Most common 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV problems
Share of the 7 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Spark EV complaints by model year
Best Spark EV years: 2014, 2015. Years to avoid: 2016. Compare all years →
2015 Chevrolet Spark EV recalls (3)
Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch
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.
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.
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge.
Seat belts › Pretensioner
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV:
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles.
What 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV owners say
Brakes
While driving normally, the "service stabilitrac" warning appears followed immediately by a "service brake assist" warning. Then the brake pedal requires extreme effort to slow or stop the car. The regenerative braking is also disabled. After stopping the car, the car can be turned off and then back on whereupon the brakes will be working normally. The warnings and loss of braking assist May stay away for a period of 1 minute or up to 1 week or more. It appears to be very random. Fortunately, none of the occurrences have resulted in a crash, but there have been scared drivers and passengers. This is the second time this part (the dealer blames the bpmv and is now putting the fourth one on my car) has been at the dealer. The second one was apparently leaking when installed. This work was performed at momentum Chevrolet in san jose, ca. …
Complete brake failure with my 17 year old daughter driving. She needed to swerve into a curve to slow down before approaching busy intersection. We know of at least 4 other identical issues with brake failure at our dealership alone with one owner having brake failure 3 separate times on the same 2015 Chevy Spark. They replaced her 2015 with a 2016 and had the same brake failure in her new car.
Stability & traction control
While driving normally, the "service stabilitrac" warning appears followed immediately by a "service brake assist" warning. Then the brake pedal requires extreme effort to slow or stop the car. The regenerative braking is also disabled. After stopping the car, the car can be turned off and then back on whereupon the brakes will be working normally. The warnings and loss of braking assist May stay away for a period of 1 minute or up to 1 week or more. It appears to be very random. Fortunately, none of the occurrences have resulted in a crash, but there have been scared drivers and passengers. This is the second time this part (the dealer blames the bpmv and is now putting the fourth one on my car) has been at the dealer. The second one was apparently leaking when installed. This work was performed at momentum Chevrolet in san jose, ca. …
Context: it was a wet evening here in portland, or (8:15 pm pdt, April 13th) and I was getting new tires the following week, so I didn't care about the longevity of the tires. Also, what I experienced was something I read online before buying the Spark. I made a legal u-turn to get to the entrance of fred meyer (a kroger store) and hit the accelerator hard enough (~60% throttle) to spin the tires and the traction control activated. I then saw the semi-hidden entrance and hit the brakes hard make a righthand turn into fred meyer. The brakes engaged (w/ ABS) then disengaged after ~.3 seconds. It felt like the motor was regen'ing slightly but the mechanical brakes were not engaged. I started to pump the brakes. About 4 pumps and ~60 feet later, the brakes engaged. I did not make my turn and no one got hurt. …
2015 Chevrolet Spark EV engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric | Single-speed | FWD | 128 / 109 / 119 MPGe | 82 mi |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV a good car?
Based on 7 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2015 Spark EV rates average: 18% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Spark EV at the same age. It is one of the best Spark EV years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV?
The brakes — 5 complaints, 71% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the stability & traction control (3) and air bags (1).
How many recalls does the 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV, the most recent from August 25, 2022 (latch). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Spark EV?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014 and 2015. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2016. See the full Chevrolet Spark EV years comparison.
At what mileage do 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 13,000 miles; 100% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.