10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 7
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
12,588 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #178

Nov 152023

Volt

  • miles
I was making a left turn at a light and the vehicle suddenly popped up -??shift to park-?? warning on the dash and simultaneously lost power. The vehicle would only roll under what momentum was generated prior to the warning. Luckily I was able to get through the turn and coast safely off to the side of the road. Chevy volt is currently at the dealership being assessed. They are telling me I will need a new 12v battery and new gear shifter for $1100. These were replaced, but the dealership called and told me I will now need a new ECM, or something like that, for an additional $2400. Car is currently at Ricart Chevrolet in Dublin, OH waiting on my decision. And I-??m being told the part needed is on backorder and may be a month to arrive. After researching this, it seems Chevy knows about this issue and seems very irresponsible to knowingly put volt owners in harms way. Needless to say I-??m not happy and feel something should be done by Chevy to rectify the situation.

- Plain City, OH, USA

problem #177

Apr 272022

Volt

  • miles
On the morning of April 27, 2022, our 2017 Chevy Volt, with what I believe to be a fully charged high voltage battery (was plugged in to charge the entire previous night) and at least a quarter tank of gas, would not start either the electrical or gasoline drive train. The 12 volt battery showed low voltage, so I purchased and replaced the 12 volt battery. The Volt continued to not start in either gas or electric propulsion mode. Checked the OBD 11 codes, and they matched up with what was reported on line to be Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) failure. On May 3, 2022, the Volt was put on a flatbed and taken to Holz Motors in Milwaukee. They verified the BECM failure, ordered new BECM, and was told none were available. Put on waiting list for BECM, and the Volt was repaired 8 weeks later on June 28, 2022. Cost of repair was $2439.63. Volt had 110,875 miles on it and was out of warranty. Not happy to bear the full cost of replacement of the BECM, but felt fortunate that it failed while parked in my garage. There were NO symptoms leading up to failure, and the car was totally unable to move. Overnight voltage drop of the 12 volt battery (the one I replaced also went dead) meant that operation of door locks, etc would also soon have occurred. Outcome would have been much worse if this failure had occurred while driving.

- East Troy, WI, USA

problem #176

Sep 162023

Volt

  • miles
Car intermittantly lost propultion while driving. this started happening more and more frequently. One time driving on the freeway propulsion cut out and I barely made it to the side of the road. Put the car in park and it would start again. Drive for a few hundred feet then it would cut out again. Finally took it into the dealer when I was driving down the highway and propulsion cut out and I was stuck in the middle of traffic. As I was driving the instrument cluster power remained on but the engine just cut out. I was using the electric motor at the time but this is happened on the ice as well. As I rolled to a stop in the middle of traffic I put it in park so that I could restart the car as I had been able to previously but it would not start. It would not let me shift the car out of park into neutral so I could push it to the side of the road. After several attempts of disconnecting the battery and the high voltage battery I was able to get the car out of park into neutral. Even when I shifted the car into drive the propulsion system would not work, a officer stopped traffic to allow me to push the car to the side of the road. After getting to the dealer they were able to determine that a ground strap to the engine chassis was at fault. It interrupted the communication on the can bus which wouldn't allow the ECU to communicate with the drivetrain Which just shut down the propulsion system. This was extremely scary I have attached a snapshot of fault codes and snapshots of a video I took showing that the screen would just show that the car was initializing the entire time

- Ogden, UT, USA

problem #175

Nov 262023

Volt

  • miles
Becm module is failing currently we have an engine check light that illuminates every other drive. Started November 26th. We experienced reduced propulsion message. We have experience the car not going into gear to drive or go reverse. It seems these issues occur at random. Check light codes are u2619-u2624. A dealership will be taking a look at the car on Monday

- Council Bluffs, IA, USA

problem #174

Oct 232023

Volt

  • miles
The check engine light came on in my car with the message "service charging system." I took the car to the deal and they determined it was the battery control module that was failing. They told me the car would eventually stop turning on and I could either take it and drive it until it wouldn't turn on or I could leave it with them until they got a replacement part that is currently on backorder with no estimated time they can get it. I asked if the car was safe to drive and if it would stop working while I was driving, they assured me it would not stop while I was driving. I opted to take the car home and on my home, while driving, the car died on me. Luckily I was already in a turn lane and was able to get off in a neighborhood. The car gave me a message "propulsion system unavailable" while I was driving and would not power the car forward or backwards. This happened about six weeks ago and I am still waiting for the replacement part.

- Rochester, MN, USA

problem #173

Nov 152023

Volt

  • miles
In the last couple months, have received multiple warnings regarding reduced propulsion that, as I understand is a potential failure related to the BECM. Besides the warning, I haven-??t noticed any major change in performance, but I am concerned there may be a defect. I haven-??t yet contacted dealer about this issue, but I noticed there was a formal report made about this and wanted to be sure my vehicle was included in the count.

- Lancaster, PA, USA

problem #172

Oct 012020

Volt

  • miles
Cart fails to start nearly every time I try to start it. BECM failure seems to be the issue. Car instructs to shift to park then fails to start until eventually it clicks over and will start in gas mode. Sometimes will randomly flag into low propulsion mode while driving, which majorly affects acceleration speed. Car will no longer charge and must be used in gas mode due to known electrical defects. Sometimes have to wait 10+ minutes for the car to start.

- Pontiac, MI, USA

problem #171

Apr 252023

Volt

  • miles
-- My 2017 Chevrolet Volt experienced a failure of the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) in the powertrain system. This failure prevented my vehicle from being driven. The BECM and related battery pack components were replaced under warranty by a Chevrolet dealership. Those parts, to my knowledge, are not available for inspection. -- From a safety perspective, my vehicle was luckily parked when the failure occurred. Many Volt owners have reported -- via online Volt forums and on Reddit at r/volt -- that the failure has occurred while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in a safety issue when the vehicle loses power and stops in the middle of a street or highway. -- A Chevrolet dealership confirmed my vehicle's BECM failure through diagnosis and code reading (see attached documentation). In my case, the BECM initially failed and I lost the ability to drive my vehicle when it was stopped in a parking lot (while I was on vacation, 225 miles from my home). I left the dead vehicle in the parking lot overnight. The next day I was able to start the vehicle and drive it to the nearest EV-certified Chevrolet dealership, where the BECM permanently failed in the dealership's service entrance. I watched the dealership service staff push the dead vehicle into the service bay. It should be noted that I was lucky -- the replacement BECM part was available from GM to the dealership in two days. NHTSA will receive complaints from other Volt owners who waited weeks and MONTHS for a replacement part and repair, all the while their vehicle could not be driven. -- My vehicle's BECM was inspected, the failure diagnosed, and the part replaced by a Chevrolet technician at a Chevrolet dealership (see attached documentation). -- The BECM failure on my vehicle happened immediately with no warning. When I could not drive my vehicle, I saw cryptic "propulsion lost" and "shift transmission to park" error messages on the instrument panel.

- Bemidji, MN, USA

problem #170

Nov 302023

Volt

  • miles
Car is having a few problems in relations to the BECM

- Niagara Falls, OH, USA

problem #169

Dec 012023

Volt

  • miles
Any time the car switches from battery to gasoline the 12v battery comes on, I get the message to shift into park, and the car shuts off. This happens multiple times a day, making it difficult to drive long distance. It also makes it difficult to work more than a couple of hours at a time as an Uber driver. It has happened on the highway, very dangerous.

- Topeka, KS, USA

problem #168

Nov 252023

Volt

  • miles
BECM failure, covered by warranty but required towing that I had to pay out of pocket. Have been waiting a week for the repair to be completed and the dealer is refusing to provide a loaner vehicle.

- York, PA, USA

problem #167

Nov 152023

Volt

  • miles
BECM Failed without warning. vehicle was inoperable until the part was replaced

- Lansing, MI, USA

problem #166

Mar 012023

Volt

  • miles
BECM issues causing vehicle to lose power, not go in to park, will not remote start, battery failure, and not turning on or not turning off when prompted.

- Carson City, NV, USA

problem #165

Mar 162023

Volt

  • miles
In 2020 my 2017 Chevrolet Volt had an intermittent problem turning off. My Chevrolet dealer worked to fix the problem. This March I had an accident which involved me thinking the car was shut down. I was half way out of the car when I realized it was moving. Before I could get completely in to apply the brakes, I had hit and pushed an object into a building which caused damage to the building and my car. The was a police report which states that I was at fault. My car was towed to my. Chevrolet dealer for repair. The repair took about two months mostly due to obtaining shifting parts. I can now drive the car but the parts to replace the shifting mechanism is still on back order. It is now early October. The -??shift into park-?? as I think the problem has been named, is still an intermittent problem for me. Sometimes the car shuts down promptly as it should. Sometimes however, I go though the process of shutting down a few times before I am confident that the car has really turned off. I would like to know if this defect has caused other accidents. If so, it my mitigate my responsibility for my my accident which has caused me grief and a large increase in my insurance premium. Another reason I am writing is because There has been a report of a fatal accident in Vienna Township, near Flint, Michigan involving a women being pinned under her car after exiting to check her mail box. The article in -??M-Live-?? paper by Joey Oliver [XXX]. The supposition was that she thought her car was in park. I am hoping that the investigators of her accident would consider the possibility of the car being defective. I believe the police report number [XXX] by officer [XXX]. [XXX], 8525 E. Government center dr., Sutton Bay, MI 49653 I have pictures of the accident, etc but don-??t know how to upload them Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Lake Leelanau, MI, USA

problem #164

Aug 312023

Volt

  • 40,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH the message "low brake fluid" suddenly displayed before multiple warning lights began to illuminate and the vehicle stalled. While the vehicle was coasting on the shoulder the contact discovered that the braking system had malfunctioned and the vehicle did not stop when pressing the brake pedal. After coasting to a stop the contact noticed smoke coming from the front end of the vehicle. Eventually, the flames engulfed the front end of the vehicle and the fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. The vehicle was destroyed and towed away. A fire report was taken at the scene. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.

- Silver Spring, MD, USA

problem #163

Feb 172022

Volt

  • miles
The shifter of the car will NOT go into park! It takes forever. Have to shut it off, start it back up, and keep trying to get it to work. It's insane! This has to be recalled. Literally thousands of people are having this exact same problem. It's all over the internet. And I wouldn't mind if it were a simple $50 repair, but this is a $500 to $600 thing to fix and it's just not right. The gear shift cable is not long enough. Chevy knows this because they've manufactured a cable extension that needs to be installed. What does that tell you? Manufacturers defect! Please recall these vehicles for this problem and get them to repair their factory mistake. Thank you. Sincerely & Respectfully, [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Webster, MA, USA

problem #162

Jul 142023

Volt

  • miles
The vehicle suddenly, and unexpectedly lost propulsion while driving. The vehicle is no longer able to turn on or drive. I contacted several Chevy official dealers and took the car in for repair. They said it is a problem with the hybrid battery system. But the car is no longer manufactured and parts are no longer available. So I am now stuck with a car that is non-operational and not repairable.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #161

May 052021

Volt

  • miles
Vehicle displays warning "Shift to park" sometimes when vehicle in placed in park. Vehicle will not lock properly and drains battery if left in this state. Vehicle is unable to turn off while this message is present and the only way to get it to go away is to repeatedly shift the vehicle in and out of park and attempt to turn it off. This issue is commonly reported with several GM models. TSB 19-NA-206 was published for this issue in September 2019, but the repair is not covered under a recall at this time.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #160

Jun 222023

Volt

  • miles
The car was been driving, shifting, and turning off normally for 10 months. Then last week, I started to get a "Shift to Park" message on the dashboard when I tried to turn off the car. On all occasions, I was stopped and the shift gear was in park, but the car kept running. I could not get the "Shift to Park" message to stop. I finally had to hit Power again, shift the car from park to drive, then return it to park. After a couple attempts, the electrical system changed to "Park." This has now happened over 10 times. I'm concerned at some point the trick will stop working and I won't be able to power off the car.

- Springfield, MA, USA

problem #159

Jun 212023

Volt

  • miles
While driving the 2017 Chevy Volt, for about 20 minutes, the electrical system shut down. The warning said to put the car into park and look at the screen. The first instance the car was traveling at 45 mph, the second time it was on the freeway at 70 mph. At this point the check engine light came on. After turning the car off and on three times the car was able to be driven, but it happened again on the next leg of our journey.The Volt at first would not charge. It said "charge not available", then after about an hour the Volt was able to be charged. We believe it is the battery charging module being defective. GM was sued for this very problem, and lost, but has not issued a recall on this very dangerous occurrence. It has issued a bulletin to it's employees, but again, has not addressed the issue.

- Huntington Woods, MI, USA

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