Chevrolet Volt

Where it stands out against its peers

• Electrical system: more complaints than 99% of 2017 cars — 44% of its 695 complaints, where an ordinary 2017 car has 17%.
• Fuel/propulsion system: more complaints than 98% of 2017 cars — 34% of its 695 complaints, where an ordinary 2017 car has 7%.
• Power train: more complaints than 92% of 2017 cars — 32% of its 695 complaints, where an ordinary 2017 car has 14%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 98 owners reported this, 4 involving a fire
• POWER TRAIN — 85 owners reported this
• ENGINE — 47 owners reported this
• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 46 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 36 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 27 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 26 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 25 owners reported this
• ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 18 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 18 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — 17 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — 16 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 12 owners reported this
• SERVICE BRAKES — 10 owners reported this
• AIR BAGS — 6 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• STEERING — 6 owners reported this
• VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 5 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

54% of 2019 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 13V271000

  If the brakes lock up it could cause a loss of steering control and/or a lengthened distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

  General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will install a new brake pressure modulator valve free of charge. The recall is expected to begin July 12, 2013. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-866-694-6546. GM's recall number is 13184.

• 15V145000

  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.

  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.

• 15V442000

  Separation of the tie rod from the steering gear could result in the loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear assembly, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15386.

• 17V621000

  An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury in a crash.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2017. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17387.

• 18V397000

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

  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.

• 18V576000

  A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.

• 18V673000

  If the child seat is not properly secured in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seatbelt retractors and replace them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 7, 2018. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18315.

• 23V516000

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

  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.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module

  Preliminary evaluation, opened November 2023, closed March 2025.

• Pedestrian alert sounds

  Defect petition, opened January 2023, closed August 2023.

• Passenger Sensing System

  Preliminary evaluation, opened September 2019, closed July 2021.

• Post-Crash EV Fire Hazard

  Preliminary evaluation, opened November 2011, closed January 2012.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Chevrolet filed 629 bulletins about the 2019 Volt.

• Equipment: 185
• Electrical system: 119
• Engine and engine cooling: 54
• Power train: 47
• Equipment adaptive/mobility: 31
• Wheels: 22
• Engine: 11
• Forward collision avoidance: 11
• Structure: 11
• Visibility: 9
• Other: 129

• PI to help diagnose A/C concern · July 2026
• This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available. · April 2026
• This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect. · March 2026
• This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance. · March 2026
• This Preliminary information communicates to the field on how to diagnosis a GPS issue with the Telematic module with no DTC'ss · March 2026
• This Preliminary information communicates to the field on how to diagnosis a GPS issue with the Telematic module with no DTC's · January 2026
• This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance. · January 2026
• This service bulletin provides information on Tire Sidewall Irregularities. · December 2025

621 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.