No, you generally cannot successfully jump-start a car that won't run due to bad spark plugs. A jump-start is designed to solve a single problem: a dead or weak battery. If your engine's refusal to start is caused by faulty spark plugs, providing a boost of external power doesn't fix the underlying ignition issue.
The core problem lies in the engine's combustion process. For your engine to run, it needs three things: compression, fuel, and a spark. The spark plugs are responsible for creating the electrical spark that ignites the fuel-air mixture in each cylinder. If the plugs are fouled, worn out, or damaged, they cannot generate a strong enough spark—or any spark at all. This means the fuel won't ignite, and the engine will not start, regardless of how much power is available from the battery.
You can often tell the difference between a battery issue and a spark plug issue by the symptoms. A car with a dead battery might produce a slow, clicking sound when you turn the key, or the electrical components (lights, radio) will be very dim or dead. A car with bad spark plugs, however, will usually crank normally—the engine will turn over quickly—but it will never "catch" and run. You hear the starter motor working, but the engine doesn't fire up.
If your car cranks but won't start, a jump-start is not the solution. Instead, you should investigate the ignition system. The problem could be the spark plugs themselves, the ignition coils that power them, or related components. The most reliable course of action is to have the vehicle diagnosed by a mechanic who can use a scan tool to check for error codes and perform a spark test to pinpoint the exact cause.
