Chevrolet Recalls 121,000 Sparks Because the Hood May Pop Open

The Chevrolet Spark EV: Recalled. Photo: Chevrolet

After Ford announced a recall of more than 250,000 vehicles because of faulty backup cameras, GM is getting in on the action with a recall of its own. The American automaker has found a defect in its Spark hatchback that could lead the hood to pop open while you’re driving, which is not ideal.

The recall, which was first reported by Automotive News, impacts 121,000 Spark and Spark EV models produced between 2013 and 2015.

In the affected cars, the NHTSA reports that the secondary hood latch could corrode at the latch pivot. When this happens, owners aren’t able to close the hood properly, which could lead to it bursting open unexpectedly while driving. Automotive News reports:

“GM is recalling nearly 121,000 Chevrolet Spark vehicles from the 2013-15 model years and Spark EVs from the 2014-15 model years because the hoods may open unexpectedly while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

“The automaker previously recalled about 89,000 2013-15 model-year Sparks in 2014. The latest recall expands the scope to include more vehicles that may experience prematurely corroding hood latches.”

Total Recall: Spark Edition. Photo: Chevrolet

So far, GM has reported 276 issues relating to the faulty hood latches between January 2 and May 25, 2022.

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To fix the issue, customers will be able to take their cars to dealers across the U.S., which will then replace the hood striker assembly and hood latch assembly, free of charge.

If you think your car may be impacted by the recall, the NHTSA has a handy app to help drivers figure out if they need to act.

This latest recall for Chevrolet affects more than 120,000 cars. But while that sounds like a lot, it pales in comparison to the Bolt recall it struggled through for years.