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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.

About this comparison →

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

What owners actually said

308 reports
54,000 miles · Mar 11, 2017
Electrical System

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.

NHTSA ODI #10960159

200 miles · Jan 20, 2017
Tires

THIS NOTE IS SUPPLEMENTAL TO NHTSA #10940031 OF 1/1/17. THE TIRE THAT HAD JUST REPLACED THE SECOND FAILED TIRE ALSO SUSTAINED DAMAGE DEEMED TO BE UNACCEPTABLE TO REPAIR ONLY ABOUT 200 MILES AFTER IT WAS INSTALLED. GIVEN 3 OF THESE TIRES FAILED VERY PREMATURELY OVER 7.5K MILES, NEVER MIND 2 IN 200 MILES, THIS SUGGESTED TO ME A …

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THIS NOTE IS SUPPLEMENTAL TO NHTSA #10940031 OF 1/1/17. THE TIRE THAT HAD JUST REPLACED THE SECOND FAILED TIRE ALSO SUSTAINED DAMAGE DEEMED TO BE UNACCEPTABLE TO REPAIR ONLY ABOUT 200 MILES AFTER IT WAS INSTALLED. GIVEN 3 OF THESE TIRES FAILED VERY PREMATURELY OVER 7.5K MILES, NEVER MIND 2 IN 200 MILES, THIS SUGGESTED TO ME A POSSIBLE ATYPICAL WEAKNESS IN THE DESIGN OF THESE TIRES SO I SCRAPPED ALL 4 FUEL MAX TIRES AND REPLACED THEM WITH THE FAR SUPERIOR GOODYEAR ASSURANCE TRIPLETRED TIRES. HAVING PUT 70K+/- MILES ON A SET OF PREVIOUSLY OWNED TRIPLETRED TIRES WITHOUT A SINGLE FAILURE UNDER VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL CONDITIONS TO THOSE I USED THE FUEL MAX TIRES UNDER I CAN STATE WITH CONFIDENCE THAT THEY ARE MUCH MORE DAMAGE RESISTANT TIRES THAN THE FUEL MAX VERSION OF THE ASSURANCE LINE IN ADDITION TO HAVING NOTICEABLY GREATER/SAFER TRACTION IN RAIN AND SNOW. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10946800

41,161 miles · Jan 19, 2017
Electrical System

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.

NHTSA ODI #10946521

Mileage unknown · Jan 16, 2017
Unknown Or Other

ONE OF THE PRONGS ON THE PORTABLE CHARGER GOT STUCK IN THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET. NOW WE ARE UNABLE TO CHARGE IT AT HOME WITHOUT LOCATING AN INCONVENIENTLY LOCATED CHARGING STATION.

NHTSA ODI #10945443

23,000 miles · Jan 13, 2017
Service Brakes

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.

NHTSA ODI #10945093

24,420 miles · Jan 5, 2017
Tires

THESE TIRES ARE SHOWN AS BEING THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES GM PUT ON THEIR VOLTS. IN MY EXPERIENCE THEY ARE SEVERELY BELOW NORMAL DURABILITY. MY VOLT'S FL TIRE WAS REPLACED AT 17K MILES (SLOW SIDEWALL LEAK) FOLLOWED BY THE RR FAILING AT 24K MILES (CATASTROPHIC). DESPITE THE USUAL POTHOLE AND ROAD DEBRIS ENCOUNTERS MY PREVIOUS…

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THESE TIRES ARE SHOWN AS BEING THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES GM PUT ON THEIR VOLTS. IN MY EXPERIENCE THEY ARE SEVERELY BELOW NORMAL DURABILITY. MY VOLT'S FL TIRE WAS REPLACED AT 17K MILES (SLOW SIDEWALL LEAK) FOLLOWED BY THE RR FAILING AT 24K MILES (CATASTROPHIC). DESPITE THE USUAL POTHOLE AND ROAD DEBRIS ENCOUNTERS MY PREVIOUS SET OF PIRELLI P4 TIRES RAN 115K+ MILES FAILURE FREE AND THE MICHELINS I HAD BEFORE THEM LASTED 64K MILES WITHOUT A FAILURE. ADDITIONALLY, I SEE MY TWO REMAINING FACTORY TIRES ARE DOWN TO 6/32 TO 7/32 OF AN INCH TREAD AFTER ONLY 24K MILES WHICH MIGHT EXPLAIN THEIR DISTRESSINGLY POOR GRIP IN RAIN AND SNOW. TO PUT THAT WEAR IN PERSPECTIVE, THE PIRELLI TIRES STILL HAD FROM 5/32 TO 7/32 OF AN INCH TREAD LEFT WHEN AT 115K MILES. THAT THESE TIRES SEEMINGLY NEED REPLACING AT THE RATE OF ONE TIRE ROUGHLY EVERY 6K TO 12K MILES SUGGESTS THEY SUFFER FROM A FUNDAMENTAL DESIGN DEFICIENCY. I GATHER MY EXPERIENCE IS NOT A FLUKE. A VISIT TO A VOLT OWNERS' SITE FOUND COMPLAINTS OF 5 FLATS IN 36K MILES, 2 FLATS IN UNDER A YEAR, 3 FLATS IN 3 MONTHS, 2 FLATS IN ONE YEAR, 4 FLATS IN A YEAR AND A HALF, 2 FLATS IN 10 MONTHS AND 2 FLATS IN 22K MILES. SUCH DISMAL RELIABILITY AND APPARENT DANGEROUS FRAGILITY SUGGESTS A RECALL, OR AT LEAST AN INVESTIGATION, MIGHT BE JUSTIFIED FOR SAFETY. REFERENCED SITE: HTTP://WWW.MYCHEVROLETVOLT.COM/CHEVY-VOLT-FLAT-TIRE-NO-SPARE-TIRE-WOES#COMMENT-873011

NHTSA ODI #10940031

18,398 miles · Dec 24, 2016
Electrical System

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.

NHTSA ODI #10937365

Mileage unknown · Dec 14, 2016
Electrical SystemVehicle Speed ControlInjury

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.

NHTSA ODI #10935227

5 miles · Nov 4, 2016
SteeringTiresCrashInjury

OCT 24TH MORNING MURRIETA, CA , IT WAS RAINING AND BIG THUNDERS AND LIGHTING. MY WIFE STARTED FOR WORK , THE CAR WAS FULLY CHARGED. SHE MADE HER USUAL RIGHT TURN FROM " MURRIETTA HOTSPRINGS RD " TO " BUTTERFIELD STAGE ROAD" IN CITY OF MURRIETA / TEMECULA CA. SHE PUT THE CAR IN "REGENERATION MODE" AS THE ROAD WAS DOWN HILL.…

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OCT 24TH MORNING MURRIETA, CA , IT WAS RAINING AND BIG THUNDERS AND LIGHTING. MY WIFE STARTED FOR WORK , THE CAR WAS FULLY CHARGED. SHE MADE HER USUAL RIGHT TURN FROM " MURRIETTA HOTSPRINGS RD " TO " BUTTERFIELD STAGE ROAD" IN CITY OF MURRIETA / TEMECULA CA. SHE PUT THE CAR IN "REGENERATION MODE" AS THE ROAD WAS DOWN HILL. THERE WAS A BIG LIGHTING AND FOLLOWED BY A BIG THUNDER SOUNDS. SHE SAW WHITE LIGHT AND WAS BLINDED FOR FRACTION OF SECOND, IT WAS RAINING HEAVY, IMMEDIATELY SHE FELT THE CAR WAS FLOATED/DRIFTING TO LEFT , HIT THE CENTER RAOD DIVIDER AND ALL AIR BAGS WERE ALREADY DEPLOYED. SHE TRIED HER BEST TO PULL THE CAR TO RIGHT (SHE COULD NOT SEE DUE TO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED ALL EXCEPT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG) BUT COULD NOT DO SO , SHE ALSO STATED THE STEERING WAS STRUCK. THE CAR CAME TO STOP AFTER JUMPING INTO OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET. NO OTHER CAR WAS INVOLVED. MOST OF THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR WAS TO THE FRONT WHEELS, FRONT UNDER BODY DUE TO IMPACT WITH THE CENTER ROAD DIVIDER. ALL AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED EXCEPT FOR THE PASSENGER. SHE WAS ALONE IN THE CAR. THE POLICE AND EMD WERE AT THE SCENE AFTER 10 -15 MINS AS SOMEONE HAD ALREADY CALLED 911. I WAS AT THE SCEEN AS THE LOCATION WAS 10 MINS FROM MY HOME. THE POLICE REPORT IS STILL DUE AS I NOTIFY YOU. INSURANCE DECLARED TOTAL LOSS. MY WIFE HAD MINOR INJURIES DUE TO AIR BAGS. WE HOPE SOMEONE CAN FIND ANSWERS FOR THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. 1) DID LIGHTING CAUSE ANY ELECTRICAL INTERFERENCE WITH VEHICLE ELECTRONICS WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT ? 2) WHY DID AIR BAGS DEPLOY IF THE WHEELS HIT THE CENTER DIVIDER . OR WHAT WAS THE CAUSE OF AIRBAGS DEPLOYMENT ?

NHTSA ODI #10924232

99,000 miles · Sep 27, 2016
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

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

NHTSA ODI #10909923

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.