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

Power Train complaints

22 reports

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Mileage unknown · Jun 4, 2026

Fuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

Message on dash "Service High Voltage charging system" . Code cleared by inexperienced mechanic. Stalled on the side of the road with "Engine not available" , "Low propulsion" . My local Chevy dealership confirmed a high volt battery leak its now at risk for catching on fire

NHTSA ODI #11742075

Mileage unknown · Jul 15, 2024

EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

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7/6/2024 Was driving 45 mph on a busy road (running only on the gas engine of this plug-in hybrid). Propulsion Power Reduced message showed near the speedometer. My speed was immediately decreased. The check engine light also came on. Despite pressing the gas pedal, the speed could not be maintained and I had to pull off quickly before causing an accident. Luckily, no accident occurred but I fear would could have happened if I wasn't in the right place to pull over quickly. After getting the car towed to a Chevy dealership, they diagnosed the problem as being with the hybrid battery - it needs to be replaced. I don't understand why I had a full tank of gas, was running on gas, and that a bad EV battery would cause ALL propulsion to stop so quickly.

NHTSA ODI #11602358

Mileage unknown · May 24, 2024

Power Train

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This is a report on a previous safety recall that has failed to fix the problem. The recall is GM Program # N172130462 for sudden-onset reduced propulsion. The recall repair was performed on this vehicle at 91,064 miles. However, since the recall, a reduced propulsion condition has recurred multiple times. Subsequent to the most recent episode, the vehicle has been in the dealer's repair shop for 5.5 months. The dealer technician affirms it is a software problem, but is unable to figure out how to repair it, even with assistance of a General Motors field engineer. The dealer technician told me that the GM field engineer knows of other cars with the same problem.

NHTSA ODI #11590578

Mileage unknown · Dec 27, 2022

Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

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2012 CHEVROLET VOLT, THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN LOSING POWER FOR PROPULSION ON THE HIGHWAY/ROADS AT ALL SPEEDS. SHUTTING OFF. ELECTRIC CHARGE IS SUPPOSED TO SWITCH TO THE GASOLINE MOTOR WHEN IT IS LOW, BUT IT DOES NOT, AND VICE VERSA. IT SHOWS HYBRID BATTERY MANAGEMENT HAS A LOSS OF PROPULSION WITH A MESSAGE OF LOW PROPULSION POWER. THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED WITH A RECALL A FEW YEARS BACK BECAUSE THE SAME PROBLEM IS SHOWING UP. NOW, CHEVY DOES NOT HAVE THIS VIN BEING RECALLED. BUT WORSE, THE CONDITIONS IN THE SOFTWARE ARE CAUSING A POWERTRAIN FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. PLEASE HELP. I AM PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI #11498960

111,000 miles · Mar 30, 2021

Power Train

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DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT WHEEL BEGAN MAKING EXTREMELY LOUD WHINING-LIKE SOUND WHILE HIGHWAY DRIVING. PARKED THE CAR UNTIL IT COULD BE ACCEPTED AT THE CERTIFIED CHEVROLET SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT A LOCAL DEALERSHIP. TECHNICIAN IMMEDIATELY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AND EXPRESSED IT AS "COMMON." THE ISSUE IS A SEPARATION OF THE "ELECTRIC DRIVER MOTOR B ROTOR BEARING CAGE" REQUIRING A REVISED BEARING INSTALLATION. THIS IS CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW AS GM REQUIRES A NEW/REVISED BEARING INSTALLATION, AND IS LIKELY PROGRESSED WITH THE VEHICLES REGENERATIVE BRAKING. GEN1 MODELS DO NOT HAVE A CUSTOMIZABLE REGENERATIVE BRAKING OPTION TO ALLEVIATE THIS STRESS ON THE ROTOR BEARINGS. IN RESEARCHING THE ISSUE, THE SERVICE BULLETIN PROVIDED BY GM IS HAS PROGRESSED TO AN APPENDED LETTER L (BULLETIN NO. PIP5081L). A LARGE NUMBER OF VOLT OWNERS SHARE THIS EXPERIENCE, MANY OF WHICH QUALIFY FOR WARRANTY REPAIR. MY VEHICLE'S WARRANTY PERIOD EXPIRED BY LESS THAN ONE YEAR AND 11,000 MILES.

NHTSA ODI #11405578

80,000 miles · Aug 28, 2020

EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

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MY CAR HAS HAD ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH POWER PROPULSION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, AND START-UP SINCE NEW AND SEVERAL ITEMS WERE REPLACED IN 2017. I PURCHASED 6 YEAR / 100,000 EXTENDED WARRANTY WHEN NEW. SEVERAL ITEMS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. BUT UPDATES ARE NEEDED TO KEEP THE CAR RUNNING PROPERLY. NOW THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED BUT THE VEHICLE STILL NEEDS UPDATES TO RUN PROPERLY AND THE DEALER WANTS PAID TO INSTALL UPDATES. THIS IS A SCAM IF THE CAR WONT RUN WITH OUT BEING UPDATED YEARLY. I HAVE A VIDEO OF THE CAR IN 2017 WHEN I STARTED IT UP AND IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH IT WAS GOING TO BLOW UP. I COULDN'T SHUT IT OFF AND CALLED ONSTAR TO SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE. THAT IS WHEN SEVERAL ITEMS WERE REPLACED. THE CAR IS IN THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN FOR ANOTHER UPDATE. 8-28-20. THERE WAS AN UPDATED PERFORMED 11-11-19 AND 10-10-18. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THERE IS ALWAYS AN UPDATE BEING PERFORMED.

NHTSA ODI #11351778

130,900 miles · Jan 12, 2020

EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

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MY 2012 CHEVY VOLT HAS COMPLETELY SHUT OFF AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, AND SURFACE STREETS ON OVER 15 OCCASIONS. THE POWER STEERING ASSIST GOES OUT, THE BRAKE ASSIST GOES OUT AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER AND BREAK THE CAR, I HAVE NEARLY AVOIDED SEVERAL ACCIDENTS, THERE IS NO WARNING THAT THIS WILL OCCUR.THE POWER STEERING ASSIST GOES OUT, THE BRAKE ASSIST GOES OUT AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER AND BREAK THE CAR, I HAVE NEARLY AVOIDED SEVERAL ACCIDENTS, THERE IS NO WARNING THAT THIS WILL OCCUR ONCE I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO SAFELY PULL OVER THE CAR SAYS ENGINE NOT AVAILABLE, PROPULSION POWER REDUCED, THE CAR WILL NOT TURN OFF AND IT SAYS WAITING TO INITIALIZE ON THE SCREEN. I HAVE HAD IT TOWED TO MY LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP AND PAID A DIAGNOSTIC, THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND THEY JUST RESET THE CAR BY UNPLUGGING THE BATTERY AND TELL ME THAT THEY CANNOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE.THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN WHILE THE CAR IS DRIVING ON HIS HYBRID BATTERY, IT ONLY HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING IN HYBRID MODE WITH THE GAS MOTOR. IN DOING MY OWN RESEARCH, I FOUND A RECALL CAMPAIGN THAT DESCRIBES THE EXACT ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN OCCURRING, IT EVEN STATES THAT THE CAR MAY NOT BE SAFE TO DRIVE IF THIS OCCURS. RECALL #18V397000. EACH TIME I TOWED MY CHEVY VOLT TO THE DEALER IT SAT THERE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS TO A MONTH, THEY RETURNED IT TO ME AND THE NEXT DAY IT DIED IN THE ROAD. THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE, THE DEALER STATES THAT THEY CAN'T DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND I FEAR FOR MY LIFE EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE IT HAPPENS AT RANDOM.

NHTSA ODI #11298837

71,000 miles · Jan 12, 2020

Fuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

THE DRIVE MOTOR ROTOR BEARING FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 71,000 MILES. THIS MAJOR REPAIR TO THE DRIVE TRAIN MAKES THE CAR UNUSUALLY LOUD AND THE DEALER CAUTIONED THAT IT WAS A SAFETY HAZARD AND THAT IF LEFT IN REPAIRED COULD CAUSE MORE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO OTHER VEHICLE COMPONENTS.

NHTSA ODI #11298669

60,000 miles · Dec 30, 2019

Power TrainService Brakes

RADIATOR LEAK

NHTSA ODI #11292115

55,000 miles · Sep 25, 2019

Air BagsPower TrainSeats

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AIR BAG SENSOR PAD IN FRONT PASSENGER SEAT IS FAULTY. DASH LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF AT RANDOM IN FRONT SEAT. MAY LEAD TO AIRBAGS FAILING TO GO OFF. FRONT PASSENGER SEAT FAULTY, AIR BAG SENSOR PAD IS NOT INSTALLED BENEATH THE FOAM IN THE SEAT, INSTEAD IT IS ON TOP. HAS LEAD TO NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WHEN EVEN JUST SETTING A BAG ON THE SEAT. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. POWERTRAIN ISSUE, BATTERY SECTION 3 FAILED PREMATURELY DUE TO A $5 TEMPERATURE SENSOR FAILING. COST TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE BATTERY SECTION WAS $3000+ DOLLARS FOR A $5 PART.

NHTSA ODI #11257916

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