The Lemon Index
Transmission complaints owners filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) for each model year, per 100,000 cars sold. A complaint counts when it's filed under the transmission, or under the power train and the owner describes the transmission (shifting, slipping, gears, CVT). It's an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and older years have had longer to collect complaints.
What owners describe
Share of this model's transmission complaints that mention each symptom. One complaint can mention several.
In owners' words
Cvt bucks like it can't decide what gear to shift to at speeds above 40. More noticeable at 55mph or more. Has been doing this since 80,000 miles but has gotten worse.
2014 Chevrolet Spark owner · NHTSA complaint
Tl* the contact owns a 2014 chevrolet spark. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds, the vehicle jerked forward without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the failure was unable to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 27,000.
2014 Chevrolet Spark owner · NHTSA complaint
Quick answers
Which Chevrolet Spark years have transmission problems?
By transmission complaints filed with NHTSA per car sold, the worst Chevrolet Spark years are 2014, 2015, 2013.
What are common Chevrolet Spark transmission problems?
Owners most often describe hard or jerky shifting, lost power while driving, slipping.
Which Chevrolet Spark years have the fewest transmission complaints?
Since 2010, the Chevrolet Spark years with the fewest transmission complaints per car sold are 2019, 2016, 2017.
See every problem, not just the transmission: Chevrolet Spark reliability by year. How we count