Electrical System Problems of Chevrolet Volt - part 1

I received the "propulsion power is reduced" alert engine light while driving in "normal" mode on the freeway at around 60mph with 8-9 miles of battery capacity, it showed 0 miles of battery forcing the gas engine on and the vehicle hesitated upon applying the accelerator for the remainder of the drive. My safety and that was others was at risk because the acceleration dropped quickly and I was on a busy freeway at the time when the alert happened causing further hesitation. Upon stopping I could not get the vehicle to take a charge nor would it start up until a mechanic arrived and was able to confirm the problem.

See all problems of the 2013 Chevrolet Volt 🔎.

There is a ongoing problem with the becm on 2016-2018 Volts. Mine is one of them. Contacted Chevrolet and they say my VIN isn’t under the extended coverage. I believe it should be and can’t stand they won’t cover my car under warranty. Is there anything you can do?.

See all problems of the 2017 Chevrolet Volt 🔎.

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start, and the lights inside and outside of the vehicle failed to illuminate. The vehicle was jump-started. The failure reoccurred while attempting to restart the vehicle, and the contact was unable to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

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I am reporting a series of safety concerns regarding my 2017 chevy Volt, which have persisted despite multiple attempts to address them with the dealership. These issues pose significant risks to my safety and that of others on the road. On January 18th, 2024, I brought my vehicle to the dealer after experiencing reduced propulsion power while driving on the highway, coupled with the illumination of the check engine light. The mechanic performed a quick inspection and used a gm scan tool to diagnose the issue, revealing the code p1e00 for the hybrid powertrain control module 2, which was cleared without a thorough investigation. I was advised to return if the issue reoccurred. Despite the reset, the problem persisted, and on February 9th, 2024, I scheduled another appointment due to my chevy Volt's high Voltage battery charging only to 65% capacity despite indicating a full charge. Subsequently, on February 11th, 2024, the check engine light illuminated again, and on February 12th, 2024, November 25th, 2025, and January 11th, 2026, while driving to work, both times I experienced a loss of propulsion power on the highway, placing my safety at risk and lost all power in a traveling lane of traffic. These ongoing issues with propulsion power and the high-voltage battery charging system are not only inconvenient but also potentially dangerous. Despite multiple visits to the dealership and attempts to diagnose and resolve the problem, it persists, indicating a systemic issue that requires immediate attention. The reduced propulsion power while driving on the highway, coupled with the illumination I urge the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) to investigate this matter thoroughly to ensure the safety of chevy Volt drivers and passengers. It is imperative that general motors addresses these issues promptly and implements appropriate measures to prevent further incidents.

While I driving in the past week, a warning that "propulsion power reduced" appeared on my dashboard several times. The last time that I had driven the car, the heater would not turn off, and the smell of burnt rubber filled the car and then dissipated soon after. The car would only run in it's gas engine mode, and not switch over to electric mode, as it usually would. The next morning, the car would not start. The dash board would light up as if the car started, but when I shifted into drive, a warning appeared on the dash, "shift to park", as it would when the car is not running. I could not start the vehicle. After plugging the vehicle in, a warning appeared on the console stating that "charging is not available". The car was towed to the dealership. Their diagnosis showed that the battery energy control module had failed and must be replaced. They later confirmed that an electric cable needed to be replaced that was "corroded", but they could not confirm the cause of the corrosion because the cable was disposed of already. After researching online, I found that gm issued a special coverage bulletin: n232432680, citing a common malfunction of the battery energy control module in 2016 to 2018 chevy Volts that "causes a reduced power mode, a no start condition, or a no charge condition. " the special coverage was to extend the warranty to 15 years or 150,000 miles. After inquiring the dealer about the special coverage, they claimed that our car is not covered under the warranty. After calling customer service, they claimed the coverage comes from NHTSA, and gm only issues orders by VIN, and therefore cannot cover the issue. After calling NHTSA, I was told the special coverage is not a national recall, and is internal to gm. The gm dealership still claims that the control module on our car is not covered under the warranty, and have denied the request for a manager inspection or investigation.

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Following a day trip involving sub-freezing temperatures and full depletion of the traction battery, the vehicle was plugged in at home and appeared to be charging. The following morning, I enable the preheat via the remote before leaving the house for work, and notice the cel/mil before starting the car. Car was cold, charging indicator was flashing green as if it was accepting charge. I went to investigate and was met with the following list of codes: p1e00, u2603, u2604-u2606, u2617-u2624, p1fd2, p1fd3, p3042, c326c, p0096. Car turns on but seems to only be accessories; no power steering. Seems like the state of charge indication kept transitioning from empty to full. I unplugged the car to see if it could still drive, but no luck. Getting "shift to park" when I put it in drive. Switching to hold does not engage the engine. After plugging it in again, the car no longer receives charge and simply holds the orange charge indicator light. In an attempt to get the car into limp mode, I tried clearing the codes, but no luck. After reading the codes again in the afternoon, the following codes posted: p1e00, u2622, u2623, p1fd4, p0afa. These codes and behavior are consistent with the following ntsb service documents, which call for the replacement of the becm: special coverage n232432680 technical service bulletin 18-na-261 however, the vehicle in question does not appear to be one of the 19,000 vehicles covered under the special coverage, per gm’s warranty look-up. The vehicle has not yet been serviced for the above events, but it is assumed the becm is failing, which is available for inspection. My safety was not put at risk this time, but it is possible for the becm to fail in an unsafe manner. Additionally, the associated repairs are costly since the becm is not easily accessible, requiring lifting the car and removing the entire traction battery.

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a left turn, the vehicle stalled. The accelerator pedal was released, and the vehicle returned to normal operation. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA action number: pe23022 (electrical system) and special coverage: n232432680 (battery energy control module malfunction); however, the vehicle was not covered under the special coverage. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

My 2017 chevy Volt stalled, wont charge, safely concerns. Safety-related special coverage is being denied by local chevy dealer. Check engine light codes u2603-06, u2623, well known issue in chevy Volt community, that points to chevy faulty becm. Chevy replace these to some selected 2016-2018 vehicles, but they wont cover mine, while I have same exact issue. Please help to push on chevy to cover all 2016-2018 chevy Volt by recalls repairs with no cost to owner. Thanks.

Battery energy control module malfunction. It is a known issue with this system failing on the chevy Volt. There is a service bulletin on this problem. 18-na-261 is the service bulletin. The car will not start and when it does start it has loss of power while driving. Chevy is only fixing certain VIN numbers even thou it pulls up the same codes in their bulletin. Chevy only gave extended warranties to certain VIN numbers also. Extra warranty bulletin n232432680. This is a major component for the high Voltage battery which drives the vehicle. The dealership wants $5000. 00 to repair this.

The becm (battery energy control module) failed. The vehicle illuminated the mil and the driver display to show a "reduced power". When restarted, the display showed "shift to park", which I did several times. After a couple of restarts it displayed the "reduced power" message, but would not go into drive. The mil was illuminated the entire time. Through numerous key cycles I got the VIN operable and took it to the dealer for repair. The becm part is at the dealer or on its way back to gm as a core return. While this occurred while I was leaving my garage, it could have occurred in traffic, which would put me or others at risk. The problem was investigated by my local dealer (currie Chevrolet in forest park, IL) and it was determined to be both a bad battery energy control module (becm) and a bad shifter assembly. The shifter had been replaced (or repaired?) for an earlier shift to park failure per TSB 23-na-119. The dealer kept the becm as a core. I have pictures of the core. The dealer or gm should have that core. The above described warning lamps and messages and systems first appeared at the time of the event that lead me to take it other dealer ASAP. Note the condition and model year is described in gm special coverage letter "n232432680 battery energy control module malfunction". Nhtsa investigation pe23022 lead to this coverage letter. Per gm, while my vehicle experienced the conditions and is in the model year coverage of the letter, its VIN is not covered. I think NHTSA should re-open the investigation and consider a recall. There could be other vins susceptible this failure condition. There could be operators of those vins who cannot afford the expense (~$3000 or more) or downtime of the repair, and will keep operating the vehicle, putting people at risk again. If a recall is not supportable, I'd request that the VIN list be expanded to cover all possible defective becms.

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that the battery module became inoperable. While attempting to start the vehicle, the message "engine unavailable - service soon” was displayed. The contact was unable to use the vehicle. The contact stated that the tpms warning light was illuminated. The contact associated the failure with technical service bulletin: 18-na-261. The contact called the local dealer and was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

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The engine light starts blinking and telling me propulsion power reduced, and then I cannot use the cruise control after that turns on, and it starts losing power, driving on I 70 after work all of a sudden it turned on and wet from going 76 miles an hour to 52 on highway I 70 where the speed limit was 75. This problem was a recall problem which was fixed and now is happening again on the same part and having the same problems.

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt d2. The contact stated that while attempting to turn the vehicle on the vehicle did not start. The contact stated that vehicle restarted after an hour. The contact stated the during the second occasion the vehicle did not restart. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery energy control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over as intended. Additionally, the vehicle would not charge when connected to a charger. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the becm was reset. The vehicle was repaired; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the message "reduced power" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer where it was diagnosed, and determined that the becm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact related the failure to an unknown Chevrolet recall; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

The high-voltage heater control module (also known as the ptc coolant heater / k10 heater module) has failed. This component controls cabin heat and windshield defrost when the vehicle operates in electric mode. The authorized Chevrolet dealer diagnosed the issue, confirmed the failure, and attempted to order the correct gm part. Gm informed the dealer that the part is no longer manufactured or available through gm channels. As a result, there is currently no gm-approved repair path. This failure prevents the vehicle from providing windshield defrost while operating in ev mode, which is required for safe winter visibility. I live in new hampshire, where winter temperatures routinely require functioning cabin heat and defrost for safe operation and compliance with state visibility laws. Because this is a high-voltage thermal management component, there is no safe aftermarket repair option. The inability to obtain an oem replacement part for a safety-related system prevents the vehicle from operating safely in intended ev mode.

The becm failed, engine light on, car is at reduced power or doesn't run at all. A message states that there are no ev miles available when it is full to to place the shifter into park. There is a free extended warranty for it (xxx- special coverage--battery energy control module malfunction - ) but my Chevrolet dealership in wenatchee, washington says that it's not covered. I want to know why they said this. I have been stranded without an operable car, unable to get to and from work. If I don't go to work, I can't pay my mortgage. I don't have another car to drive or the means to rent one. It needs to be towed 90 miles to a dealership which that price will be astronomical on my poverty level income. I have cancer and need to get to my treatments. The cost to replace the becm is $2100-$3000 out of pocket not including towing. The error code was read as a failed becm by a diagnostic reader and it's having all the symptoms of a failed becm. It has the following code: p1e00 $07e8pd initial symptoms in the prior week before the car wouldn't operate, was that I got a message to put the car into park when it was already in park. Sometimes the display wouldn't work. Sometimes the heater wouldn't turn on in the preceding 2 months. Global safety field investigations dcs6812 urgent - distribute immediately reads that 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volt models are covered. I've attached this letter.

On 10/14, I was driving the car to my job, when the car suddenly switched from its electric battery power to its internal combustion engine. The vehicle's information screen only showed that the battery was unavailable. I was able to operate the car on only the internal combustion engine to arrive at work. However, when I went to leave several hours later, the car would not start. The car was towed to a dealership and apparently repaired after about a week. However, the repair, a software reset, did not fixt the underlying issues, and on 10/27, after having the car for five days, the car again failed on my way to work, displaying a "shift to park" message and not starting. I towed the car to the same dealership, and they had it until 11/04. I recovered my car and drove it again to work that same day, but the car failed again due to the dealership not correctly diagnosing the issue, which appears to be the becm, a failure related to bulletin n232432680. Due to this issue, I was left stranded on a busy highway for several hours on multiple occasions, and have not have a working vehicle since 10/14, meaning I have had to call off of work on multiple days, losing non-trivial amounts of income and undue economic hardship, due to this issue. Neither the dealership nor general motors have offered any kind of help or support, and have generally attempted to avoid responding to my repeated phonecalls. Prior to this issue, there were no warnings or symptoms that I observed.

The car can't decide if it wants to use the battery or the engine. It shows zero charge even though it is full. It lurches at stop lights as it tries to decide whether to use battery or engine. It says "propulsion power reduced". "not able to charge". "shift to park". Check engine light is on.

Dashboard displays “shift to park” message even when the shifter is in the park position for the past month. I am unable to turn off the vehicle completely until I shift to drive then back to park multiple times.

Approximately 3. 5 weeks ago my 2017 Chevrolet Volt (105k miles) would not start and then, when it did, was in "reduced power mode". I had to drive home 25+ miles in this low power mode. I brought to my local mechanic (not a Chevrolet dealership) first. They did a diagnostic and told me the issue was "battery energy control module" - a known issue in 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volts affecting 19,000 vehicles for Chevrolet provided extended warranty coverage for up to 15 years/150,000 miles. See special coverage n232432680. I was not able to get an appointment for 9 days at the Chevrolet dealership in oxford PA. The vehicle needed to be towed there because it wouldn't start. Chevrolet dealership said it was not the battery energy control module but rather the 12v battery. They replaced battery, I picked up vehicle and paid $525+ for diagnostic and new battery. By the next day, the vehicle wouldn't start again. I brought the vehicle back and they did diagnostic again and this time determined it was the battery energy control module. Dealership said Chevrolet has not included your VIN in the special coverage and didn't know why not. I called Chevrolet/gm customer service (800-222-1020) and spoke with two people including an escalation supervisor and both said the VIN for my vehicle was not included because it was determined that would not be part of the special coverage they've offered. We went round and round and no one will give an answer as to why there is a known issue for 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volts yet my vehicle is being excluded. They said they have no ability to change it and include it in the special coverage. If months or years down the road, they determine it should have been included then they'll reimburse me. That answer is unacceptable. Between repairs, initial misdiagnoses and repair and rental car fees, I'm out over $5,000.

My 2015 chevy Volt has been experiencing ongoing mechanical and electrical issues, including random power loss, reduced propulsion warnings, and sudden vehicle shutdowns with no prior indication. These problems pose a serious safety concern, as the car can lose power unexpectedly while driving. Despite these issues, gm has refused to service the vehicle or unlock necessary components because they no longer manufacture or support the required parts. As a result, I am left with an unsafe and unreliable vehicle with no available remedy from the manufacturer. This is forcing me to trade in the vehicle at a loss.

See all problems of the 2015 Chevrolet Volt 🔎.

Egr valve failed in this vehicle <55,000 miles. The egr valve has an electronic component that, when fails, can cause the car to shut down by blowing the "walk home" fuse. This is a safety issue. This is a well documented problem (internet) and Chevrolet refuses to fix it, leaving the owners with an expensive replacement quoted at $3900 (sept 2025). Recommend that it be covered by the emissions warranty, which was recently extended to 150,000 miles and 8 years for other problematic emissions components. An electric vehicle that cannot be driven because an egr valve is faulty - it's a joke.

Check engine light came on car was able to start but the cluster started reading the battery being full with a charge. And was having trouble starting. Fast forward a day I get a propulsion system reduced warning on the dash as I’m entering the highway and the car fails to stay on I’m able to pull it to the shoulder and I cannot get the car to start. Get towed home throw it on the charger and the dash says unable to charge. Swap the 12v (checked it and it died) thinking that might fix the problem since the car was able to power on but not start. To no avail through my code reader and code p1e00 code. Took it to my local dealer and was told id need replace the becm… and was quoted 33xx for the repair. Had any of this happened while I was on the freeway I might not have been able to make it to the shoulder potentially putting myself and others on the road and a possibly fatal situation.

My 2017 Chevrolet Volt is experiencing "a malfunction involving the battery energy control module (becm)" as diagnosed by the davis-moore dealership. This failure of the becm has now caused "a reduced power mode, a no start condition, or a no charge condition". The car currently does not start or charge. My vehicle has be diagnosed as needing a becm replacement at a Chevrolet dealership. The vehicle is currently inoperable as it will not charge, it will not engage the electric drive mode, and it will not engage the range extender (engine). The car does not start. Gm is showing that there is no active recall or special warranty for my vehicle, however, I believe special warranty n23243268 should apply.

The vehicle losses power at times. Will not take a charge. It states it is in reduced power mode. It appears to be the becm however my VIN is not reported to be on the special coverage.

When shift lever is moved to park, the car often does not recognize it is in park and can't be shut down. It takes a lot of time of moving the selector in and out of park to finally get the car to recognize it is in park. During an occasion when the car would not go into park, the car ran for hours while the driver was at work. This seems to be a known issue (micro switch) with this model. This is available for inspection upon request. Safety is at risk because this condition leads to not being able to shut the car down, which leads to the potential for a dead battery and getting stranded. While I have not yet had my car's problem reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center, there is a lot of evidence in online forums of the prevalence of this problem. The vehicle/component has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There weren't any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure as long as we've owned the vehicle. We purchased this vehicle less than a week ago, on August 2, 2025. The issue presented itself once on our test drive and again intermittently in the six days we've owned the vehicle.

On [xxx], our 2018 chevy Volt experienced a critical becm (battery energy control module) failure while being driven by our [xxx] daughter. The failure caused the vehicle to enter limp mode, resulting in a severe loss of power and the inability to shift properly. Most alarmingly, the brakes failed to function correctly—despite being fully engaged, the car continued to move forward at a red light, placing our daughter in immediate danger. She was only able to safely stop the vehicle by maneuvering it off the road into a parking lot. This becm defect is a well-documented issue for chevy Volts from 2016 to 2018. However, Chevrolet has refused to cover our VIN under the existing special service bulletin, despite our vehicle using the same faulty part number as those included in the recall, and has provided no explanation for this exclusion. As a result, we are being forced to pay $2,100 out of pocket to replace a part that gm knows is defective. This is an unacceptable financial burden for a safety-critical issue. Gm should immediately issue a recall for all vehicles equipped with this faulty part number to ensure the safety of all drivers and prevent further undue costs. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Driving at 75 mph on the freeway the power completely cuts off an a message appears on my dash "propulsion power is reduced" - pressing the gas barely gives any power, imagine being in the middle of flowing traffic doing 75 mph to close to 20 mph. Research shows me this is a known issue with gm and the problem is with the becm control module. There is also the issue of the egr valve which apparently is tied into the becm. I brought to the chevy dealer and they said the becm needs to be replace ASAP because gm knows this is a dangerous situation and gm extended the warranty on this part to 150,000 miles. My vehicle is at 152,400 miles and they will not cover this. This is a serious issue that should be a recall that forces gm and chevy to pay for this fix as it is something they have been aware of for years and it is a major accident waiting to happen. Please make them issue a recall for the becm fix.

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that after arriving at the destination and moving the shifter into park(p), the message "shift to park" was displayed. The contact became aware that with the message displayed the vehicle would not start. The contact disconnected and reconnected the 12-volt battery to reset the system, enabling the vehicle to start. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the battery energy control module. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 96,000.

On June 27, 2025, while driving, the vehicle displayed a "propulsion power reduced" warning message and a check engine light illuminated. I immediately experienced a loss of power. I brought the vehicle to an authorized Chevrolet dealer the same day. On July 1, 2025, the dealer diagnosed the failure as a faulty battery energy control module (becm) and high-voltage system fault (code p1e00), requiring a full replacement of the high-voltage battery pack (part #24296900). The manufacturer (gm) was contacted, and the replacement battery was ordered on July 2, 2025. As of December 2025, the vehicle remains in dealer possession (over 5 months) with no repair completed. The manufacturer has stated the part is on indefinite backorder with no eta. The failure of this component renders the vehicle inoperable and presents a safety risk due to sudden loss of propulsion power while in motion. The manufacturer has confirmed the failure but is unable to provide a remedy within a reasonable timeframe.

Driving on interstate doing 65 and suddenly warning pops up and car dies immediately. I was lucky to get over to the edge and not wreck or cause an accident. Found that the 12 Volt battery was not being charged without warning until failure. Found a 15 amp fuse blown in the high Voltage relay module.

I got a warning from my car a little over a week ago (around 6/1, unsure of exact date) that I needed to service the battery charging system, but then the check engine indicator light shut off and so did the warning light. The hybrid battery took a charge with no issues after that. Then, I left work the evening of 6/9 and drove home. On my way home, the check engine light came back on, followed by warnings that I needed to shift to park. Before I could pull over, my car stopped moving. Cars had to stop abruptly behind me and navigate around me into incoming traffic. I shifted to park, then tried to turn my car off and on again. I tried to switch between the gas engine and the battery, I tried to move my vehicle in any way. I couldn't get it into neutral to push it out of traffic. I turned on my hazard lights and a person came out from his house to assist in directing traffic away from my car for about an hour while I waited for a tow truck to arrive. The kind bystander who directed traffic and I were very concerned about a car accident happening due to my stopped vehicle. A police officer stopped by to check on us and try and get my vehicle into neutral but he was unable and said he was on his way to a 911 dispatch so he did not write a report of any kind that I could see. He told me the vehicle placement was not safe and I agreed with him. The tow truck came as he was leaving. The dealership I sent my car to said it is likely a short circuit in the 12v battery but I know the becm in the chevy Volt is known to cause similar behavior. Dealership refused to service the becm when asked about it.

My experience required me to tow my 2017 chevy Volt from a parking garage, where the becm died, to 2 different dealerships back and forth to my home. I have been charged over $1,000 in towing and diagnostics at my local dealerships. As usual they informed that I need a new $10k battery. I did my own research and the error codes (u2603, u2604, u2605, u2606, u2617, u2618, u2619, u2620, u2621, u2622, u2623, u2624 and p1e00) clearly indicate that my becm failed. I was able to check the health and status of the traction battery and it functioning correctly. On my 3rd trip to my local dealership service department with the special coverage program n232432680 in hand, the dealership informed me that yes my bcm had failed and there was a special coverage program for 2016-2019 chevy Volts, but that my VIN number was not covered. There were a limited number of vins that received warranty extensions for becm, but mine was not.

When the vehicle is running, and the gear is moved to park, and I attempt to turn off the car by pressing the ignition button, an error shows on the dash display and the message is "shift to park". Even though the car is in park, the vehicle doesn't know it. I then cannot turn off my car.

On may 26, the car was running in electric mode and switched to gas because the power batteries were depleted. Shortly after switching to gas mode, lights came on the dash board saying engine not available get service immediately. I was on a highway at the time and fortunately had just enough left to get off and the car would not move any further. Turning the car on and off did not resolve the problem. It had to be towed to a chevy dealer. Even after an hour, the messages would come on when trying to start the car. The next day, the dealer called and said they could find no problems with the car and it works fine. This happened once before, but that time there was enough charge in the battery to get home and then later it would start without the message.