0
0
Power train
34
0
0
0
Unknown or other
20
3
0
0
Vehicle speed control
14
2
0
1
Air bags
13
5
1
1
Fuel/propulsion system
10
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
10
0
0
0
Service brakes
9
3
0
3
Structure
9
2
1
0
Engine and engine cooling
8
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
8
0
0
0
11 more parts
Steering
4
1
0
0
Interior lighting
3
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
0
0
0
Equipment
2
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
2
0
0
1
Wheels
2
0
0
0
Seat belts
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
1
0
0
0
Suspension
1
0
0
0
Traction control system
1
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2013 Spark over its history, 1 replaced by a later one. A replaced campaign is listed at the end as history, not as a separate repair. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Repaired under campaign 14V593000? NHTSA's record says it still needs the newer remedy of campaign 22V640000. A repair under the earlier campaign doesn't complete the later one: check the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup.
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.
Risk: A hood latch failure can result in the vehicle's hood opening unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the hood striker assembly and hood latch assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 12, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is A222359300. This recall supersedes and expands NHTSA recall number 14V-593. Vehicles previously repaired under 14V-593 will need to have the new remedy performed.
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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 208 "Occupant Crash Protection" and 114 "Theft Protection."
Risk: Without audible indicators, the driver may not fasten their seatbelt, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The recall began on July 22, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 45340.
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 to open the door. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114 "Theft Protection."
Risk: Without audible indicators, the driver may leave the key in the ignition, increasing the risk of theft.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17130.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured April 10, 2013, to May 8, 2013, and Chevrolet Spark vehicles manufactured December 30, 2012, to March 1, 2013. In the affected vehicles, an improper weld on the passenger side front air bag inflator may result in the air bag not deploying.
Risk: If the air bag does not to deploy in the event of a crash, there is an increased risk of injury to the front passenger.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side front air bag, free of charge. The recall began on July 30, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick) or 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14211.
Replaced by campaign 22V640000, as NHTSA's record says: history, not a separate repair. Cars repaired under this campaign still need the newer remedy.
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.
Risk: If the secondary hood latch corrodes causing the latch to be stuck out of position, and the primary hood latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the striker with a new part which has superior corrosion protection, free of charge. The recall began on January 7, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14456.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 1,450 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2013 Spark, the latest on Sep 26, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (699), electrical system (297), engine and engine cooling (127), power train (101), engine (95).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2013 Spark.
EPA class: subcompact cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 8–9 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Spark Front-Wheel Drive
1.2 L, 4 cyl
Manual 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
31 / 37 / 34
Spark Front-Wheel Drive
1.2 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
28 / 36 / 31
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data