AI Damage2018 Chevrolet Spark: common problems
Owners of the 2018 Chevrolet Spark filed 9 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and service brakes. The maker issued 507 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 9
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 507
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 33% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 33% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 33% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 22% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 22% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 11% of all complaints
- 7 Lane departure 11% of all complaints
- Engine: 3 complaints (33% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 51.
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (33% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 14.
- Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (33% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (22% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 50.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 2 complaints (22% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 4.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- CVT
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 9 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 51 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 14 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 50 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Lane departure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 182 |
| Electrical system | 0 | 0 | 79 |
| Engine and cooling | 0 | 0 | 74 |
| Wheels | 0 | 0 | 35 |
| Structure | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| Fuel system | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Tires | 0 | 0 | 20 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The code only comes on after the car has been idling and not being driven (for example, it takes 2-3 minutes while in park but the engine being on for the code to come up on the screen).
Okay, I can press the gas and try to go one speed.And my car will go either way, too slow for that gear or way too fast.For that gear , I have almost been several wrecks , because it's either going too slow , went when i'm supposed to be going to certain speed or it's going to fast one supposed to be going to certain…
The contact's husband owns a 2018 Chevrolet Spark. The contact stated that the brake booster failed while driving at various speeds on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer yearly for the brake booster repair since the initial failure; however, the most recent failure occurred within six months.
No lights come on on the dashboard and no warnings happened at all the brakes just simply stopped working. It takes extreme pressure to try to stop and I’m usually told that it’s some part of the vacuum.
At a complete stop.. It seems like it doesn't want accelerate
When I try to accelerate from a stop, the car can't decide if it wants to move or not and it will just sit and rev and has almost caused several accidents as I am pulling out into traffic
From time to time when braking, a thumping sound is heard in the rear drum brakes of my brand new chevy spark. I cannot decide which one the noise is coming from, or both. It will go away after a while. It occurs more frequently when I need to brake hard, but not always. And it does not happen every day.
The car feels like it makes a short stall as it can't decide if it needs to get into a higher or lower gear. It clearly takes a long time and goes up and down which places me uncomfortably too close to oncoming traffic. Other times when I pull out in traffic, the same scenario repeats.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,524 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (among the 27% least complained about).
On average one model year of the Spark has 18 complaints (7 years in the data). This year has 9, below average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it
- This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance
- PI to help diagnose A/C concern
- This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size…
- This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a…
This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
- This service bulletin provides information on Tire Sidewall Irregularities
- This service bulletin provides information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced…
This service bulletin provides information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced after severe internal engine damage.
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have…
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer’s vehicles that exhibit vibration conditions…
- The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle…
The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is opened rapidly and advises the customer that it is normal for the delay.
- New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have…
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on. Technician may…
- This service bulletin provides information to dealership personnel for new vehicles with less than 1,000…
This service bulletin provides information to dealership personnel for new vehicles with less than 1,000 miles that may not pass California smog inspection or smog inspection in other states.
NHTSA lists 507 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Chevrolet Spark?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, service brakes, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 9. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (11%), infotainment or screen glitches (11%), stalls while driving (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2018 Chevrolet Spark?
NHTSA lists 507 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2018 Chevrolet Spark from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2018 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.