IllustrationGAS GENERATOR FAILED TO START WHEN BATTERY WAS DEPLETED WHILE ON FREEWAY. WARNING MESSAGE ABOUT REDUCED PROPULSION AND YELLOW ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THEN FEWS MOMENTS AFTER VEHICLE COULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE AND WAS SLOWING DOWN SO PULLED OVER ONTO SHOULDER AND GOT TOWED VEHICLE WILL NOT CHARGE EITHER WHEN PLUGGED IN.
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Volt years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
380–25K
2925–50K
6050–75K
4775–100K
33100–150K
6150K+
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 reportsPASSENGER PRESENCE MODULE NEEDS REPLACING AT A DEALER-QUOTED COST OF $700. REAR SEAT STITCHING CAME APART, REQUIRING SEVERAL HOURS OF REPAIR. 2 BAD 12 VOLT BATTERIES IN 36,000 MILES HAVE SOMEHOW AFFECTED THE MAIN COMPUTER AND I HAVEN'T RECEIVED A QUOTE YET. BAD OIL LINE CONNECTION ON THE MASTER CYLINDER. MECHANIC SAID DEFECTI…
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PASSENGER PRESENCE MODULE NEEDS REPLACING AT A DEALER-QUOTED COST OF $700. REAR SEAT STITCHING CAME APART, REQUIRING SEVERAL HOURS OF REPAIR. 2 BAD 12 VOLT BATTERIES IN 36,000 MILES HAVE SOMEHOW AFFECTED THE MAIN COMPUTER AND I HAVEN'T RECEIVED A QUOTE YET. BAD OIL LINE CONNECTION ON THE MASTER CYLINDER. MECHANIC SAID DEFECTIVE CRIMP. BOUGHT THE CAR IN 6/15 AT 16,000 MILES WITH A RECONSTRUCTED TITLE. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN ACCIDENT. I DOUBT THAT THE ACCIDENT INFLUENCED ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS. THE CAR PERFORMED FLAWLESSLY FOR 10,000 AFTER I BOUGHT IT (EXCEPT FOR THE 12 VOLT BATTERY).
WHILE DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC THIS CHEVY VOLT'S ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CRASHED CAUSING ME TO CRASH RIGHT ALONG WITH IT. NO BRAKES (ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM FAIL)NO STEERING OR HORN EVEN WORSE...NO AIR BAGS.... RESULTS: MULTI-CAR COLLISION WITH NO FATALITIES BUT, SEVERAL INJURYS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET VOLT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WIRING CONNECTION UNDER THE SEAT HAD A SHORT, WHICH CAUSED THE SENSOR MAT NOT TO FUNCTION. HENDERSON CHEVROLET (240 N GIBSON RD, HENDERSON, NV 89014, 702-558-2438) WAS NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUD…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET VOLT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WIRING CONNECTION UNDER THE SEAT HAD A SHORT, WHICH CAUSED THE SENSOR MAT NOT TO FUNCTION. HENDERSON CHEVROLET (240 N GIBSON RD, HENDERSON, NV 89014, 702-558-2438) WAS NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED THREE TSBS FOR THE AIR BAGS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET VOLT. AFTER FUELING THE VEHICLE, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 122,222.
ONBOARD SCREEN STOPPED WORKING AFTER CAR WASN'T USED FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THE BUTTON LIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY TURN ON AND OFF. AC, SEAT HEATERS AND CAR FUNCTIONS NORMALLY EXCEPT RADIO AND THE MIDPANEL SCREEN. SINCE THE SCREEN DOESN'T TURN ON CONTROLLING THE AC IS DONE THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR.
MY LCD INFOTAINMENT SCREEN WENT BLANK AND IT WON'T TURN BACK ON. IT HAS HAPPEN COUPLE OF TIMES. MY SCREEN FROZE YESTERDAY AND I SHUT DOWN HE CAR, LOCKED, WALKED OUT FOR 2 MINUTES AND CAME BACK THE SCREEN WAS BLACK. I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT A LOT CHEVROLET VOLT LCD SCREEN BLANK OUT A LOT. PLEASE FIX THIS ISSUE, I CAN'T USE MY RADI…
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MY LCD INFOTAINMENT SCREEN WENT BLANK AND IT WON'T TURN BACK ON. IT HAS HAPPEN COUPLE OF TIMES. MY SCREEN FROZE YESTERDAY AND I SHUT DOWN HE CAR, LOCKED, WALKED OUT FOR 2 MINUTES AND CAME BACK THE SCREEN WAS BLACK. I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT A LOT CHEVROLET VOLT LCD SCREEN BLANK OUT A LOT. PLEASE FIX THIS ISSUE, I CAN'T USE MY RADIO, MY BACK UP CAMERA OR SENSORS. THE CAR HAS A LOT OF BLIND SPOTS AND IT IS HARD FOR ME TO BACK OUT. ALSO, I READ ONLINE THAT CHEVROLET HAS A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE VOLT LCD STOP WORKING AFTER 36,000 MILES. PLEASE HELP, BECAUSE THIS IS ISSUE THE COMPANY KNOWS BUT HASN'T FIX.
NO SIGNAL AT FUSE BLOCK FOR RAP RELAY. ALL ELECTRICAL PORTS WERE NON-FUNCTIONAL AND TOT HE LEFT OF THE STEERING WHEEL ON THE DASH, THERE WAS A FREQUENT CLICKING OF THE RELAY SWITCH CLICKING ON AND OFF. WHILE DRIVING I EXPERIENCED A PUNCTURE IN THE PASSENGER REAR TIRE RESULTING IN RAPID DEFLATING OF THE TIRE. AS I WAS AT THE A…
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NO SIGNAL AT FUSE BLOCK FOR RAP RELAY. ALL ELECTRICAL PORTS WERE NON-FUNCTIONAL AND TOT HE LEFT OF THE STEERING WHEEL ON THE DASH, THERE WAS A FREQUENT CLICKING OF THE RELAY SWITCH CLICKING ON AND OFF. WHILE DRIVING I EXPERIENCED A PUNCTURE IN THE PASSENGER REAR TIRE RESULTING IN RAPID DEFLATING OF THE TIRE. AS I WAS AT THE APEX OF A BRIDGE, I SLOWED AND WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE BRIDGE TO THE SHOULDER (BRIDGE HAS NO SAFETY LANE OR SHOULDER) BEFORE THE TIRE WAS COMPLETELY FLAT. IN THE DRIZZLING RAIN I REMEMBERED THAT I DIDN'T HAVE A SPARE OR A DOUGHNUT, BUT AN EMERGENCY TIRE REPAIR INFLATOR. THAT DIDN'T WORK AS IT NEEDED POWER FROM ANY OF THE NON-FUNCTIONING PORTS. TRYING TO INFLATE THE TIRE IS WHEN I DISCOVERED THE NON-FUNCTIONING PORTS AND THE CLICKING NOISE HAD STARTED SHORTLY BEFORE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS.
ABOUT A YEAR AGO I CALL CHEVY ABOUT MY GAS PEDAL PULLING ITSELF TO THE GROUND AND THE CAR TAKING OFF MORE THAN ONCE. THEY NEVER GOT BACK TO ME. DONT PUSH THE PEDAL WHEN CAR IS OFF CAUSE WHEN YOU TURN IT ON IT WILL DO THIS...I THINK OCT 2016 I WAS ELECTROCUTED UN PLUGING MY CAR. THE 3 PRONGS BURNED MY ARM THAT WILL NEVER BE THE…
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ABOUT A YEAR AGO I CALL CHEVY ABOUT MY GAS PEDAL PULLING ITSELF TO THE GROUND AND THE CAR TAKING OFF MORE THAN ONCE. THEY NEVER GOT BACK TO ME. DONT PUSH THE PEDAL WHEN CAR IS OFF CAUSE WHEN YOU TURN IT ON IT WILL DO THIS...I THINK OCT 2016 I WAS ELECTROCUTED UN PLUGING MY CAR. THE 3 PRONGS BURNED MY ARM THAT WILL NEVER BE THE SAME ALONG WITH MY LUNGS BRAIN AND TIREDNES ! I PASSED OUT COLD IT TOOK ME WEEKS OF CRYING TO ADMIT TO MYSELF WHAT HAPPEN. I FELT ANGRY AND LIKE THE PLUG HIT ME GOING 100 MILES AN HOUR. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT HOW BEING SHOCKED MAKES YOU FEEL.
I HAVE A 2013 CHEVY VOLT. THE OTHER DAY WHILE DRIVING MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT BLACK. I COULDN'T SEE MY SPEED, FUEL, REMAINING BATTERY, SIGNAL INDICATORS. I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING GOING ON WITH THE CAR. THE MAIN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER REPORTS ON EVERYTHING. I TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD , "YEAH THESE THINGS GO …
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I HAVE A 2013 CHEVY VOLT. THE OTHER DAY WHILE DRIVING MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT BLACK. I COULDN'T SEE MY SPEED, FUEL, REMAINING BATTERY, SIGNAL INDICATORS. I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING GOING ON WITH THE CAR. THE MAIN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER REPORTS ON EVERYTHING. I TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD , "YEAH THESE THINGS GO OFTEN AND YOUR OUT OF WARRANTY". I ALSO LOOKED THIS UP ONLINE AND THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER VOLT OWNERS THAT ARE DEALING WITH THIS. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. GM KNOWS THEY ARE SELLING A BAD PRODUCT. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO SPEND $1200 ON A NEW INSTRUMENT CLUSTER EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS. HERE IS A LINK TO SOME OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. HTTP://GM-VOLT.COM/FORUM/ARCHIVE/INDEX.PHP/T-9451.HTML
Official recalls
323V516000 · 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
2DP22005 · 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.