Bobby MSME

Most embarrassing car sound was loud clanging sound from the gorgeous 1964 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe borrowed from my boss on a vacation. I was at a nice resort hotel for several days, and people were staring at my car every time. After a few days, I located the source of noise was from left rear wheel. I removed the wheel cover, and there were 2 lug nuts loose in there! My boss had new tires installed for me before handing me the car, and the mechanic was obviously careless. It was the most comfortable car I have ever rode in, it just glided through all rough spots without jostling you.

Almost every used car I bought during 1960-1964 made car repair shops lots of money. Can't blame the cars, not knowing how previous owners had abused them. Then I began buying new cars only in 1964, and if I add up all the dollars spent on repairs through 2017, it will be less than $1500 in 53 years of driving. The most money spent was on Ford Probe (mid 80's model) when the CV joints went Kaput. But I blame that on my wife's driving habit of pushing the gas pedal down during turns. The CV joints wear only during turns.

My wife still has the 2011 HHR bought new, and I am shocked the car has had no issues at all, considering how she drives (shhh..). Very practical car with the hatchback feature. My worst car in terms of frequent breakdowns was the 64 Corvair. It was air cooled engine, and the fan belt broke after only 250 miles, and the engine got badly overheated, and had nothing but engine problems during the 3 years I owned it. The best car has to be 1977 Chevy Malibu, it rode like a big car and veery comfortable, had great traction in Chicago snow, and never had a single problem du

If my memory serves me right, I test drove a Sonic & a Cruze. My then current car Pontiac G5 was much more fun to drive, so I was not interested. Only after the dealer mechanic messed the G5 during coolant change, I traded the G5 for the Spark. The G5 had more power but I liked the nimbleness of the Spark and the price was right. This 2007 Pontiac G5 served me very well for 9 years and drove it from Seattle to Florida at speed limits and it was a gas.

You have good taste in colors hehe.. My 2017 LS has similar color The color in 2017 version is called "SPLASH", not baby blue!

I agree with everything you said. Yeah, gas prices will not stay at $2.25 for ever. When they are again over $4, our used Sparks with 38-40 mpg will fetch great prices

If you specifically knew which model you were interested in and asked for it, that makes sense. In my case, I walked into the dealership and expressed my interest in test driving any car on lot, to secure my $50 bonus check. At the time I did not even know Chevy had a Korean made car with the Spark nameplate. I remember driving a Cruze and one another model, but not a Spark. I will give them benefit of doubt, in that they thought I would be interested in something to match the G5 I was driving, which is larger and has bigger engine than the Spark.

I really miss my cars from the 1960's. There was almost no electronics to fail, no sensors to misbehave, no expensive computers to replace, no software with glitches, no fuel injectors to clog up, no power robbing emission controls, and no emission tests. And I could actually get inside the engine compartment and work on things. Oh well, nuff said. Sorry TimCim, I have nothing useful to help you with.

Making a note to myself not to buy another Spark with manual tranny. You saved a lot of dough by doing all the work yourself.. I would hate to think what the dealer would have charged to remove the engine and all just to repair a worn out clutch disk. Besides I really do not like stick shift in town driving rather keep both hands on the steering wheel.

The spark is treated by the sales staff like your crazy uncle hidden away in the basement. When I was in a Chevy dealership in Marysville, WA they never showed me the Spark. Chevy was offering $50 for simply test driving any Chevy on lot. I recall driving 2 different Chevy models, none named Spark. I never knew such a car named Spark existed until I saw them at dealership in NE Florida in a back lot. Any sales person, auto or real-estate or retail will always push more expensive items to make more commissions. What is the last time you saw GM pushing Sparks in TV Ads?

Your experience is a good reason to buy the 1.4 Liter 2017 model with CVT auto tranny with a friction belt swimming in oily fluid. The 1.4L has adequate torque for the CVT so it does not have to rev like crazy to generate the needed horse power. Occasionally I floor the gas pedal on my 2017 and the CVT takes it in stride and makes that sporty noise to make me feel macho if just for 15 seconds.

How about filling about the same amount of fluid as the old fluid amount + a tiny bit 5% more?

If you speed up to 120 mph, the red/blue lights and the siren sound will begin to fade in distance... just joking, please do not exceed the speed limits!

Try to find a dealer who gives a free car wash with oil change. Then less chance of hand prints outside. It may cost more than the $19.99 oil change, but you will get the right type of oil (synthetic blend) instead of the non-synthetic standard oil with the cheap oil change. I have had good luck finding such dealers. I would call your dealer and speak to the manager and complain about the unprofessional oil change. Can't believe the mechanic left oil prints all over the car. There is no excuse for such poor job. By the way every new Spark comes with 2 free oil changes, at the minimum. Some de

Although the stated airbag problem on my 2017 Spark does not affect current situation, I took the trouble to have the recall fix done, in case a future owner of my car has children riding in front seat. The dealer also took care of squeaky front passenger door by lubricating hinges on all 4 doors. Other than that, I have had no other issues with the car. The dealer also topped off all fluids, washed the car and vacuumed the floors. Absolutely love driving this car in town. The CVT is silky smooth and the car steering is very responsive and tight. There are less squeaks or groans o

I forget exact list price on my new 2017 Spark LS with CVT, but it was discounted 20% from MSRP, negotiated $3000 trade in for 2007 Pontiac G5 with CEL issue on cylinder #1, original battery & Tires & transmission oil . Then subtract another $3000+ for GM credit card rebate. Add tax & title fees. Drove out of the dealership with a check for $7600. In 5 years I will have about 36,000 miles, so did not buy extended warranty for 2 additional years. We use this car mainly for around town trips and nearby towns less than 35 miles away. We like the Chevy HHR for on the road trips.

Will you post the results of dealer action, if any, on this issue?

self delete

Is it a good idea to install an out-sized engine on top of a cheap-small-car-frame+suspension+drive shaft+front axle+CV joints etc etc AND the weak Brakes?

Yeah, small car-small air flow! May be set fan speed higher as a last resort. A joke from long time ago...What is a 460 air conditioner? Roll down 4 windows and drive at 60 mph

My 2017 Spark with CVT has no noticeable shudder at any speed. However at parking lot speeds for the vehicle, when stepped on gas, sometimes it feels as if the engine revs up but the vehicle does not accelerate in proportion to engine rpm's. Other than that, at speeds above 20 mph, the CVT works great and responds quickly and positively to gas pedal input. Yes, the 2017 Spark is phenomenal for the price. I bought this car new 5 months ago, and the only minor issue so far is the front passenger door creeks a bit when opened. I will get that addressed next week when I have appointment for airbag

Yes RoG you are right again! There is a "Recirculation" button at center of the fan speed control bezel. Which means to get lots of outside air flowing in, 1. Make sure the outside air intake under windshield is clear with no leaves or other debris. 2. Set Air Delivery Mode Control to desired position, such as face or feet etc. 3. Turn A/C off, the button light will be off. (No point running A/C if sucking in outside air). 4. Push the "Recirculation" button to turn OFF recirculation button light off. 5. Set the fan s

OK so I looked at my 2017 Spark's (outside) airflow control. Our other car has 2 separate buttons for choosing between open or close to outside air. My Spark has no such buttons. So I conclude and concur with Mr.tozzi that turning of A/C but leaving the fan running at chosen speed would bring in some outside air. I would add that make sure the cabin filter is not clogged.

Living in Florida, my windows are always up and A/C on. But I will check the airflow next time I drive the car.