Used car safety, rank #178 of 181
Chevrolet Spark Safety Rating (2017-20)
Real IIHS driver death rates for the 2017-20 Chevrolet Spark, a mini car, compared with its class and with the current model.
IIHS 2023 edition Β· 2018β2021 crashes. Results apply only to the model years and drivetrain shown. This is the historical edition. See the July 2026 release for newer used cars.
The 2017-20 Chevrolet Spark has an IIHS driver death rate of 151 per million registered vehicle years against a mini cars average of 162.6, which is 7% below the class average. That places it #178 of 181 used vehicles with a safety score of 1.6/100.
What the Chevrolet Spark death rate means
At 151 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the Chevrolet Spark beats the mini cars average of 162.6 by 7%. The 95% confidence interval is 90 to 212, so the upper end of the range overlaps the class average and the advantage is not certain.
The other-driver death rate of 36 measures the opposite risk: how many drivers of other vehicles died in crashes with a Chevrolet Spark. It is no higher than the Chevrolet Spark's own driver death rate. Remember that death rates describe vehicles and their drivers together: IIHS adjusts for driver age and gender, but not for where or how carefully people drive. Our score weights this model's own rate at 70% and its class at 30%; see how we rank used cars.
Compared with similar used cars
The safest mini cars in the IIHS study, by our score, with the Chevrolet Spark highlighted. It ranks 2 of the 5 shown; the class leader is the Kia Rio sedan at a death rate of 122.
| Vehicle | Years | Death rate | Score | Reliability | Used price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kia Rio sedan | 2018-20 | 122 (48 to 197) | 1.9 | n/a | n/a |
| Chevrolet Spark (this page) | 2017-20 | 151 (90 to 212) | 1.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Hyundai Accent | 2018-20 | 152 (61 to 242) | 1.2 | n/a | n/a |
| Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback | 2017-20 | 183 (93 to 273) | 0.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Mitsubishi Mirage G4 | 2017-20 | 205 (107 to 303) | 0.0 | n/a | n/a |
Class average for mini cars: 162.6 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years.
Safety recalls for the Chevrolet Spark
We do not have a verified NHTSA recall lookup for this nameplate and model year. Check by VIN rather than treating that as a clean record.
Recall campaigns from the NHTSA recalls database, retrieved 2026-09-16. A campaign covers a range of build dates, not every car of the model year, and IIHS reports this nameplate across several years while these results are for one year. Confirm against the VIN. Recalls do not affect the death rate on this page.
Chevrolet Spark: Common Questions
Is the Chevrolet Spark a safe car?
Yes, by the measure that matters most. IIHS recorded a driver death rate of 151 per million registered vehicle years for the 2017-20 Chevrolet Spark, 7% below the class average (162.6 for mini cars). That earns a used-car safety score of 1.6 out of 100 and rank #178 of 181 used vehicles.
What is the Chevrolet Spark driver death rate?
151 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, with a 95% confidence interval of 90 to 212. Drivers of other vehicles that collided with a Chevrolet Spark died at a rate of 36 per million. Source: IIHS driver death rates by make and model, covering 2017-20 models.
How does the Chevrolet Spark compare with other mini cars?
The mini cars class averages 162.6 driver deaths per million; the Chevrolet Spark sits at 151. Among the 5 mini cars compared above it ranks 2 by safety score; the top of that group is the Kia Rio sedan with a death rate of 122.