NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
697 reportsMileage unknown · Dec 21, 2023
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion SystemUnknown Or Other
All of a sudden while braking on a freeway offramp, the check engine light came on and a reduced propulsion warning came on my screen. The car ran weird for about a day, then it wouldn't start. I had it towed to a dealer, they diagnosed the BECM went bad, now my car has been there 2.5 weeks and there's no estimated ship date fo…
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All of a sudden while braking on a freeway offramp, the check engine light came on and a reduced propulsion warning came on my screen. The car ran weird for about a day, then it wouldn't start. I had it towed to a dealer, they diagnosed the BECM went bad, now my car has been there 2.5 weeks and there's no estimated ship date for the part, much less repair date. If they said they had enough parts for BECM failures, they're either lying to you or they're lying to me.
NHTSA ODI #11561294
Mileage unknown · Dec 21, 2023
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion SystemSteering
I was driving and then the car turned off and was unable to restart. There was no warning. The car was fine and then it wasn't. The power steering also stops working. Fortunately I was at a red light and not in the intersection yet. The check engine light wasn't on. The BECM (battery control module) failed. I had to get the car …
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I was driving and then the car turned off and was unable to restart. There was no warning. The car was fine and then it wasn't. The power steering also stops working. Fortunately I was at a red light and not in the intersection yet. The check engine light wasn't on. The BECM (battery control module) failed. I had to get the car towed to the dealership for the repair. The dealership repaired the issue for free since I was still under warranty.
NHTSA ODI #11561253
Mileage unknown · Dec 20, 2023
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train
The BECM located in the battery compartment failed The vehicle was completely immobilized and would turn on but would not "start" leaving me stranded. Away from home. The local Chevrolet dealership confirmed the BECM was at fault The vehicle gave no clear indication of a pending BECM failure before the failure
NHTSA ODI #11561082
26,000 miles · Dec 20, 2023
Electrical SystemVehicle Speed Control
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost power and decelerated to 35 MPH. During the failure, the message "Reduced Power" was displayed. After turning off and restarting the vehicle, the failure remained, and the vehicle was driven to the reside…
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The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost power and decelerated to 35 MPH. During the failure, the message "Reduced Power" was displayed. After turning off and restarting the vehicle, the failure remained, and the vehicle was driven to the residence at a reduced speed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were contacted. The failure mileage was 26,000.
NHTSA ODI #11561080
20,000 miles · Dec 18, 2023
Electrical System
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the Hybrid battery drained; however, the engine failed to activate as needed. Due to the failure, the vehicle stalled, and the contact coasted the vehicle to the shoulder of the highway. Due to the failure, the vehicle was initially towed to the res…
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The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the Hybrid battery drained; however, the engine failed to activate as needed. Due to the failure, the vehicle stalled, and the contact coasted the vehicle to the shoulder of the highway. Due to the failure, the vehicle was initially towed to the residence then to the dealer. The vehicle was kept in dealer possession where repairs were made to the ECM (Electrical Control Module). Since the repair, the contact stated that the vehicle intermittently failed to start up while depressing the START/STOP button. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
NHTSA ODI #11560638
Mileage unknown · Dec 17, 2023
Forward Collision AvoidanceFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train
Consistent BCEM failure with volt. Power Reduced even if battery has full charge and gas is in tank. Forward Collision made unavailable without reason whilst driving. I rely on the forward collision system while driving at night in my area because of drivers cutting each other off constantly, so losing this feature without know…
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Consistent BCEM failure with volt. Power Reduced even if battery has full charge and gas is in tank. Forward Collision made unavailable without reason whilst driving. I rely on the forward collision system while driving at night in my area because of drivers cutting each other off constantly, so losing this feature without knowing why it failed feels unsafe to me. Forward collision would also activate when no vehicle is infront of me causing the car to suddenly stop and jerk on the road. Propulsion power is reduced is an extremely common occurrence in my volt. It happens randomly while driving and even while charging. When I'm on the highway the car would slow down when the warning came on; even with cars right behind me. I'm scared one day the car's system will cause an accident because of it's unpredictability. Regular maintenance has been performed and no issues have been found. The problem continues to persist.
NHTSA ODI #11560582
Mileage unknown · Dec 16, 2023
Engine
EGR failure can cause the car to become immediately inoperable w/ no propulsion due to fuse pop. EGR required to pass emissions regulations but none are available.
NHTSA ODI #11560414
Mileage unknown · Dec 15, 2023
Fuel/propulsion System
Vehicle malfunctioned and was unable to be driven. Had to tow to dealership where they diagnosed the problem to be a BECM board, and new HV battery. It has been at dealership for 6 weeks at this point, with no ETA on new battery to arrive.
NHTSA ODI #11560370
Mileage unknown · Dec 15, 2023
Fuel/propulsion SystemPower TrainVehicle Speed Control
On 3/11/2023, I was heading home when my vehicle lost power in the middle of the freeway. Luckily, I was able to safely pull over to the side of the freeway. Since this is a plug-in hybrid, there are two gauges showing how much electric and gas is in the car. When I checked, both showed were empty; however, although I knew tha…
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On 3/11/2023, I was heading home when my vehicle lost power in the middle of the freeway. Luckily, I was able to safely pull over to the side of the freeway. Since this is a plug-in hybrid, there are two gauges showing how much electric and gas is in the car. When I checked, both showed were empty; however, although I knew that I did not have much electricity in the battery, I had nearly a full tank of gas. The vehicle should have had automatically switched over to the gas but did not. After a few minutes of leaving the car off, I was able to restart the vehicle in gas mode and drive home safely. I brought in the vehicle to my local Chevy dealership to have it diagnosed. It was determine that the computer had registerd multiple faults p0030, 31, 54, 135, 403, 405, 443, 458 and 537. They also found TSB 21-NA-116. They had found that the 15 AMP fuse was blown. They had to replace the EGR valve assembly. Total time was 2 weeks to repair as they had to wait for the parts from Chevy. Per WO, parts 12346290 (Coolant) and 12691147 (Valve) were replaced. After replacement, vehicle have been running fine for the past 9 months. Prior to the engine shutting off, there was a message on the screen while driving which says "Propulsion Power is Reduced". The electric gauge was empty but the gas tank show nearly a full tank.
NHTSA ODI #11560268
Mileage unknown · Dec 14, 2023
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion System
BECM starting to fail. Will work and then won’t work. Having issues intermittently.
NHTSA ODI #11560053
NHTSA investigations
2PE23022 · Loss Of Motive Power Due To The Battery Energy Control Module
Opened Nov 29, 2023 · Closed Mar 3, 2025
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System; Electrical System:propulsion System; Electrical System:propulsion System:traction Battery:management System/energy Control Module (bms/becm)
On November 29, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE23022 to investigate allegations of a loss of motive power, including a stall, reduced power state, and/or a no start condition due to the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) in model year (MY) 2016-2019 Chevrolet Volt passenger car vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The BECM is located within the high voltage electric vehicle (EV) battery pack and monitors the temperature, current, and voltage of the high voltage battery cell groups. GM stated that the root cause was identified as an internal failure leading to a loss of communication within the BECM and does not pose a risk to motor vehicle safety. GM further stated that the failure cannot result in a complete stall, only a reduced power mode, no start condition, or a no charge condition. GM additionally stated that if these conditions occur, the driver will be warned via a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) and/or a reduced-propulsion message in the Driver Information Center (DIC). Data received and analyzed by ODI from all sources indicates that nearly all related BECM failures caused conditions aligning with GM’s predicted outcomes. Despite the large number of warranty claims, nearly all failures were not safety-related, i.e., not a stall or reduced power mode. ODI isaware of a single minor crash and no injuries or deaths. In March 2024, GM issued Special Coverage N232432680, which was mailed to consumers, addressing BECM failures in certain MY 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volt vehicles. This special coverage provides an extension of the warranty coverage for the BECM from 8 years / 100,000 miles to 15 years / 150,000 miles for all 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volts. Additionally, GM stated that replacement components are sourced from a different supplier and not susceptible to the failure. In view of the Special Coverage issued by GM, the existing warranty coverage already in place, and the low number of safety-related occurrences, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation (PE). 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 future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Electrical System
On November 29, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE23022 to investigate allegations of a loss of motive power, including a stall, reduced power state, and/or a no start condition due to the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) in model year (MY) 2016-2019 Chevrolet Volt passenger car vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The BECM is located within the high voltage electric vehicle (EV) battery pack and monitors the temperature, current, and voltage of the high voltage battery cell groups. GM stated that the root cause was identified as an internal failure leading to a loss of communication within the BECM and does not pose a risk to motor vehicle safety. GM further stated that the failure cannot result in a complete stall, only a reduced power mode, no start condition, or a no charge condition. GM additionally stated that if these conditions occur, the driver will be warned via a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) and/or a reduced-propulsion message in the Driver Information Center (DIC). Data received and analyzed by ODI from all sources indicates that nearly all related BECM failures caused conditions aligning with GM’s predicted outcomes. Despite the large number of warranty claims, nearly all failures were not safety-related, i.e., not a stall or reduced power mode. ODI isaware of a single minor crash and no injuries or deaths. In March 2024, GM issued Special Coverage N232432680, which was mailed to consumers, addressing BECM failures in certain MY 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volt vehicles. This special coverage provides an extension of the warranty coverage for the BECM from 8 years / 100,000 miles to 15 years / 150,000 miles for all 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volts. Additionally, GM stated that replacement components are sourced from a different supplier and not susceptible to the failure. In view of the Special Coverage issued by GM, the existing warranty coverage already in place, and the low number of safety-related occurrences, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation (PE). 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 future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Electrical System:propulsion System
On November 29, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE23022 to investigate allegations of a loss of motive power, including a stall, reduced power state, and/or a no start condition due to the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) in model year (MY) 2016-2019 Chevrolet Volt passenger car vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The BECM is located within the high voltage electric vehicle (EV) battery pack and monitors the temperature, current, and voltage of the high voltage battery cell groups. GM stated that the root cause was identified as an internal failure leading to a loss of communication within the BECM and does not pose a risk to motor vehicle safety. GM further stated that the failure cannot result in a complete stall, only a reduced power mode, no start condition, or a no charge condition. GM additionally stated that if these conditions occur, the driver will be warned via a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) and/or a reduced-propulsion message in the Driver Information Center (DIC). Data received and analyzed by ODI from all sources indicates that nearly all related BECM failures caused conditions aligning with GM’s predicted outcomes. Despite the large number of warranty claims, nearly all failures were not safety-related, i.e., not a stall or reduced power mode. ODI isaware of a single minor crash and no injuries or deaths. In March 2024, GM issued Special Coverage N232432680, which was mailed to consumers, addressing BECM failures in certain MY 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volt vehicles. This special coverage provides an extension of the warranty coverage for the BECM from 8 years / 100,000 miles to 15 years / 150,000 miles for all 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volts. Additionally, GM stated that replacement components are sourced from a different supplier and not susceptible to the failure. In view of the Special Coverage issued by GM, the existing warranty coverage already in place, and the low number of safety-related occurrences, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation (PE). 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 future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Electrical System:propulsion System:traction Battery:management System/energy Control Module (bms/becm)
On November 29, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE23022 to investigate allegations of a loss of motive power, including a stall, reduced power state, and/or a no start condition due to the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) in model year (MY) 2016-2019 Chevrolet Volt passenger car vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The BECM is located within the high voltage electric vehicle (EV) battery pack and monitors the temperature, current, and voltage of the high voltage battery cell groups. GM stated that the root cause was identified as an internal failure leading to a loss of communication within the BECM and does not pose a risk to motor vehicle safety. GM further stated that the failure cannot result in a complete stall, only a reduced power mode, no start condition, or a no charge condition. GM additionally stated that if these conditions occur, the driver will be warned via a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) and/or a reduced-propulsion message in the Driver Information Center (DIC). Data received and analyzed by ODI from all sources indicates that nearly all related BECM failures caused conditions aligning with GM’s predicted outcomes. Despite the large number of warranty claims, nearly all failures were not safety-related, i.e., not a stall or reduced power mode. ODI isaware of a single minor crash and no injuries or deaths. In March 2024, GM issued Special Coverage N232432680, which was mailed to consumers, addressing BECM failures in certain MY 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volt vehicles. This special coverage provides an extension of the warranty coverage for the BECM from 8 years / 100,000 miles to 15 years / 150,000 miles for all 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volts. Additionally, GM stated that replacement components are sourced from a different supplier and not susceptible to the failure. In view of the Special Coverage issued by GM, the existing warranty coverage already in place, and the low number of safety-related occurrences, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation (PE). 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 future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
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.
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