The 2014 Spark EV is GM's first mass-production pure electric using a surprisingly robust drivetrain co-developed with LG. Most issues center around aging high-voltage components, coolant system quirks, and typical EV battery degradation rather than catastrophic failures.
Battery Capacity Degradation & Cell Imbalance
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 70,000-100,000 mi
Symptoms: Reduced range (original ~82 mi EPA drops to 55-65 mi real-world), Charging stops at 90-95% instead of full, Battery capacity indicator shows yellow or red bars, Uneven cell voltage triggering reduced propulsion warnings
Fix: No practical repair exists—GM discontinued the 19 kWh pack and modules are unobtanium. Some shops attempt cell-level balancing (4-6 hours labor) which buys time but rarely restores more than 5-10% capacity. Reality: you live with it or part the car out.
Estimated cost: $400-800 for balancing attempt; full pack replacement theoretically $8,000-12,000 but unavailable
Electric Drive Unit Coolant Pump Failure
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 60,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: Reduced propulsion power message with turtle icon, Drive unit overheat warning on dash, Whining or grinding noise from under vehicle center-front, Coolant level repeatedly low with no visible external leaks
Fix: The electric coolant pump (part of the drive unit thermal management) fails internally. Requires dropping the subframe to access. 5-7 hours labor plus pump assembly. If caught early, no other damage; if driven hot, you risk inverter or motor controller damage adding thousands more.
Estimated cost: $1,200-2,000
On-Board Charger (OBC) Failure
Occasional · high severity
Symptoms: Will not charge on Level 1 or Level 2 (DC fast charging may still work), Charging port light stays amber or flashes red, Service high voltage charging system message, Clicking or buzzing from charger area behind rear seat during charge attempt
Fix: The 3.3 kW OBC (mounted under rear seat area) has capacitor and circuit board failures. Unit must be removed and either rebuilt by specialty EV shops (if you can find one) or replaced with junkyard unit. 3-4 hours labor for R&R. New units were $2,500+ from GM but are NLA; expect salvage units $400-900.
Estimated cost: $800-1,800
BECM (Battery Energy Control Module) Communication Faults
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 80,000-130,000 mi
Symptoms: Intermittent service high voltage system warnings, Battery state-of-charge gauge stuck or erratic, No start with 'Shift to Park' message even when in park, Loss of regen braking randomly
Fix: The BECM (brain of the battery pack) develops solder joint cracks or corrupted software. Diagnosis requires GM MDI and EV-specific training. Often fixed by reseating connectors at battery pack, reflashing module (1.5 hours), or replacing BECM if hardware failed (3 hours labor). Used modules need VIN programming at dealer ($150-250).
Estimated cost: $600-1,500
12-Volt Battery Premature Failure
Common · medium severity
Symptoms: Car completely dead, will not wake up or unlock, Intermittent accessory electrical glitches, High voltage system won't initialize even with full traction battery, Battery dies after sitting 3-5 days
Fix: The EV charges the 12V battery via DC-DC converter, but the small AGM battery (tucked behind driver-side firewall) gets cycled hard and fails every 2-3 years instead of typical 4-5. Requires specific vented AGM type, not standard flooded. 0.5-1 hour labor but many owners kill the battery by jumping incorrectly or using trickle chargers on EV-specific charging port.
Estimated cost: $200-350
High Voltage Interlock Circuit Faults
Rare · high severity
Symptoms: Service high voltage charging system—will not drive or charge, High voltage disconnected message, Clicking from under hood when attempting to start, All warnings appear after water intrusion or accident
Fix: Corrosion in the manual service disconnect (under hood) or interlock loop connectors causes loss of high-voltage permission. Diagnosis critical—never assume it's just a connector without megger-testing the circuit. If actual interlock wiring damaged, requires harness repair (3-5 hours). If service disconnect contacts corroded, cleaning and dielectric grease fix it (1 hour).
Estimated cost: $150-1,200
Drive Unit Output Shaft Seal Leak
Occasional · low severity
Typical onset: 90,000-150,000 mi
Symptoms: Gear oil drips from inner CV joint area, Clicking or clunking during tight turns worsens over time, Visible oil on inside of wheel well
Fix: The single-speed transaxle uses 80W-90 gear oil and the output seals weep with age. Requires removing axle shaft, pressing new seal, refilling with correct Dexron HP fluid (NOT standard gear oil despite what looks like it). 2-3 hours per side. Not urgent but low oil level can damage the planetary gears.
Estimated cost: $300-550 per side
Owner tips
Replace the 12V battery preemptively every 30 months—it's the number one cause of no-start and prevents damage to DC-DC converter
Keep the drive unit coolant system topped with Dex-Cool only; air pockets cause overheat faults, bleed procedure is critical after any service
Avoid DC fast charging above 80% regularly—it accelerates battery degradation on this chemistry
Budget $100/year for OnStar/4G LTE subscription if you want remote diagnostics; the car self-reports HV system faults to GM servers
Get an OBD2 scanner that reads GM-specific codes (mode $06 data)—generic code readers miss 80% of EV faults
Buy one under $6,000 with documented battery health and recent 12V battery replacement; it's a zippy city car but parts availability is dire and battery degradation is a time bomb with no fix.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
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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.
Consequence: 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.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL · 17V437000
2017-07-10
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 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
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. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL · 16V651000
2016-09-08
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 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Consequence: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
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. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE · 16V422000
2016-06-10
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."
Consequence: 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.
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. · 16V257000
2016-04-28
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."
Consequence: 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.
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. · 15V416000
2015-06-30
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Spark vehicles manufactured April 30, 2014, to May 20, 2015, and 2015 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured June 18, 2014, to June 10, 2015. In the affected vehicles, equipped with the base radio and OnStar, the radio may lock up due to a software issue, causing the display to go blank and all audio functions to cease. Because of this, there may be no warning chimes such as the reminder to buckle the seat belt and the key being left in ignition when the driver goes to exit the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208 "Occupant Crash Protection", and 114 "Theft Protection."
Consequence: Without audible indicators, the driver may leave the key in the ignition, increasing the risk of theft. If a driver or front passenger does not buckle their seat belt, there would be no chime to remind them to fasten their seat belts. If a driver or passenger does not buckle their seat belt there is an increased risk that they will be injured in a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The recall began on August 11, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15504.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH · 14V593000
2014-09-24
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.
Consequence: 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.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM · 14V440000
2014-07-21
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Spark vehicles manufactured from May 7, 2014, to May 26, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the left and right lower control arm attaching bolts in the front suspension may not be tightened to specification.
Consequence: If the lower control arm bolts are not tightened properly, the lower control arm may separate from the steering knuckle while driving, causing a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Owners are instructed NOT to drive their vehicles until the recall remedy has been completed. Owners should call a Chevrolet dealer immediately to arrange for their vehicle to be transported free of charge for servicing. GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the left and right lower control arm attaching bolts to make sure that they are tightened to the proper specification, free of charge. The recall began on August 1, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14453. Note: Owners are advised not to drive the vehicle until the repairs have been completed.
🔧 Database maintained under the daily editorial review of Chris Hackleman · Master Technician · 20+ years and Jeff Moore · Master Lexus & Toyota Mechanic · 20+ years.