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2013 Chevrolet Volt

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2013 Chevrolet Volt do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 169.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

213 reports with mileage · 95 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 161 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 53 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

8 crash reports2 fire reports7 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

63 reports
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Mileage unknown · Aug 18, 2023
Electrical System

High voltage charging system.. changed out the coolant sensor and the bypass coolant value and still getting high charging error.. machanics can’t figure out the issue and now we can use it as an electric car.. light returns after sitting for an hour and a half in the off position.. something is clearly wrong with the design of …

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High voltage charging system.. changed out the coolant sensor and the bypass coolant value and still getting high charging error.. machanics can’t figure out the issue and now we can use it as an electric car.. light returns after sitting for an hour and a half in the off position.. something is clearly wrong with the design of the electric side of the car

NHTSA ODI #11539281

Mileage unknown · Jul 3, 2023
Electrical SystemFire

I arrived at the charging station and plugged the charging handle into the charge port. At this time an audible shorting sound was heard coming from inside the handle followed by a burst of flames and white smoke. This flame immediately went out and the smoke subsided slightly before building back up and darkening. By the time t…

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I arrived at the charging station and plugged the charging handle into the charge port. At this time an audible shorting sound was heard coming from inside the handle followed by a burst of flames and white smoke. This flame immediately went out and the smoke subsided slightly before building back up and darkening. By the time that the fire department arrived, the car's engine had caught fire resulting in a total loss. Additionally, the charging handle of the station had melted, alongside the side mirror of a neighboring vehicle. It appears that there was a failure to detect the initial fault or at least a lack of protections for shorts. The parts are no longer available upon inspection, unless you have contact with the EVSE manufacturer, ChargePoint. My safety was put directly at risk. The charging handle shorted in my hand. In the unlucky case that the short made contact with me, I likely would've died on the spot or been at risk of burns from the subsequent fire. Additionally, should I have been in the car, I noticed when trying to get pictures of the inside, that the doors had remained locked. The problem cannot be reproduced because the car is burnt. The car has been inspected by insurance representatives alongside the look over by firefighters and police officers on site during the fire. There were no issues inside the vehicle hinting to any problem. I had used the charging station next to this one consistently each day going into work with no problems. When I arrived, the car which is usually parked at this problem charger was in the spot I usually used, which caused me to use this problem charger. While the exact cause is somewhat unknown, the initial perception by fire fighters, police, and myself were that the fire was due to the EVSE handle shorting out. The evidence for this is the location of the fire damage external to the vehicle and the melted handle. Chargepoint disagrees but does not state an alternative possible cause.

NHTSA ODI #11530200

Mileage unknown · Nov 8, 2022
Electrical SystemInjury

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that the electric battery would not charge and the vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the 12v battery was faulty and needed to be replaced. The 12v battery was replaced and the failure was remedied. The contact stated that later while driving the ce…

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The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that the electric battery would not charge and the vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the 12v battery was faulty and needed to be replaced. The 12v battery was replaced and the failure was remedied. The contact stated that later while driving the central battery pack located under the center console had overheated causing a loud noise within the cabin of the vehicle. The contact had sustained a burn to the right shoulder which did not require medical treatment. After parking in the garage and shutting the vehicle off the vehicle rolled backward making contact to the with the garage door. No damage to the garage door was reported. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number 18V397000(HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI #11492761

Mileage unknown · Oct 26, 2022
Electrical System

The High Voltage charging system error message has chronically been triggered despite numerous mechanic visits, sensor and coolant replacement. I am now told this is a software issue and hope to have it resolved. This issue has cost hundreds of dollars in inspection and troubleshooting and hundreds of gas miles that should have …

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The High Voltage charging system error message has chronically been triggered despite numerous mechanic visits, sensor and coolant replacement. I am now told this is a software issue and hope to have it resolved. This issue has cost hundreds of dollars in inspection and troubleshooting and hundreds of gas miles that should have been EV driven. The error prevents EV charges and I must rely on the gas back up.

NHTSA ODI #11491035

Mileage unknown · Oct 12, 2022
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion System

The car’s hybrid battery shut down the car in the middle of the road. I was unable to turn it back on safely.

NHTSA ODI #11489049

Mileage unknown · May 3, 2022
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other

When placing the vehicle in park, an error message "shift to park" lights up even as the car is turned off. This has been an issue with early models of the Chevy Volt. I have owned 4 of them. Every single one of them had this same problem. My current two Volt I just obtained both have this error message. The car thinks it's…

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When placing the vehicle in park, an error message "shift to park" lights up even as the car is turned off. This has been an issue with early models of the Chevy Volt. I have owned 4 of them. Every single one of them had this same problem. My current two Volt I just obtained both have this error message. The car thinks it's not in park when it is.

NHTSA ODI #11463176

Mileage unknown · May 3, 2022
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other

When placing the vehicle in park, an error message "shift to park" lights up even as the car is turned off. This has been an issue with early models of the Chevy Volt. I have owned 4 of them. Every single one of them had this same problem. My current two Volt I just obtained both have this error message. The car thinks it's…

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When placing the vehicle in park, an error message "shift to park" lights up even as the car is turned off. This has been an issue with early models of the Chevy Volt. I have owned 4 of them. Every single one of them had this same problem. My current two Volt I just obtained both have this error message. The car thinks it's not in park when it is.

NHTSA ODI #11463174

Mileage unknown · Jan 25, 2022
Electrical System

The car keeps getting a false error code that does not allow the charging of the electric battery, this has also prevented me from completing a smog check. Was brought to the dealers attention that the error is being caused by an issue with the software and was told it was the sensor in the coolant reservoir. Was forced to chan…

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The car keeps getting a false error code that does not allow the charging of the electric battery, this has also prevented me from completing a smog check. Was brought to the dealers attention that the error is being caused by an issue with the software and was told it was the sensor in the coolant reservoir. Was forced to change that part and still have the same issue as it was not the part the dealer indicated. This seems to be a too common problem with the Chevy VOLT as many other owners have reported the same issue.

NHTSA ODI #11448784

87,000 miles · Nov 8, 2021
Electrical System

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the service high charging system and the propulsion power reduced warning lights were illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the charging port system and unknown fluid battery to be replace…

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The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the service high charging system and the propulsion power reduced warning lights were illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the charging port system and unknown fluid battery to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that his son replaced the charging port. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

NHTSA ODI #11439667

78,000 miles · Nov 3, 2021
Electrical System

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving at 65 MPH, a warning message appear a propulsion power reduction and the vehicle began to lose power and reduce in speed while the contact was driving. The contact was able to pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road waited a few minutes and restart…

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The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving at 65 MPH, a warning message appear a propulsion power reduction and the vehicle began to lose power and reduce in speed while the contact was driving. The contact was able to pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road waited a few minutes and restart the vehicle and continue to drive to their residence. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the failure as the propulsion battery would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was appromaxtley 78,000.

NHTSA ODI #11439207

Official recalls

3

23V516000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

Jul 27, 2023

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Camero, Sonic, and Volt vehicles. The driver-side air bag inflator may explode during deployment due to a manufacturing defect.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver-side air bag module, free of charge. On some 2013 Volt vehicles, the steering wheel will be replaced as well, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 23, 2023. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N232413120.

18V397000 · Hybrid Propulsion System

Jun 14, 2018

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Chevrolet Volt vehicles. An update to the Hybrid Powertrain Control Module 2 (HPCM2) may have disabled the cell balancing function causing a low-voltage condition.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the voltage drops, the vehicle may lose propulsion, increasing the risk of crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the HPCM2, free of charge. The recall began July 24, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18215.

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

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: 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

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: 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.

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

2

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.