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2017 Chevrolet Spark

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2017 Spark.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (variable gear ratios)

The 2017 Chevrolet Spark is a passenger car built around efficiency, pairing its engine exclusively with a variable-ratio automatic transmission to deliver EPA ratings of 30 mpg city, 38 mpg highway, and 33 mpg combined. Maintenance demands are modest, with a 4.2-quart oil capacity that accepts either 5W-20 or 0W-20 viscosity grades. Within the broader 2013–2022 Spark complaint arc, this model year is a settled point on the curve — its 28 owner filings sit well below the generation peak of 175 in 2014 and well above the floor of 3 in 2022, with service brakes still the dominant issue and one recall logged. For researchers, that profile makes the 2017 a stable, low-drama reference sample of the nameplate rather than an outlier in either direction.

Model year202220212020201920182017201620152014

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.2 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-20 / 0W-20OEM · verified
Lug nut torque103 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy30/38/33 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 140R · 410 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12699847. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 140R · 410 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP185/55R15OEM · verified
Wheel / rim6.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12699847
Engine air filter95238310
Spark plug12637197
Battery88866103
Front wiper blades95391365 alt 95391363
Serpentine belt12654488
Thermostat12649163 alt 12673413
Cabin air filter42666227

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (variable gear ratios)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length143.3 in
Overall width63 in
Overall height58.3 in
Wheelbase94.1 in
Curb weight2247 lb
Track (front / rear)54.3 / 54.3 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)64/36

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined30 / 38 / 33 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume86 cu ft
Cargo volume11 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Spark of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

10.7–10.8 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 10.70 sec — 2016 2LT Hatchback
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
20162LT Hatchback 1.4L I-410.70 sec18.00 sec98 hpFWD
20162LT Hatchback 1.4L I-410.80 sec18.20 sec98 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.2 qt of 5W-20 / 0W-20 engine oil, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 103 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidUse GM part number 19260800
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity6.5
Brake FluidDOT 4
Clutch FluidDOT 4
Engine CoolantDex-Cool
Engine Coolant Capacity5.0
Engine Oil5W-20 · SAE 0W
Engine Oil Capacity4.2 qt

Engine torques

Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)7.4 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)7.4 ft-lbs
Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs106 inch lbs. ft-lbs
Oxygen (O2S) Sensor Bolt(s)31.0 ft-lbs
Knock Sense (KS) Bolt(s)18.0 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts16.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pan to Block Bolts7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts103 ft-lbs
Steering Track (Rod End) Bolts37.0 ft-lbs
Automatic Transmission Drain Plug15.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.031-0.035 in
Spark Plug Torque13.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Standard BCI Group Number140R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance410 cca

Service checks

Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)50-60

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier Torque21
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt Torque72
Minimum Pad Thickness0.079 in
Minimum Shoe Thickness0.055 in
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for Replacement0.709
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness after Refinish0.748
Variation from Parallelism Thickness Variation0.0004
Maximum Rotor Runout0.002

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Front Wheel Hub — tightening sequence 1 stages
1111.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: Back off 45.0 degrees, Step 3: 185.0111 ft. lbs
Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s) — tightening sequence 1 stages
115.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 9015 ft. lbs
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 2 stages
118.0 ft. lbs.18 ft. lbs
275.0
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 3 stages
174.0 ft. lbs.74 ft. lbs
2Use New Bolt
3+ 180
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

Prep Do not re-use old bolts.

122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
2240 degrees240 degrees
Engine Flywheel Bolts — tightening sequence 2 stages
122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
270.0
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 2 stages

Prep Lower crankcase crankshaft bolts

111.0 ft. lbs.11 ft. lbs
2180 degrees; Lower crankcase perimeter bolts180 degrees
144.0 inch lbs.44 in
289.0 inch lbs.89 in

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 97,500 mi.

Every 7,500 miAccelerator Pedal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (lubricate) · Brake Shift Interlock Solenoid (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (inspect fluid level) · Engine Oil (inspect fluid level)
Every 22,500 miCabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 45,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect)
Every 97,500 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2017 Chevrolet Spark sits at the low‑point of a clear downward trend: complaints dropped from 42 in 2016 to just 28 in 2017, while recalls fell from three to one and investigations remained steady at one. Compared with earlier years, both the number of complaints and the volume of Technical Service Bulletins (938) continued the reduction that began in 2015 after a peak of 1,613 TSBs in 2014. The top complaint areas for 2017—Service Brakes (4), Air Bags (3), Power Train (2) and a combined Air Bags/Service Brakes (2)—are modest in absolute count and the data do not specify a root cause. Crash‑related complaints were limited to five and there were no fire complaints, indicating no emergent safety pattern for that model year. Overall, the 2017 Spark shows the most favorable federal complaint and recall profile of its generation, making it a strong year to consider for purchase.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
938
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
28
Owner complaints
5 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent
’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 28 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes4
Air Bags3
Power Train2
Air Bags,Service Brakes2
Engine2
Visibility1
Power Train,Electrical System1
Power Train,Engine1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

17V307000Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator ModuleReported 09/05/2017

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Chevrolet Spark vehicles. In the event of a crash, if a young child is seated improperly and not wearing a seat belt while in the front passenger seat, deployment… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2017. Owners may contact GM customer service at…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 938 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIT3271Q2026-04-01Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel…
PIP61042026-03-09Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and…
PIP4902V2026-03-09Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIP4902U2026-01-08Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIT5214G2025-11-20Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Spark. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 140R batteryVehicles taking 4.2 qtEngine oil filter 12699847Engine air filter 95238310Spark plug 12637197Battery 88866103

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBsOBD-II trouble codesTorque specificationsMaintenance schedulesFluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2017 Spark take?

4.2 qt of 5W-20 meeting GM Dexos 1 specification or equivalent. Where temperatures fall below -20 degreesF, GM recommends using an SAE 0W-20 oil., per the factory manual.

Does the 2017 Spark have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Spark get?

EPA figures are 30 city / 38 highway / 33 combined mpg.