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why does everyone on here pick on the spark?


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I'm happy with my Spark, I've been lucky, just the recalls, and other than that, no problems. Some people have had problems, so they do complain, it's normal. I don't think you can find any forums, no matter what make the car is, where you are going to find all happy people. I think one of the big problems regarding the Spark, is the way some of the dealerships treat their customers, and if you feel you are getting screwed over, you are going to make noise. Actually, there are more complaints here about the dealers, then the cars themselves. The Spark is a great little car, and if they were serviced promptly, and courteously, you would see even less complaints. Remember happy people don't post, so most posts outside of mods, etc. are going to be negative.

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I've only had mine for 5 months and so far I am very happy with it. In fact I didn't have high expectations going in and it has exceeded every one of them by a large margin. That and not having any problems with the car, maybe if I had the problems some have had my view would be different....

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While the Spark is a great little car (I'm driving one right now, as a loaner) it has lots of issues. I almost bought one, but did a lot of research, all over the whole internet, and I found the same thing over and over. Many make it past 30,000 miles before the problems start. That's about when engines start failing. I bought a 2014 Sonic, hoping to avoid the Sparks problems, but no such luck. Trans went at under 11,000 miles. Yes they are replacing it under warranty. But what happens after the warranty? I bought my 2001 Chevy Malibu about 4 1/2 years ago, with 98,000 miles on it, for $4000. It easily went passed 200,000 with very few problems. I regret selling it. I don't see a Spark or Sonic going anywhere near 200,000 miles.

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I think folks join forums for like minded discussion. Some are posting about similar issues and to me it actually helps for the rest of us to look out for those issues and be a little better prepared on how to deal with them. I personally joined to see how other people are enjoying their Sparks by modifying them for whatever reason and some suggestions I have even tried to improve my own Spark. So far I only have 2000 miles. I hope to continue to have a relatively trouble free vehicle for years. We will see if my luck holds out. Until then, I'll continue lurking and learning from the forum discussions.

-Tony

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Couldn't be any happier with my Spark or its reliability.Some owners have had bad dealers who did shoddy work or simply misdiagnosed problems which in reality had simple fixes.Just like in almost every thread in this forum , you have people who don't even own a Spark spreading misinformation.I clearly expect the Spark to be relatively trouble free as any Toyota or Honda I have owned.

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Most of the problems I've seen on here ,have recalls to take care of them , I think there was a lot of owners with the oil consumption issue who were ready to trade out of their sparks , iam glad to see GM take the recall approach to get these cars repaired , I've only had my car 7 days but I really like this little car it's so easy to park , fun to drive and to me seems very comfortable . I also love having all the extra garage space in my garage the spark is so tiny ...

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I'm personally very happy with my Spark. I've had it about 18 months. I haven't had any major issues but I have done recalls, and regular maintenance (oil and tire rotation.) I think people have had legitimate frustration due less than helpful/competent dealerships. I was one of those frustrated people but switch to a different dealership and all has been good so far.

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I agree about the dealerships , have had a few issues with cars in the past ,the dealerships can be frustrating at times , I find it had to believe spark engines crapping out at 30,000 miles iam not sure where this is coming from other than the pcv issue that was causing the oil consumption issue , I think once all the recalls are taken care of the (picking on the Sparks) will be done

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With the exception of the too small outside mirrors, I love my Spark and at nearly 10,000 miles it has been 100% trouble free for me. Even the A/C has been fine and I live in the middle of the Sonoran desert.

Indeed the outside mirrors are a bit weird in the fact that they taper at exactly the area you want more size. Maybe a more rectangular shape would have been better.

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I have mine for 13 months and Zero problems, almost have 17,000 miles on it, will only upgrade it a bit but Im happy with the simplicity and low fuel consumption, I do feel it is not the best car for a family or traveling far, to me its a city car safer than a motorcycle but with its limitations, Ive always had Fords an Toyotas and some VW, cant really complain about mine. I do feel sometimes that I was driving a bigger and more powerfull car but this one s for while my economy improves, have 3 kids and pay a pricey school so that is the cost of good education for my kids, I will drive a simple machine that gets me from point A to point B wi basic comfort.

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Indeed the outside mirrors are a bit weird in the fact that they taper at exactly the area you want more size. Maybe a more rectangular shape would have been better.

You are exactly correct on that Gearhead....the mirrors do in fact 'taper' right at the point where they SHOULD NOT !! An example of how the mirror should be (totally rectangular), are like the ones that are on my wifes 2011 Honda Fit. Because of the too small mirrors on the Spark, changing lanes on the freeway always consists of me having to take a look over my shoulder and to the back slightly, to make sure the other lane is clear. Shouldn't have to do that really. If Chevy was to offer an "upgraded" set of outside mirrors, for safety's sake, I would buy them. The Sparks mirrors were designed for looks and maybe aerodynamics, but certainly not for driver confidence. A small complaint, but still a rather significant one.

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The 2014/15 2LT has a nice rectangular mirror, which would mount right to the existing holes. They are power, heated, and have the directional signal on them, so it would require some extra wiring. I've looked into it, I cant post a direct link, but GM parts direct.com has them to the tune of $180 apiece. Then they would have to be painted to match. A little too pricey for my taste. I've been looking for a nice aftermarket replacement, I could live without the power, being the only driver, I just set them and forget them.

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Well mine are more rectangular and its a 2013, thought mine looked a bit more ugly compared to the ones you guys get but now see the benefits of them. I needed this forum also to feel Im not alone in the ownership of the Spark. Im also in a Mustang forum but the topics are way different. for now I will try to enjoy this Spark for what it is and was meant to be. Like my wife, says " A good efficient transportation and reliable car.

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I agree about the dealerships , have had a few issues with cars in the past ,the dealerships can be frustrating at times , I find it had to believe spark engines crapping out at 30,000 miles iam not sure where this is coming from other than the pcv issue that was causing the oil consumption issue , I think once all the recalls are taken care of the (picking on the Sparks) will be done

I know about the PCV valve recall, but that is only a small part of the problem. Not only are their other issues with the crankcase venting system, but the big issue as to why engines are failing is because some internal clearances are way out of spec, including the fit of the piston rings in the cylinder bores. Fixing this will require replacing or rebuilding the engines. There is no recall on that.

This information is common knowledge among dealers (though they won't admit it, other than when someone brings a car in with that problem, then they claim it is a problem specific to that particular car) It is also well known in the auto repair/service industry, including fleet service departments (many companies use the Spark as a local delivery vehicle) and can be found all over the internet.

I got my Sonic back, it is for sale. If things work out, I plan on getting either a Hyundai or Kia. As strange as it seems, these Korean cars are about the most reliable brands out there right now.

It will be interesting to see how the Spark holds up over the next several years. There are many late model cars out there with 150,000 miles on them. I'm waiting to see a Spark reach that without having had the engine replaced a couple of times.

GM made the Vega for 7 years. Within 2 years they (and everyone else) knew very well that the aluminum engine with unlined bores had major reliability problems. But they never fixed it. They just went on selling it for another 5 years. I'm afraid the Spark may be the latest version of the Vega. So many are complaining now, while the cars are basically still new. As I said, it will be interesting to see what happens when some of these cars get some real miles on them.

I am not a Spark hater, as far as the car goes. I love it. I have nearly 3000 miles on 2 of them. But they weren't mine. I wish they didn't have all these issues. I would own one. But I am wary of investing $15K into a new one, knowing what I currently know about them. I wish everyone who owns one the best of luck with it.

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I know about the PCV valve recall, but that is only a small part of the problem. Not only are their other issues with the crankcase venting system, but the big issue as to why engines are failing is because some internal clearances are way out of spec, including the fit of the piston rings in the cylinder bores. Fixing this will require replacing or rebuilding the engines. There is no recall on that.

This information is common knowledge among dealers (though they won't admit it, other than when someone brings a car in with that problem, then they claim it is a problem specific to that particular car) It is also well known in the auto repair/service industry, including fleet service departments (many companies use the Spark as a local delivery vehicle) and can be found all over the internet.

I got my Sonic back, it is for sale. If things work out, I plan on getting either a Hyundai or Kia. As strange as it seems, these Korean cars are about the most reliable brands out there right now.

It will be interesting to see how the Spark holds up over the next several years. There are many late model cars out there with 150,000 miles on them. I'm waiting to see a Spark reach that without having had the engine replaced a couple of times.

GM made the Vega for 7 years. Within 2 years they (and everyone else) knew very well that the aluminum engine with unlined bores had major reliability problems. But they never fixed it. They just went on selling it for another 5 years. I'm afraid the Spark may be the latest version of the Vega. So many are complaining now, while the cars are basically still new. As I said, it will be interesting to see what happens when some of these cars get some real miles on them.

I am not a Spark hater, as far as the car goes. I love it. I have nearly 3000 miles on 2 of them. But they weren't mine. I wish they didn't have all these issues. I would own one. But I am wary of investing $15K into a new one, knowing what I currently know about them. I wish everyone who owns one the best of luck with it.

About the Vega. There is a big misconception about the problems with the Vega engines. It was not actually the designs of the engine but the design of the cooling system. The cooling system was not good enough and would allow the engine to overheat and caused the cylinders to either warp or score causing the oil consumption. This was corrected by 1974 and more improvements were made in 76. Unfortunately the reputation was shot and the misconceptions continued so that is what caused them to rename the remaining Vega models to Monza and use the Pontiac Iron Duke 4 instead.

PS this is from personal experience of owning several different years of Vegas and a lot of research over the years.

Edited by Angrybird12
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I know about the PCV valve recall, but that is only a small part of the problem. Not only are their other issues with the crankcase venting system, but the big issue as to why engines are failing is because some internal clearances are way out of spec, including the fit of the piston rings in the cylinder bores. Fixing this will require replacing or rebuilding the engines. There is no recall on that.

This information is common knowledge among dealers (though they won't admit it, other than when someone brings a car in with that problem, then they claim it is a problem specific to that particular car) It is also well known in the auto repair/service industry, including fleet service departments (many companies use the Spark as a local delivery vehicle) and can be found all over the internet.

GM made the Vega for 7 years. Within 2 years they (and everyone else) knew very well that the aluminum engine with unlined bores had major reliability problems. But they never fixed it. They just went on selling it for another 5 years. I'm afraid the Spark may be the latest version of the Vega.

First off, I have seen no reference anywhere about incorrect clearances in piston rings...and I searched quite a bit. Can you post a link to back that up Bob? Incorrect ring clearance would present itself as major engine problems right off the lot. Any other "way out of spec" issues would also immediately present problems on a small VVT - DOHC 16 valve-IL4. As far as this information being common knowledge among dealers, well, most dealers have seen so few Sparks in the service area, mostly since they are new since 2013 and not nearly as many on the road as, say, Cobalt or Cruze, so even when the oil burning and A/C issues presented themselves, most had not a clue what to do until GM came up with a fix.

If the Spark had any of the "way out of spec" issues and unlined cylinder bores you describe, well, after long trips at high speeds of 95+mph on hot days with A/C on, my Spark's engine would have overheated, seized or melted assuming it would even have gotten out the driveway.

Second, the Vega along with any aluminum or iron block internal combustion engine without lined bores would fail after a few miles. Even the smallest two or four stroke engines like model aircraft to lawnmower engines have liners. The Spark has an iron engine block with, of course, liners. The Vega had a cooling system issue that caused the problems associated with overheating.

As far as Kia and Hyundai, they do indeed have a very good reputation for current reliable cars with some of the best warranties out there. They have come a very long way since the Hyundai 'Pony' that had pretty well every problem imaginable and would rust out even faster than the Honda's of that era.

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Kia and Hyundai are just as reliable as any other car. My uncle owned a 2010 Sportage and it has some 'minor' problems as the US-spec Spark. Never heard of trouble-free car. As for the Spark, I am very satisfied with it. It was the only premium car that is around 10k. Other car brand of the same class cost at least 14k here.

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i also searched for this so called information on the spark engine problems and i didnt find anything other than the oil consumption casue by the PCV valve id like to see this informaton too , iam with gearhead on this one lets see the info on this ???? . anyway i bought a 2014 spark and i love it .

This is all I coould find on anything to do with a problem with the cylinders

http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1092970_2014-chevy-spark-tsb-fixes-pistons-transmission-mounts

Edited by Angrybird12
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