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9.6

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
No data
Average Mileage:
37,600 miles
Total Complaints:
10 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (10 reports)
2013 Chevrolet Spark engine problems

engine problem

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2013 Chevrolet Spark Owner Comments

problem #10

Feb 012017

Spark 1.2L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 73,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Purchased car on a used car purchase contract with warranty of 36,000 miles and 1 year, whichever comes first, in April of 2016. In February 2017, of course AFTER I hit 36,000, the car began loosing power while accelerating, especially on freeway. Check engine light comes on but no code shows up. Took car to Maita Chevrolet and they say they drove the car and it is fine and can't find problem no error codes come up during diagnostic. FUNNY thing, the mileage on the car when I picked it up was the exact same mileage as when I dropped it off! During oil change, 2 different times Mar and Apr, Pep Boys also ran a diagnostic and found no error codes. Tested battery, found it to be bad. Changed battery in car, power seemed to come back for a few weeks then it started deceleration problems again.Took car to Pep Boys thinking car needs oil change because of check engine light coming on, three times in three months (2/27/17, 3/27/17 & 4/29/17) TO THE DAY each time. No error codes, check engine light would turn off, car would run okay for about a week and then it would happen again. Pep Boys in Sacramento, Maita Chevrolet in Elk Grove, CA ran diagnostic tests and no code came up with either shop. Asked for recalls to be checked at dealership and they said there was only one recall on the car so they fixed the door chime on a recall but nothing else.

- polnoff, Sacramento, US

problem #9

May 272017

Spark 1.2L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 81,000 miles

Car has started decelerating on the freeway. In April 2017 I replaced a bad battery and the car started running better. Now check engine light is on and I was with my foot on the accelerator, floored, going almost nowhere while on the freeway! Got close to being hit and making other drivers angry with me thru no fault of my own.

At a loss to what the problem is because I have taken it to three shops at this point, being told if it doesn't happen during diagnostic with an error code coming up, there is no problem that can be found! Need someone to start class action lawsuit against Chevy because they are not telling us anything and what happens when someone gets killed? Is that what it takes to take action? Hope it isn't me who has to sacrifice their life in order for someone of authority to correct this issue.

- polnoff, Sacramento, US

problem #8

Apr 272017

Spark 1.2L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 79,000 miles

Along with the oil needing to be changed every month since Feb 2017. I started experiencing a loud noise in my car, so much so that people couldn't hear me on my blue tooth in the car, when they could before and the check engine light would come on. I then started experiencing the loss of power and deceleration while driving, particularly on the freeway. Pep Boys and Maita Chevrolet are telling me there are no error codes during a diagnostic, but I know this deceleration could cause me to be in a fatal accident if someone is close behind me and the car stops moving at freeway speeds. Especially in a small car like this, there is no way it could take an impact at freeway speeds and I survive. No recalls according to dealer for this problem. The dealership said they drove the car to test it and found no problem but the mileage on the car was the same when I picked it up as it was when I dropped it off. That's physically impossible! What is Chevy hiding?

- polnoff, Sacramento, US

problem #7

Jan 052016

Spark 1LT 1.2L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 35,400 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On my way home from school (10 minutes into my drive) on the highway, my car all of a sudden lost all acceleration. I was running 5k RPMs to go 55mph to the next exit. The traction control light had come on and the engine light was blinking. I pulled over and turned the engine off. Waited a few minutes and restarted. Seemed fine for a whole 30 seconds. After I pulled out of the parking lot the traction control light came on again and so did the engine light, except this time the engine light stayed on (not blinking). Continued to run high RPMs to hobble it home a couple miles.

Next morning everything seemed fine. Accelerated out of my driveway into the main road no problem. However, half mile down the road the engine light came on and stayed on and I lost acceleration again. This time 5k RPMs to go 35mph. I immediately turned around, came home, and missed class that day. =[

Immediately called the dealership and they had me call GM's roadside service to pick up my vehicle and bring it in. No problems there. Ultimately they said a spark plug had come loose and replaced it along with a shot coil.

- Shauna I., Troy, MI, US

problem #6

Jan 112016

Spark 1LT 1.2L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 35,450 miles

Less than a week after having my car in for this exact problem, it happens again!

I (once again) was on the highway heading to class. Loss of acceleration. Traction control light on. Engine light blinking. 5k RPMs to go 55mph to get off the highway. Immediately call dealership. They reserve a loaner car for me and I limp it into the service department. On the way the traction control and engine light go off, but the car continues to refuse to accelerate and run high RPMs to travel a semi-safe slow speed.

Next day dealership calls - says they could not replicate the loss of acceleration problem, but did encounter a misfire. Blames it on oil on the spark plugs and considers it a fix. -_-

I am seriously concerned about the safety of this vehicle at this point and refuse to drive it with my 6 year old in the car. I specifically bought this car new so I wouldn't have these kinds of problems.

- Shauna I., Troy, MI, US

problem #5

Sep 162014

Spark

  • Automatic transmission
  • 26,000 miles

Last few months car intermittently has no power, stepping on gas and nothing happens. Check engine light came on last week, had taken to dealer and they said was due to 3 recalls on car, including spark plugs. They had my car for 2 days. Today, car has no power, pull out onto a highway in the midst of traffic and the car will not accelerate. I thought for sure I was going to be in a bad accident. Quickly put car in park, shut off and restarted, pressed gas and I got out of the highway just in time. Took car back to dealership today and they could not duplicate issue driving around the parking lot. They checked oil and said it was very low. I have had all of my services done and oil changes as appropriate at said dealer. They added oil to it and said that I would now have to keep an eye on it as they are known to have problems with excessive oil usage and engine trouble, nice, now I feel like I have an old junker car that I have to keep an eye on, when I have only had the car for a year, bought it BRAND NEW!!

- Brooke J., Land O Lakes, FL, US

problem #4

Sep 132014

Spark

  • Automatic transmission
  • 26,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

got my recall notice in the mail on monday, i cannot find mention of it anywhere, chevy calls it a voluntary emissions recall

Update from Sep 26, 2014: gm program A140110-7/25/2014-carfax #2014110 dated 8/13/2014 is listed as a manfracturer safety recall, up until late yesterday gm recall center had no title information listed with there number. chevysparkfourms calls it 14110 and there is little information posted on it by patsy a customer care person because it is somewhat restricted? why is it because there are two different program numbers? one with no title or one that lists it as a safety related recall, safecar.gov shows 1 open recall for my daughters vin but there is really 3.after my first posting on chevysparkfourms, i am blocked unable to post, unable to start new topic or view new content why? could it be because of po300 and #4cyclinder being out of round and the real problem comes from the motor production line.if a car driving down the road at 60mph has a total loss of power motor is misfiring a semi coming down the road towards you crosses into your lane what can you do if you dont have use of your gas pedal and motor

- badspark, Tacoma, WA, US

problem #3

Aug 182014

Spark 5DR HB 1.2L, 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 3,830 miles

I pulled out on the highway after stopping, doing a right turn on red. I pressed on the accelerator and the car would not get going. No matter how much and many times I repeated this action the car would not go faster than about 20 mph. I put on the emergency blinkers so the cars coming up fast from behind me were able to get around. But if there were not multiple lanes in my direction so they could do this I could have been seriously tail-ended and injured or killed. I tried shifting into Neutral and back out to Drive several times but nothing worked. After maybe two to three minutes the problem went away and the car has since worked normally.

But this could be a fatal flaw. Sounds exactly like the problem Diana H. reported on your site on July 7, 2014.

- Jeffrey T., Hanover, MD, US

problem #2

Jul 072014

Spark

  • Automatic transmission
  • 12,123 miles

Please tell me if anyone else has experienced this! I have low miles on this car, a 2013, 12,000 miles, Chevy Spark purchased brand new and at random times I have no acceleration! We are talking pedal to the metal and I could have literally been killed twice while attempting a left turn. I put my foot on the gas pedal and guess what? My car won't hardly go. I am sitting in my seat trying to push the car to go with my body. It takes about 2 minutes before I can start to get any acceleration to it. Lawsuit waiting to happen like the ignition switch problem!

I have the car in at the dealer today because quite frankly I don't want to die because my car suddenly decides it doesn't want to go! I also have this piece of junk car in for an AC recall which is no surprise as my AC works intermittently. I will report here what the dealer finds and they had better find it or this car gets unloaded. A very dangerous car. I don't expect huge power out of this little car, ah, but at least when I put my foot on the gas pedal give me something! Imagine going to turn left and you can't hardly get the car to move and here come the cars or being mercilessly honked at when at a stop sign or light and you can't get your car to do anything but barely creep along!

I plan to file an official complaint cause if I die due to this I want my family to sue and everyone to have knowledge of this problem!

- Diana H., Olathe, KS, US

problem #1

Aug 252013

Spark 2LT 1.2L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 4,000 miles

It has only happened twice so far but was pretty terrifying. I was stopped at a light on a busy street. After the light turned green I tried to go but the car wouldn't accelerate. I had the pedal to the floor and the car was going 5 mph. The car wasn't showing what gear it was in but finally after about 30 seconds it started going. I thought everything was ok but when I stopped at another light to turn it did it again and there were cars coming. I got through the light but it was terrifying. I stopped the car put it in park and the doors didn't unlock like they are automatically set to do it was weird. I restarted the car and everything has been fine since, however when I told the dealership they looked at me like I was stupid and I don't even think they tried to figure out what happened.

- Megan R., Arvada, CO, US

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