10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 7
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
12,348 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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problem #263

Mar 182025

Volt

  • miles
When moving the shifter to the "P" position after parking, the car will refuse to turn off with the message on the dash: "Action Needed: Shift to Park". Shifter is in Park position but car will not recognize this and does not turn off. The issue can sometimes be resolved by pressing the shifter knob button repeatedly, or by pulling the shifter all the way back to drive and forth to park multiple times until the message is cleared. This happens about 4/10 times that I drive, There is currently a bulletin posted by Chevy for a fix. However, the fix is only covered under a "warranty" and the Chevy repair center at the dealership quoted $400 to complete the repair out of warranty.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #262

Sep 112024

Volt

  • miles
I am lodging a complaint about General Motors in dealing with a warranty repair to my 2017 Chevrolet Volt. On 9/11/2024 had low propulsion warning and took the vehicle to a local dealer. I though it may have been the power module, but the Dealer stated: -??The module would not be replaced because it is not failing. Your high voltage battery is made up of multiple sections that control the power of the vehicle, one of those sections of your battery has a failure so rather than replacing the whole high voltage battery, GM will usually authorize replacement of the failed section.-?? On 9/13 GM authorized replacement. Weeks passed and I was told the battery section would come Q4 (2024]. The dealer has been very responsive about keeping me with loaner vehicles. I have issues only with GM. I asked GM to buy back the vehicle in January 2025. The request was verbally denied since for some undisclosed reason it does not fall within the California Lemon Law parameters. Later I was told by GM the part is expected -??Q2-??. GM has a representative call em every week or so just to check in. This was a safety issue as the car went to low power and might have caused significant problems in traffic. All the while I have been unable to drive the car, sell the car, or otherwise enjoy freedom of ownership. Now we are looking at at least 6 months in the shop, potentially 7-9 months or more. This is an unreasonable timeframe for repairs and hence this complaint. Please advise how I might proceed from this point to get the matter resolved soon.

- Sunnyvale, CA, USA

problem #261

Dec 172024

Volt

  • miles
Vehicle slows at times and provides message "Propulsion Power Reduced." At times vehicle will not start and cannot move transmission shifter out of Park.

- Latrobe, PA, USA

problem #260

Nov 152024

Volt

  • miles
I was driving at about 50mph all of a sudden I got a propulsion error and my car stopped working it had no power! People had to swerve around me and I was almost hit. My car would not drive I shut it off and back on multiple times. Finally it started but would not go above 25 it was so scary. I went to the dealership they said it-??s known issue since 2016 and that my miles were too high so it would not be covered to fix the total amount it almost 3,000 this seems unfair that Chevy would continue to sell a vehicle knowing it had issues with a energy control module and not fix it for free. Especially when you could be killed while driving it!!

- Ocala, FL, USA

problem #259

Mar 012024

Volt

  • miles
N232432680 / PE23022 On some 2016-2018 model year Chevrolet Volt vehicles, a malfunction involving the battery energy control module (BECM) may cause a reduced power mode, a no start condition, or a no charge condition. The above safety issue required an extended warranty recall for* 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volts due to a known issue with failing battery energy control modules (BECM). The warranty was not extended to vehicles sold in CARB states, as the Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) warranty is the same as the extended warranty granted by the NHTSA investigation which resulted in the extended warranty noted above. (N232432680) However, it GM's practice to decline warranty coverage for a CARB vehicle with the PZEV warranty if it is not longer registered in a CARB state, thereby skirting around the special coverage from the NHTSA investigation. This is a circumvention of the findings by the NHTSA and the safety of motorists.

- Mico, TX, USA

problem #258

Mar 132024

Volt

  • miles
Power surge I hit the gas to cross the highway and lack of power then got home the next morning started the car and it started serging in the driveway then it shut down altogether.

- Valdosta, GA, USA

problem #257

Mar 122024

Volt

  • miles
Problems with EGR valves still in defects, and engine gaz motor loose power. GM don-??t have enough parts to resolve them.

- Lauderdale Lakes, FL, USA

problem #256

Dec 122024

Volt

  • miles
My car stopped all of a sudden and lost power while my wife was driving. She could've been in a major accident since the car lost power. This has happened a few times in the past. Luckily she wasn't on the freeway or she could've been rear ended at highway speeds. There were warning lamps that said check engine and "Lost Propulsion". This should be looked at closely as my safety as well as the safety of others was at risk. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION! I had my car towed to the nearest auto repair shop where it is being looked at.

- Orange, CA, USA

problem #255

Nov 092024

Volt

  • miles
Dear NHTSA officer, I am writing to report a serious safety incident involving my 2017 Chevrolet Volt. On November 9, 2024, while driving with my family, our vehicle unexpectedly lost power without any warning. The details of the incident are as follows: Incident: The car powered off suddenly. Passengers: Myself, my wife, and our two children were in the vehicle. Aftermath: We were unable to restart the car despite multiple attempts. Resolution: It took two hours and assistance from neighbors to push the car back to our driveway. Upon researching this issue, I discovered that other 2017 Chevrolet Volt owners have reported similar symptoms, which appear to be related to Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) failures. Furthermore, I found that GM issued Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 18-NA-261 addressing "an internal issue within the Battery Energy Control Module" for Volt models. This incident has raised serious concerns about the safety and reliability of our vehicle. I am requesting immediate attention to this matter, including: A thorough inspection and repair of our vehicle Information on any recalls or extended warranties related to this issue Assurance of the vehicle's safety for future use Given the potential danger posed by sudden power loss while driving, I believe this issue warrants urgent attention and possibly a wider recall. Thank you for your prompt attention to this critical safety matter. I look forward to your timely response and resolution. Sincerely,

- Fremont, CA, USA

problem #254

Oct 272024

Volt

  • miles
While operating my Chevy Volt on a Los Angeles Freeway, warning lights came on informing me to park immediately, and that the power propulsion was reduced. The Check Engine light also came on. At that point the -??Shift to Park-?? message came on. My car is experiencing the -??Shift to Park-?? issue. I already had this happen previously in 2023. The repair cost $1,200. There are many, many references to this issue on the Internet. The -??Shift to Park-?? defect is well known in the Chevy Volt community. When this happened the SECOND time, ([XXX]), I was stranded on the side of an LA freeway. The car will not start. It will cycle through the -??Shift to Park-?? message on the dashboard and it will not go anywhere. The car initializes, so there is power in the vehicle, but no propulsion. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Porter Ranch, CA, USA

problem #253

Oct 172024

Volt

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. The contact stated that the message "Propulsion Power Reduced" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer, and it was diagnosed and determined that the 12V battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. Additionally, the contact stated that the hybrid battery was no longer charging and failed to turn on. The contact had the vehicle towed to the same dealer however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

- San Bernardino, CA, USA

problem #252

Aug 072024

Volt

  • miles
My BECM failed and should be covered under the N23243268 special coverage. For some reason, GM is saying that the special coverage does not apply to my VIN despite the fact that I am experiencing the exact failure that this special coverage is supposed to cover and it is during the covered years of 2016-2018 where this issue is known to be common.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #251

Oct 012024

Volt

  • miles
Automation-On 10.1.24 my car stopped working. It would turn on, but would not shift. It was also showing my EV was fully charged but the EV miles read 0. My husband came and plugged my car in and saw that when I turned the car on it read "shift to park" Also the codes from my OnStar app read "Lithium Ion Battery"- Issue found in High Voltage battery. "12 volt battery needs attention" 10.2.24 we called GM to report issues and referenced N232432680 (BCEM). We were informed that even though we can read diagnostic reports on OnStar it needed to be confirmed from a certified GM dealership that they could not confirm this is the warranty issue if they did not 1st had the certified dealership share their diagnostic report. Bergstrom shared it sounded like BECM that is under warranty. They continued to share it didnt look good and the VIN was not in the system to be covered. Shared the minimum amount we would pay was $440 for the 2 issues for labor/diagnostics.10.4.24 we called GM to file a report we were given a case manager to work our case. 10.8.24 received call from case manager shared no warranties seen on file. I asked for this to be documented and emailed to me, I was told she could not share this information other than this phone call. Bergstrom called saying the car was ready to pick up, cleared codes/no issues, drove 26 miles with no codes. Shared GM never seen/heard anything like this and had no advise/help to offer. Shared only charged for 1 hour of labor. Asked for trade in for car. Was given price $1,200 under trade in value. Cause due to car not safe, potential issues. No documentation shared, nothing to show issues, car is clean/cleared to drive they had no answer than my car was fine but was not able to give lowest amount for trade in due to issues

- Lodi, WI, USA

problem #250

Sep 062024

Volt

  • miles
Just purchased and not a week in it dies after I have charged it. I was in drive, at a red light when all of a sudden the car dies. No warning whatsoever. Was not able to turn it on afterwards. Had to get towed to my local Chevrolet dealership that has not been able to fix it for the last month with no ETA on a fix.

- South Jordan, UT, USA

problem #249

May 142024

Volt

  • miles
As I understand it, the EGR valve failed causing the car to shut down suddenly on the highway. Apparently by blowing the "walk home" fuse. The EGR valve has been unavailable from GM worldwide since Oct 2023 and there is no estimate when it will, if ever, be available.

- Shrewsbury, MA, USA

problem #248

Aug 062024

Volt

  • miles
Reduced propulsion message appears on the dash and car lost propulsion on the highway. The EGR blew a fuse and the car enters the walk home mode. This problem should be covered under warranty but my dealership says it is not covered. This issue causes the car not to be able to drive. Chevy is back ordered for the part and there is no estimate of when the part will be available. They apparently do not make the part anymore and there is no fix. the GR seems to have bad soldering and blows the fuse #3.

- Falcon Heights, MN, USA

problem #247

Jun 032024

Volt

  • miles
While driving on high-speed devided highways including stretches where traffic was 2-way (single lanes separated by concrete barrier during road maintenance) Chevy Volt indicated "reduced propulsion", and in 2 cases forced shut-down of electric and gas engine where the single-lane travel had cement barriers on both sides of the driving lane.In at least one case, the engine forced 30-40 mph travel until a break in the right-hand cement barrier was interrupted and I could get off the highway. In another case, the engine and fuel propulsion shut down but there was a breakdown lane on the right allowing traffic flow but exposing me to risk due to how close 65 mph traffic was passiing me. In each failure case, after turning off and re-starting the vehicle, the vehicle seemed to have re-set propulsion control and I could continue the trip at normal speed until another warning but not complete faillure occurred (both lanes being available so I could drive to an exit, turn off the ignition, restart and resume the travel). I believe the failure was in the BECM (Battery Energy Control Module) but the Chevrolet dealer identified an EGR failure that prevents their repair team from diagnosing the BECM. Whatever the failure was, it put me iin a very dangerous situation in at least 2 points in my 600 mile trip.

- Marblehead, MA, USA

problem #246

Mar 102024

Volt

  • miles
This car has a failed EGR valve which first became evident in March of 2024. There are no parts available, this in an emissions issue but the failure causes blown fuses which can cause the car to completely stop running which is a safety issue. Reduced propulsion is a symptom which is dangerous and this has been confirmed by three Chevy dealerships. I have had the EGR valve cleaned to the tune of $1200, have a deposit on a new valve which doesn't seem to exist for $850. There were no other messages before the failure. I am driving the car with the EGR valve disconnected, mostly on the battery power but no end is in sight to this problem.

- St Clr Shores, MI, USA

problem #245

Sep 142024

Volt

  • miles
While driving, a warning chime sounded and a message appeared saying "propulsion power reduced." The check engine light also appeared. The car lost power, would accelerate only very slowly, and eventually died along a busy road. After a period, I was able to restart car and drive very slowly to dealer. I was told that the problem was a faulty egr valve, which was blowing a fuse and would do so again. Dealer was unable to find a replacement valve anywhere in the nation. GM apparently is not manufacturing replacements for this components, and from reports found onliine, plenty of others have had the same problem. The temporary fix is to disconnect the egr valve, which results in increased vehicle emissions. I will be unable to pass my next emissions test next year. The safety issue is that the vehicle can quit running without warning in any situation.

- Churchton, MD, USA

problem #244

Aug 142024

Volt

  • miles
Vehicle began exhibiting issues with BECM, reduced propulsion/limp home mode with range-extender activation. Car unexpectedly stopped running in the middle of the road, came to a complete stop and unable to move off road under car's propulsion.

- Albuquerque, NM, USA

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