# Using a Spark, any luck ?!



## AnfieldRiot

Ok, I know the Spark is frowned upon but give me some leeway.

I have a 2013 Chevy Spark... I want to use it for Uber or Lyft but it seems I need to turn that middle seat/cup holder into an actual seat w/a seat belt before either company approves me... or so I've read.

Any idea's on how to turn that middle seat/cup holder into an actual seat and be able to be approved ? Yes, yes, I know it's hella small in the back but the car is so perfect to navigate the city and transport the usual 1-3 passengers most people get... seems crazy the Spark isn't up to snuff for ride share corp rules. Any advice on how to mod the back seats and keep it legit.... anyone else manage to get approved to use a '13 Spark for ridesharing ?!?

Thanks in advance for your wisdom.


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## Renaldow

Not sure where you're getting "the usual 1-3 passengers most people get". I routinely have all 4 seats filled. And oddly, most of the time 3 people all want to sit together in the back. You'd have to replace your entire back seat and you'd have to have legal seatbelts for the middle passenger. Also, you'd have to have some place for your middle passenger to put their legs and doesn't the Spark's console thing sit on top of a huge hump with no floor? Like the 2 back passengers are in their own legroom, right?


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## zandor

I guess GM just figured Americans would regard the rear seat as being too small for 3 people. It's a 5 seater in most countries. You might be able to convert one if you can get your hands on some non-US interior parts. I have no idea if the result would be legal and it could easily be too big and expensive of a job to make it worthwhile, plus getting half an interior from a Mexican Spark sounds like a hassle.


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## AnfieldRiot

Aside from three large people, it's very doable to put 3 in the back.

For my Spark, I just need to cover the cup holder section with a foam or padding..... Add a seat belt which isn't too costly or hard and a possibly a headrest. There is room in the back for all three people to put their legs as well, no protrusion of a center console from the driver's section. From what I have researched this type of conversion isn't that costly.... however it's an absurd upgrade to do if I can't use the car for Uber or Lyft. 

What gets me... and perhaps I'm not versed enough... is that the approval process is electronic and if I submit my application for a 2013 Spark, I figure it will be denied on the basis of what the car is supposed to be and not how I have it, 3 in the back legally & safely.


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## Justin Mast

Any luck on this?


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## KGB7

I get around DC just fine in a full size sedan.

Uber won't approve you so don't bother modding your car.


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## PHXTE

Not to mention if someone were to get hurt in your jerry-rigged back seat, you'd be finished.


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## KGB7

PHXTE said:


> Not to mention if someone were to get hurt in your jerry-rigged back seat, you'd be finished.


A pot hole or a speed bump, can hurt a tail bone or spine in a jerry-rigged seat.

Car companies spend $$ millions on car safety, car seats are part of the same RND.


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## ATLrider




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## merkurfan

Car won't pass crash test standards with 3 people in the back seat.. That is why you can see the large outside side bolsters to push the 2 more towards the center..


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## UberLuxbod

I will admit I actually like the look of the Spark.

In the Uk they are dirt cheap due to Chevrolet pulling out of the U.K.

But use one for carrying fare paying passengers?

Nope, no way.

Maybe Americans have lower standards when it comes to paid for transportation but I doubt anybody in the UK would get in one unless it was at a very low end Cash Office.


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## HoldenDriver

FYI, Uber is cracking down on Sparks. They're now listed under "restricted vehicles" - saw it recently added to my area's list (Sac).

I don't know why it's still available on GovX to add. It clearly doesn't meet the requirements. Uber must be desperate in some markets and willing to compromise. In Sac, it's clearly (one of only three cars explicitly) prohibited.

_The other two, oddly, are the Crown Vic and Grand Marquis... which frankly shouldn't be - it makes no sense to bar the ultimate cab cars from UberX_.

No word yet on if the next-gen Spark (due next year) will seat five... but since the Bolt EV will, it's more likely.


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## HoldenDriver

From my experience, Uber is reluctant to deactivate vehicles once they're in the system. For awhile Uber screwed up and let them in. And in some markets they seems to have been at least passively turning a blind eye.

My point is, new people today shouldn't expect to activate a Spark. Your rating might be fine, but your acceptance rate will take a hit because you will have to cancel anyone that comes up with four passengers. The four-person groups would give you one star... but they can't.

You've been lucky they haven't complainted to Uber Support (_or if they did, you've been lucky Uber doesn't care about their own rules_).

If I had three friends/colleagues with me, and a Spark rolled up, I would contact Uber support about that car and ask them why the heck they approved a four-seater car.


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## JimS

New member with an unapproveable vehicle and overly optimistic view of Uber = troll.

Please don't believe jjafangel. You won't be able to get your car approved. Period. They won't care if you modify it, other than to render it even more unapproveable.

Yes. I used a non-word.

Twice.


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## JimS

Well, it's evident by all the literature on Uber that the minimum requirement for all vehicles must have 4 doors and seat the driver plus 4, each with their own seatbelt.

Just because there is a programming error somewhere that allowed your vehicle through the cracks doesn't make it right.

Advise to the OP, get a vehicle with a minimum of 5 seats with seatbelts (including driver). Cannot be aftermarket modified.


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## Patriot Rider

jjafangel said:


> Lol yeah.. Okay. Well, again, I drive a spark and I drive for Uber. There are different rules for different states/cities/countries. Some people on this thread are the trolls and cause unnecessary drama. (see above). However, it is free to apply, it doesn't hurt to try. Good luck to the troll above who is jealous that he can't drive for Uber. Peace! Not responding any further to this ridiculous drama when I'm here to give advice.. Too many trolls that clearly have no idea what they are talking about. Adios shitty troll!


Not sure why on this site that people are so often called trolls. If you are implying someone is a troll for simply replying to a comment or giving information ( in their opinion) doesn't that make everyone who replies a troll? Or is it that everyone who doesnt agree with you becomes a troll, and being a troll invalidates their opinion somehow and that makes you right? If people aren't supposed to respond, what the hell is this site for? I just don't get it. I guess I'm just trolling.


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## HoldenDriver

Patriot Rider said:


> Not sure why on this site that people are so often called trolls. If you are implying someone is a troll for simply replying to a comment or giving information ( in their opinion) doesn't that make everyone who replies a troll? Or is it that everyone who doesnt agree with you becomes a troll, and being a troll invalidates their opinion somehow and that makes you right? If people aren't supposed to respond, what the hell is this site for? I just don't get it. I guess I'm just trolling.


You're correct of course. But Uber may be to blame here a bit.

I suspect Uber screwed up and Santander for awhile might have been leasing out Chevy Sparks to Uber drivers. For Uber this is a double whammy if so because they assisted in leasing 4-seat cars to people. There is no question Uber screwed up in approving Sparks initially.

What I said, and was accused of being a troll for being so, was pointing out that 1) Uber is no longer letting new Sparks in. Also 2) There are odds of higher complaint rates and 1-stars if you encounter 4-pax rides if you have a Spark to begin with. This is the same for people that sneak in, say, a G6 Coupe (which seats 4) using the fact that a Pontiac G6 will pass muster since the sedan version seats 5.


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## futureuberman

id like to drive it too


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## Kolorisart

I drive a 2014 Chevy spark in all Santa Cruz county, California. I was approved by uber last Tuesday if I'm not wrong. Thursday which was my first and only day driving I encounter two trips with 4 passengers, one of them were just a group of tourist from Europe and since their Idk 8 year old daughter was able to fit in the middle and they were only riding for like 2 miles they were really nice about it, even though they also asked me if they should ask for another driver to what I answered yes but since like I said was a short ride they were really cool about it. Second was these group of 4 quite big guys and as soon as I arrived they said I thought uber doesn't accept sparks something I had no idea since I was accepted, they didn't care jumped in, since I had an aux cable on my car I guess it made up for it and at the end of the ride they said it was the most fun uber ride they've ever had. Sarcasm? Idk. But yeah I gotta be honest about all of this. I did feel bad for those people because the car is quite small, all my other trips were two people and one person. I need the money so I'll keep on doing it till I get cut out with uber and get kicked out or find another car.


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## Louisvilleuberguy

Only thing I will say about using a compact car is it seems to me that having a compact car will make it extremely important you do everything as close to perfect on your trips as possible. Riders seem to rate compact cars fair or not a lot to her than full size cars or vans. 

I have 122 rides 92 rated of which 90 are 5 stars and I atTribute that to having a nice 14 dodge grand caravan rt with Leather seats and a nice setup. Maybe I'm wrong but that is my experience and what riders have told me.


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## Jimmy Bernat

Search for a conversion kit for the back seat. The VW CC has a similar rear seat but a company made a conversion kit making the center cup holder area a 3rd seat with seat belt I think it's $400-500 
I bet someone made one for the Spark.


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## JimS

JimS said:


> New member with an unapproveable vehicle and overly optimistic view of Uber = troll.
> 
> Please don't believe jjafangel. You won't be able to get your car approved. Period. They won't care if you modify it, other than to render it even more unapproveable.
> 
> Yes. I used a non-word.
> 
> Twice.


So I'm eating my words now. Uber is so desperate for drivers that they are allowing all sorts of previously unapprovable vehicles. We are seeing 4-door pickups (rear doors open on rear hinge when front doors open), cars with 4 seats, including drivers (ie: Honda Element), older cars (they went from 2005 to 2004), etc.


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## Jimmy Bernat

JimS said:


> So I'm eating my words now. Uber is so desperate for drivers that they are allowing all sorts of previously unapprovable vehicles. We are seeing 4-door pickups (rear doors open on rear hinge when front doors open), cars with 4 seats, including drivers (ie: Honda Element), older cars (they went from 2005 to 2004), etc.


Some markets like Denver and Chicago allow a 2001 car onto UberX
I see so many pickups in Denver , seen a few Elements(4 seater) , Chevy Volts (4 seaters) etc... 
Heck the other day I saw a 2002ish Honda Civic with tons of body damage cruising with a Uber Sticker and a passenger in the back . Car a different color bumper, cracked windshield, oxidized paint and you could tell the suspension was completely shot just by looking at it


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## JimS

I hope somehow uber gets shamed in all this.


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## mikechch

Jimmy Bernat said:


> Some markets like Denver and Chicago allow a 2001 car onto UberX
> I see so many pickups in Denver , seen a few Elements(4 seater) , Chevy Volts (4 seaters) etc...
> Heck the other day I saw a 2002ish Honda Civic with tons of body damage cruising with a Uber Sticker and a passenger in the back . Car a different color bumper, cracked windshield, oxidized paint and you could tell the suspension was completely shot just by looking at it


Lol why would you destroy your brand image like that....


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## DrivinChris

Trade it in for a Honda Fit.


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## Mars Troll Number 4

mikechch said:


> Lol why would you destroy your brand image like that....


Some of that might *NOT* be what you think it is..

A friend of mine has a 94 ford Taurus

Imangine how bad it could be..

Well it's worse than that.

I can't tell you the number of times i've given that guys rides because his ford POS won't start, or stopped running.

He slapped uber and lyft stickers on it just to erode their name brand for the Lols..


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## ShinyAndChrome

If the car, stock, is not uber capable, they will never approve it. Getting seats installed, extra seatbelts, putting two doors onto a 2 door coupe, etc. forget it. not happening, stop worry about it. Never happen.


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