IllustrationWHILE 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.
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
Service Brakes complaints
19 reportsTHIS IS THE THIRD INCIDENT SINCE I HAD THIS CAR ALONG WITH CHARGING ISSUE IN THE BEGINNING OF OWNERSHIP THIS CHEVROLET VOLT HAS BEEN BEEN DEEM TOTAL FROM THE ACCIDENT THAT OCCURRED ON JANUARY 6 BECAUSE OF THE STEERING LOCKING UP
WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL IS PRESSED, IF ONE SIDE OF THE CAR GOES OVER A POT HOLE, THE CAR LOSES BRAKING POWER AND CONTINUES FORWARD EVEN THOUGH THE BRAKE PEDAL IS PRESSED. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE GOES INTO A POTHOLE WHILE TRYING TO STOP AT AN ONCOMING RED LIGHT, THE CAR DISPLAYS A MESSAGE IN RED LETTERS ON THE DASHBOA…
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WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL IS PRESSED, IF ONE SIDE OF THE CAR GOES OVER A POT HOLE, THE CAR LOSES BRAKING POWER AND CONTINUES FORWARD EVEN THOUGH THE BRAKE PEDAL IS PRESSED. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE GOES INTO A POTHOLE WHILE TRYING TO STOP AT AN ONCOMING RED LIGHT, THE CAR DISPLAYS A MESSAGE IN RED LETTERS ON THE DASHBOARD REFERENCING LOW TRACTION WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY LOSING BRAKING POWER. THE CAR CONTINUES FORWARD WITH NO BRAKING POWER EVEN THOUGH I STILL HAVE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. IT ONLY RECOVERS BRAKING POWER AFTER TWO SECONDS. UNFORTUNATELY, BY THEN, IT MIGHT BE TOO LATE TO STOP. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DANGEROUS SOFTWARE ERROR WITH THE TRACTION OR ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM.
THE CAR'S ELECTRICAL / SOFTWARE ISSUES CAUSED (1) ALL OF THE WINDOWS TO ROLL DOWN IN UNISON (IN FOR REPAIR 3 TIMES TO FIX THIS ONE), (2) CAUSED THE CAR TO NOT RECOGNIZE THAT IT WAS IN "PARK", THUS NOT SHUTTING OFF, AND (3) CAUSED THE CAR TO LOSE POWER WITHOUT TOUCHING ANY OF THE BUTTONS ON THE CONSOLE (I.E. THE "DRIVE" BUTTON OR…
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THE CAR'S ELECTRICAL / SOFTWARE ISSUES CAUSED (1) ALL OF THE WINDOWS TO ROLL DOWN IN UNISON (IN FOR REPAIR 3 TIMES TO FIX THIS ONE), (2) CAUSED THE CAR TO NOT RECOGNIZE THAT IT WAS IN "PARK", THUS NOT SHUTTING OFF, AND (3) CAUSED THE CAR TO LOSE POWER WITHOUT TOUCHING ANY OF THE BUTTONS ON THE CONSOLE (I.E. THE "DRIVE" BUTTON OR THE "POWER" BUTTON). THE LATEST INCIDENT OCCURRED LAST FRIDAY (AUGUST 1, 2014) WHEN THE CAR JUST LOST POWER WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT 65 MPH ON I-85 NORTH AT AROUND 4:00PM. I HAD TO GET OVER FROM 4 LANES OF TRAFFIC WITH NO POWER AT ALL IN THE CAR AND LUCKILY DID SO WITHOUT INCIDENT. ONSTAR'S DIAGNOSTICS SHOWED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, BRAKING SYSTEM, ENGINE, AND OTHER PARTS OF THE CAR SHOWED THE CAR NEEDED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND WHILE STILL WITH ONSTAR THE DASHBOARD LIT UP AND THE POWER BUTTON LIT UP TOO. I HIT THE POWER BUTTON AND DROVE STRAIGHT TO THE RICK HENDRICK CHEVY DEALERSHIP IN DULUTH. WHEN I WENT TO PICK THE CAR UP LATER SATURDAY MORNING, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAR DO BECAUSE THEY CAN'T RECREATE THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE REFLASHED VARIOUS ECUS, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY CANNOT "RECREATE" THE PROBLEMS AND CANNOT FIX THEM. SO THEY JUST WIPE THEIR HANDS CLEAN OF THESE ISSUES AND ACT LIKE THEY DON'T EXIST. (THE SERVICE MANAGER ACTUALLY CALLED ME "IGNORANT" ONCE AND LATER APOLOGIZED.) I PRAY IT DOESN'T TAKE PEOPLE DYING IN THESE CARS BEFORE CHEVROLET AND/OR GENERAL MOTORS DOES SOMETHING TO FIX THEM. *TR
WHEN IN LOW GEAR (HIGHER REGENERATIVE BRAKING), WHEN BRAKING AND GOING OVER SOME BUMPS, THE REGEN BRAKING STOPS CAUSING A FEELING OF A LURCH FORWARD. A 'LOW TRACTION" LIGHT APPEARS. THIS CAUSES A REDUCTION IN BRAKING FORCE OF APPROXIMATELY 35BHP, A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION. AN ANTI-LOCK BRAKE STYLE PULSATION OF THE REGEN SHOULD …
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WHEN IN LOW GEAR (HIGHER REGENERATIVE BRAKING), WHEN BRAKING AND GOING OVER SOME BUMPS, THE REGEN BRAKING STOPS CAUSING A FEELING OF A LURCH FORWARD. A 'LOW TRACTION" LIGHT APPEARS. THIS CAUSES A REDUCTION IN BRAKING FORCE OF APPROXIMATELY 35BHP, A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION. AN ANTI-LOCK BRAKE STYLE PULSATION OF THE REGEN SHOULD BE EMPLOYED, NOT A DISCONTINUATION OF THE REGEN BRAKES. *TR
DRIVING IN LOS ANGELES CONSISTS OF LOTS OF UNEVEN ROADS FULL OF POTHOLES. AS I WAS TRYING TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP WHILE HIT AN UNEVEN ROAD AND A POTHOLE I TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL OF MY BRAKES AND IT FELT LIKE MY VEHICLE WAS SLIDING. IT WAS A BRIEF 2-3 SECOND FEELING BUT VERY UNSETTLING. *TR
THIS IS THE SECOND VOLT I OWNED IN A YEAR THAT EXHIBITED THIS ISSUE. UPON BRAKING AND PASSIVE DECELERATION THE CAR MAKES A LOUD AUDIBLE WHINING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE DEALER STATES IT IS A REGENERATIVE BRAKE BEARING FAILURE. THIS ISSUE IS RELATED TO THE BEARING CAGE FAILING CAUSING THE BEARING TO LOSE IT…
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THIS IS THE SECOND VOLT I OWNED IN A YEAR THAT EXHIBITED THIS ISSUE. UPON BRAKING AND PASSIVE DECELERATION THE CAR MAKES A LOUD AUDIBLE WHINING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE DEALER STATES IT IS A REGENERATIVE BRAKE BEARING FAILURE. THIS ISSUE IS RELATED TO THE BEARING CAGE FAILING CAUSING THE BEARING TO LOSE ITS INTEGRITY. HTTP://GM-VOLT.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?17877-LOUD-WHINING-DURING-REGEN. *TR
I BOUGHT A 2013 VOLT 2 WEEKS AGO. WHILE AT THE CVS DRIVE THROUGH TODAY THE CAR STARTED TO BEEP WARNING LIGHTS WHEN OFF, BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR STARTED MOVING FORWARD. THE BRAKES COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING, NO PUMPING OR ANYTHING. I MADE IT INTO A PARKING SPACE TO AWAIT FOR A TOW TRUCK AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OF…
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I BOUGHT A 2013 VOLT 2 WEEKS AGO. WHILE AT THE CVS DRIVE THROUGH TODAY THE CAR STARTED TO BEEP WARNING LIGHTS WHEN OFF, BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR STARTED MOVING FORWARD. THE BRAKES COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING, NO PUMPING OR ANYTHING. I MADE IT INTO A PARKING SPACE TO AWAIT FOR A TOW TRUCK AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. WHEN I TURNED THE VEHICLE ON THE ERROR MESSAGES WERE GONE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT SOLID AGAIN. I STARTED TO MOVE THE CAR AND THE ERRORS CAME BACK AND BRAKES FAILED AGAIN. THE EXPERIENCE WAS OVERALL KINDA SCARY. I TOWED IT TO THE DEALER. 2 DAYS LATER I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER HAD FAILED AND MUST BE REPLACED. *TR
ANTILOCK FEATURE OF BRAKES WILL NOT ENGAGE ON ICE/SNOW UNLESS BRAKES ARE SLAMMED HARD. AT LEAST THREE TIMES, I HAVE SLID SLOWLY THROUGH AN ATTEMPTED STOP. IT HAS ALSO OCCURRED TWICE WHILE GENTLY BREAKING WHILE TRAVELING DOWNHILL. THE WHEELS LOCK UP AND VEHICLE GOES INTO A SLIDE. IT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN, BUT NOW I KNOW TO SLAM…
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ANTILOCK FEATURE OF BRAKES WILL NOT ENGAGE ON ICE/SNOW UNLESS BRAKES ARE SLAMMED HARD. AT LEAST THREE TIMES, I HAVE SLID SLOWLY THROUGH AN ATTEMPTED STOP. IT HAS ALSO OCCURRED TWICE WHILE GENTLY BREAKING WHILE TRAVELING DOWNHILL. THE WHEELS LOCK UP AND VEHICLE GOES INTO A SLIDE. IT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN, BUT NOW I KNOW TO SLAM THE BRAKE PEDAL, AND THE ANTILOCK FEATURE WILL THEN OPERATE AND TERMINATE THE SKID AND STOP THE VEHICLE. *TR
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.