Air Bags. Review the 86 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 86 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports2 fire reports8 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

86 reports

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35,000 miles · Dec 12, 2015

Electrical SystemPower Train

THE VEHICLE CONTINUOUSLY STALLS OUT AT ANY SPEED THE ONLY WAY TO GET POWER BACK IS BY PUTTING THE CAR IN LOW GEAR AND THEN BACK INTO DRIVE.

NHTSA ODI #10809820

Mileage unknown · Aug 31, 2015

Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion System

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WE HAVE BEEN HAVING MULTIPLE ONGING ISSUES WITH THE HIGH VOLTAGE CHARGING SYSTEM IN MY VOLT. IT HAS BEEN IN 7 TIMES FOR THIS ISSUE SINCE 10/1/13. WHEN I CALL CHEVY THEY CLAIM THEY ARE UNAWARE OF ANY ISSUES WITH MY CAR AS THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN PAID UNDER A WARRANTY CLAIM. YET THE DEALER HAS NEVER CHARGED ME AS THEY CLAIM THAT CHEVY IS PAYING FOR THE REPAIRS AS PART OF AN ONGOING WARRANTY EXTENSION. WHAT IS HAPPENING IS THIS ALLOWS CHEVY TO CLAIM THAT THEY HAVE ZERO KNOWLEDGE OF CHARGING SYSTEM ISSUES AND CREATES NO PAPERWORK TRAIL TO FOLLOW. MY NEIGHBOR WHO ALSO OWNS A VOLT IS GOING THROUGH THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE SAME PAPERWORK ISSUE. I THINK CHEVY IS COVERING UP THE ISSUE OF PROBLEMS WITH THE HIGH VOLTAGE CHARGING SYSTEM BY DOING THIS. FOR EXAMPLE 10/1/13 IS LISTED AS MISCELLANEOUS SES LAMP ON, BODY ELECTRICAL 10/22/13 SES LAMP ON 9/2/14 I/P WARNING LAMP 9/8/14 BODY ELECTRICAL 2/21/15 IS LISTED AS A DRIVABILITY PROBLEM. CAR WAS DEAD HIGH VOLTAGE CHARGING SYSTEM ISSUE 5/18/15 SES LAMP ON 7/22/15 SES LAMP ON 8/19/15 BODY ELECTRICAL EACH ONE WAS PAID FOR UNDER WARRANTY CLAIMS BY CHEVY/THE DEALER YET THEY CLAIM TO HAVE ZERO RECORD OF MOST OF THESE SERVICE VISITS. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THREE PEOPLE FROM CHEVY WHO SAY THESE EXCESSIVE PROBLEMS WITH MY HIGH VOLTAGE CHARGING SYSTEM IS NOT A PROBLEM AS THEY SEE IT

NHTSA ODI #10760385

22,292 miles · Jun 25, 2015

Electrical SystemParking BrakePower Train

WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD COME TO A STOP, THE PARKING BRAKE WOULD ENGAGE BY ITSELF. THE ONLY WAY TO DISENGAGE IT WAS TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND ON AGAIN. THE SECOND TIME I DID THIS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK, AND THE VEHICLE WAS DISABLED IN THE MIDDLE OF A ROADWAY. THE CAUSE WAS A FAULTY CHARGING PORT SENDING OUT A F…

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NHTSA ODI #10730462

Mileage unknown · Mar 17, 2015

Electrical SystemInjury

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THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (DOH), BUREAU OF EPIDEMIOLOGY RECEIVED A REPORT OF CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) POISONING ASSOCIATED WITH A 2012 CHEVROLET VOLT. AS A PART OF ROUTINE SURVEILLANCE FOR REPORTABLE CONDITIONS, DOH FOLLOWED UP ON THIS REPORT TO INVESTIGATE. ON MARCH 2, 2015, THREE PEOPLE WENT TO AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT (ED) FOR CO POISONING. A 40 YEAR OLD MALE PARKED HIS 2012 CHEVROLET VOLT IN THE GARAGE TO CHARGE (PLUGGED INTO THE OUTLET) AND ACCIDENTALLY LEFT THE CAR RUNNING OVERNIGHT. IN THE MORNING, HE NOTICED THE CAR WAS RUNNING AND HAD SWITCHED TO GASOLINE USE. HE AND HIS TWO CHILDREN COMPLAINED OF HEADACHE, WEAKNESS, CHEST PAIN, PALPITATION, AND DIZZINESS. CARBOXYHEMOGLOBIN (COHB) LEVELS WERE >15% FOR ALL THREE INDIVIDUALS. ON MARCH 12, 2015, SEVERAL NEWS MEDIA OUTLETS REPORTED THAT GM IS RECALLING ALL 2011-2013 CHEVROLET VOLTS (ABOUT 64,000) TO INSTALL UPDATES TO PREVENT CO POISONING WHEN THE DRIVER FORGETS TO SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10694821

46,000 miles · Mar 4, 2015

Electrical System

THE VEHICLE INFORMATION CENTER (DRIVERS DISPLAY) GOES OUT. SPEED, WARNINGS, FUEL LEVEL, TURN SIGNAL INDICATION ARE NOT AVAILABLE AND POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10691997

14,750 miles · Sep 25, 2014

Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET VOLT HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THE ENGINE STARTED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ALERTED OF THE PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT THE GARAGE HAD BECOME FILLED WITH EXHAUST. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,7…

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NHTSA ODI #10639011

8,000 miles · Jul 11, 2014

Electrical System

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DRIVING ON BUSY FREEWAY WHEN I ACCIDENTALLY BUMPED THE START BUTTON ON MY VOLT. THE CAR SHUT OFF AT 65 MPH AND WHEN I REALIZED WHAT I HAD DONE I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE BUTTON AGAIN WHICH PUT THE CAR IN MAINTENANCE. MODE, LEAVING MY WIFE AND I TO NAVIGATE TO THE RIGHT BURM THROUGH SEVERAL LANES OF HEAVY HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC, WITH NO POWER. YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR FOOT ON AND DEPRESS THE BRAKE TO RESTART. I MANAGED TO GET TO THE BURM SAFELY. OTHERS MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY. I REPORTED THIS ON THE VOLT WEBSITE PHONE NUMBER AND NEVER HEARD ANYTHING. DO TO GM'S RECENT IGNITION SWITCH RECALLS AND RESULTING DEATHS. I FEEL IT NECESSARY TO REPORT THIS. I HOPE THIS LETTER MY SAVE LIVES. I LIVED THROUGH THE FORD PINTO COVER UP. I SOLD THE CAR A FEW MONTHS AGO. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10609759

5,640 miles · Mar 25, 2014

Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

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CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT THE SPEED LIMIT, APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES FROM HOME. AS THE DRIVE BATTERY'S CHARGE ENDS,THE VEHICLE SHOULD START THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE TO TAKE OVER PROPULSION FROM THE BATTERY. DID NOT HAPPEN. WHAT DID HAPPEN WAS A MIL ILLUMINATION,AND SEVERAL MESSAGES ON THE DRIVERS DISPLAY ABOUT THE "PROPULSION SYSTEM NOT AVAILABLE" OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT.(SPOUSE WAS DRIVING CAR, NOT SUBMITTER.)THE DRIVER WAS IMMEDIATELY FORCED TO NEGOTIATE THROUGH SEVERAL LANES OF VERY BUSY INTERSTATE TRAFFIC TO GET TO THE ROAD SHOULDER ALL WHILE DEALING WITH WHAT WAS EVENTUALLY A COMPLETE LOSS OF DRIVE POWER. DEAD BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO START THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.NO SUCCESS.ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE NOTIFIED.I HEAD TOWARDS LOCATION TO OFFER HELP (1 HOUR AWAY FROM HOME) AND ARRIVE BEFORE TOW DOES. MANAGE TO START INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE THIS TIME, AND CRIPPLE CAR 7 MILES INTO DEALERSHIP,WHERE MECHANIC PULLS DTC'S P0AC4,P1E00,C12FE AND UPDATES VEHICLE SOFTWARE WITH GM TSB PIC5803C-"CHARGE INCOMPLETE-CHARGE INTERRUPTED AND MIL WITH DTCS P0D3E OR P0D3F WITH P1E00" FIXING PROBLEM.MY MAIN COMPLAINT WITH GM ON THIS ISSUE IS THAT THIS SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS RELEASED 6/7/2013 AND I HAD JUST HAD THIS VEHICLE IN DEALERSHIP FOR ANOTHER SOFTWARE UPDATE 3 MONTHS AGO-12/2/13.WHY DIDN'T GM PROVIDE THE PIC5803C UPDATE AT THE SAME TIME AS THAT ONE, AVOIDING A DANGEROUS ENGINE FAILURE THAT OCCURRED IN TRAFFIC AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS?CONTACT WITH GM ONLY REVEALS THAT SOFTWARE PATCHES ARE APPLIED IF A FAILURE OCCURS-LIKE OURS-AND NOT PROACTIVELY.I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A POTENTIALLY NEGLIGENT POLICY IN LIGHT OF THE DANGEROUS EVENT THAT HAPPENED TO US.UPDATES LIKE THESE SHOULD BE PUSHED TO THE CONSUMER AS A RECALL OR WHENEVER A VOLT IS AT A DEALER FOR ANY SERVICE.CAN GM LEARN ANYTHING FROM THEIR IGNITION SWITCH DEBACLE? I HOPE SO... *TR

NHTSA ODI #10574774

109,000 miles · Feb 20, 2014

Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET VOLT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE AND SERVICE HIGH VOLT SYSTEM WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEH…

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NHTSA ODI #10565187

10,000 miles · Jan 20, 2014

Electrical SystemSteering

DRIVING IN MOUNTAINS AND HIT RUMBLE STRIP ON HIGHWAY AND ELECTRIC POWER STEERING WENT OUT. AFTER STOPPING, POWER STEERING RETURNED TO NORMAL. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ON A STRAIGHT STRETCH OF ROAD AND COULD CONTROL THE CAR. TOOK IT TO DEALER AND THEY COULD FIND NO REASON FOR THE FAILURE. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED IN THE SIX MONTH…

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NHTSA ODI #10560715

Official recalls

15V145000 · Electrical System:ignition; Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline

Mar 13, 2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Volt vehicles manufactured August 25, 2010, to June 26, 2013. If the driver exits the vehicle without turning off the electrical system, the battery may drain low enough that the gasoline engine will automatically start itself to recharge the electric battery.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the engine runs for an extended period of time in an enclosed space, there may be a build up of carbon monoxide, increasing the risk of personal injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the engine management software to limit the time that the stationary vehicle can be left in the ON position, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14617.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electrical System:ignition

Consequence: If the engine runs for an extended period of time in an enclosed space, there may be a build up of carbon monoxide, increasing the risk of personal injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the engine management software to limit the time that the stationary vehicle can be left in the ON position, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14617.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline

Consequence: If the engine runs for an extended period of time in an enclosed space, there may be a build up of carbon monoxide, increasing the risk of personal injury.

13V271000 · Electronic Stability Control (esc); Service Brakes

Jun 27, 2013

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Volt vehicles manufactured March 1, 2012, through April 17, 2012. Due to a brake pressure modulator valve problem, the vehicles do not relieve brake pressure from the front brakes during an anti-lock brake system (ABS), electronic stability control (ESC), or traction control event. One or both front brakes may lock up and not release. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) No. 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems"' and No. 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the brakes lock up it could cause a loss of steering control and/or a lengthened distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will install a new brake pressure modulator valve free of charge. The recall is expected to begin July 12, 2013. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-866-694-6546. GM's recall number is 13184.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Service Brakes

Consequence: If the brakes lock up it could cause a loss of steering control and/or a lengthened distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will install a new brake pressure modulator valve free of charge. The recall is expected to begin July 12, 2013. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-866-694-6546. GM's recall number is 13184.

Electronic Stability Control (esc)

Consequence: If the brakes lock up it could cause a loss of steering control and/or a lengthened distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

PE19013 · Passenger Sensing System

Opened Sep 17, 2019 · Closed Jul 2, 2021

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger

In September 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-013 to assess the potential safety related effects of a malfunction of the Passenger Sensing System (PSS) in 2012-2013 Model Year (MY) Chevrolet Volt vehicles. Consumers reported that due to a malfunction of the PSS, the air bag system malfunction indicator light (MIL) was activated. Many of the complaints noted the malfunction occurred after the warranty period expired and mentioned high repair costs as a major deterrent to the repair of the vehicle.The PSS sensor mat is embedded in the front passenger seat cushion and is intended to detect child seats and small statured occupants who could be harmed by deployment of the frontal passenger air bag. The PSS may develop a malfunction due to bunching of the sensor mat in the seat trench. The bunching of the sensor mat could cause the mat to repeatedly fold in the same location. Over time, the repeated folding can cause an increased resistance in the sensor mat. An increased resistance in the PSS sensor mat is detected as a fault in the air bag system diagnostic. If this fault is detected, a diagnostic trouble code will be stored in the air bag control unit and the air bag MIL will illuminate.Further, if the fault is detected, the passenger frontal and knee air bags will be suppressed in a crash of sufficient severity to warrant a commanded deployment regardless of the nature of size of the occupant of the front passenger seat.The report counts shown above include only those reports that specifically address the issue covered by this investigation, failure of the PSS sensor mat. Reports alleging only that the air bag light is on with no cause stated, or where a different cause was otherwise identified, were excluded as the air bag light could be illuminated for system faults other than a PSS malfunction.The subject vehicles have been in service for approximately ten (10) years. An analysis of General Motors (GM) warranty data for the subject vehicles, including a comparison with other agency and manufacturer data pertaining to similar occupant detection system failure investigations, indicates the subject vehicles experience a comparatively low complaint rate for this issue given the number of years the vehicles have been in service.GM has instituted a cost reduction program for the repair/replacement of the PSS in the subject vehicles. Based on this cost reduction program as well as:1) a comparatively low warranty rate; 2) no reported injuries, deaths or asymmetric deployments; and 3) the age of the vehicles; ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.nhtsa.gov under the following ODI identification numbers in a separate attachment.

PE11037 · Post-Crash Ev Fire Hazard

Opened Nov 25, 2011 · Closed Jan 20, 2012

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery

The subject vehicles, which employ emerging technology, are range-extended electric vehicles that utilize a high voltage (HV) battery to provide energy for propulsion. The HV battery is lithium-ion based technology that has a nominal full charge of 390 VDC, a 16 kWh capacity, and a control system that incorporates liquid (antifreeze) cooling and various electronic devices (control modules, sensors, wiring, etc) to monitor and manage the HV battery. The HV battery, portions of the cooling system, and the control system are contained within a common enclosure.During an NCAP oblique side pole impact test conducted by NHTSA in May 2011, the pole struck and deformed the sill plate under the driver's door at a location where there is a structural member. The lateral member displaced inward, pierced the HV battery enclosure and battery, and caused a battery coolant leak. Thereafter, the Agency conducted a rollover test (the rollover test consists of four 90-degree rotate-and-hold movements about the vehicle's longitudinal axis). In that test, the HV battery and electronics were exposed to coolant that leaked as a result of the crash. The vehicle fire that occurred three weeks later and the additional testing NHTSA conducted are discussed in a report titled 2011 Chevrolet Volt Battery Fire Incident Report a copy of which is available in the public file. The report indicates that intrusion induced coolant leakage, and subsequent rollover that saturates electronic components, were the only test conditions which resulted in a subject vehicle HV battery fire.GM announced its intention to conduct a free-of-charge customer satisfaction campaign (CSP) on the subject vehicles on January 5, 2012. The action affects 14,735 vehicles produced prior to December 21, 2011. The CSP addresses three areas related to the issue under investigation. The first involves a modification/strengthening of the structure of the vehicle in the area where battery intrusion occurred in the May 2011 test. The second involves adding a sensor that detects excessive HV battery coolant loss, and control system software that then alerts the driver and prevents recharging of the HV battery. When the battery cannot be recharged, it will be depleted to a lower energy state as the vehicle continues to operate on the internal combustion engine. Lastly, a tamper-proofing device will be added to the system to prevent consumers from adding coolant. GM discusses these revisions in its response to an Information Request (IR) issued by NHTSA, noting that vehicles produced in calendar year 2012 and later will be manufactured to this condition.In December 2011, and at the same test facility, NHTSA repeated the May 2011 side impact test using a model year 2012 Volt modified to the structural condition described in the CSP. The test did not produce intrusion of the HV battery, a coolant leakage, or a fire (see test 7611, available at www.nhtsa.gov/Research/Databases+and+Software). In its IR response, GM describes four (4) additional side impact tests of modified subject vehicles it recently conducted using various build configurations and impact speeds (including higher speeds). GM reports that none produced HV battery intrusion, coolant leakage, or a fire.As noted in the complaint counts above, ODI has not identified a crash occurring in consumer's use of the vehicle that has resulted in a vehicle fire, or produced coolant leakage. ODI notes that side impact crashes with pole-like structures, such as would strike the sill plate, occur fairly infrequently, and such crashes with rollovers are even less frequent. A defect trend has not been identified at this time, and further investi