Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Chevrolet Volt - part 1

Fully charged. Goes from electric to generator/gas propulsion and abruptly slowes about 1/2 speed. Very dangerous.

See all problems of the 2013 Chevrolet Volt 🔎.

Egr valve went out ; causing a fuse to go out; which triggered a limp home mode: stranding me on side of road.

See all problems of the 2017 Chevrolet Volt 🔎.

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed or while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was unexpectedly illuminated. Additionally, there were several error codes provided through the mobile app for engine-related failures. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 92,000.

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, January 11th, 2026, and February 12, 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.

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.

It was the xxx recall for the dtc p0442/check engine light code. The dealership said that the recall had been satisfied in 6/2020 by putting a buffer in to separate the 2 lines but not replacing the part. Now the exact same code dtc p0442/check engine light in the exact spot that occurred for the original recall. The dealership originally quoted $5,093, then after me complaining that it is the same recalled problem they dropped the cots to $2384. I believe that is an agreement that the manufacturer should cover this. Of course I will have to pay to get my car but I would like the manufacturer to reimburse me for it seeing it was a manufacturer default. I spoke to the manufacturer they flat out refused to cover it. I obviously disagree. Would like you to pressure them to change their decision. Thank you, [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2018 Chevrolet Volt 🔎.

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.

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.

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 mph, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was flashing, and the messages "no propulsion power" and "no power to engine" were displayed. The contact stated that two individuals pulled over and assisted the contact in pushing the vehicle to the side of the road to prevent a crash. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who made the contact aware of an unknown NHTSA campaign number; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact requested vehicle rental assistance, but the dealer was unable to provide assistance. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance in initiating a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 141,323.

Component/system failed: the engine of my 2016 Chevrolet Volt experienced a sudden internal crack, leading to complete engine failure. The engine is available for inspection upon request. Safety risk: the engine failure rendered the vehicle completely inoperable, posing potential risk if it had occurred while driving. Sudden loss of engine power could have caused a crash or left me stranded in traffic, endangering myself and others. Problem reproduction / confirmation: the failure was confirmed by a gm dealership, which performed a full inspection and documented the engine crack. The dealership verified that the crack was sudden and not caused by negligence or improper maintenance. Inspections by others: the vehicle has been inspected by the dealership, and all reports are available. I have also submitted the issue to gm corporate for warranty review. No police or insurance representatives have reviewed this, as this was a mechanical failure with no collision. Warning lamps or symptoms: no warning lights, messages, or unusual symptoms appeared prior to the failure. The engine appeared to operate normally until the sudden failure. Upon failure, low oil and low propulsion error message appeared on dash. Current no dash lights are on in the vehicle. Assessment of cause: based on dealership inspection and documentation, the failure appears sudden and possibly related to a defect in emissions-related engine components. No external damage or user error contributed to the failure.

See all problems of the 2016 Chevrolet Volt 🔎.

My wife and I were on a 200 mile trip and the engine failed about 150 miles into the trip. Was driving and the instrument panel indicated that the engine was in reduced power mode. I switched over to battery power but had only approximately 10 miles of range left so after a couple of miles I switched back to engine power and was almost immediately informed by the instrument panel that the engine was in failure mode. Was fortunate that there was an exit nearby and was able to use the remaining battery power to exit the highway and pack the car before there was no power. The car was towed to a dealer and we were told that the egr valve and cooler had failed. They were replaced and I was told that they were not covered by the federal emissions warranty so the cost would be $4000. The car was driven with the vast majority being electric power.

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 🔎.

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.

Portion message car stalled on hey.

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.

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.

While driving the vehicle, the car shut down. Thankfully I was coming to a yield at a round about after exiting the interstate. I was finally able to get it to restart and proceeded on my way. If this had happened on the interstate myself, and other drivers would be at risk due to unassisted steering and braking. I also have experienced intermittent periods of "reduction of power" while on the interstate and other 55mph plus highways. This presents a hazard to myself and other drivers as well. These issues are covered for similar vehicles under special warranty coverage n232432680 as required by NHTSA on March 6, 2024. My vehicle also exhibits all of the primary symptoms described in that coverage, but gm claims that my vehicle is not covered. Cel is on. Can't charge condition reduced power no start condition.

While driving the car displayed “reduced propulsion power” on the dash and then I lost all drive power and could not switch the plug in hybrid from electric to gas engine mode. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealer who stated that the battery electronics control module and perhaps the battery needed to be replaced. The check engine light came on slightly before the incident.

There was a recall for the hpcm2 where the propulsion power reduced warning would come on whenever the car's cell battery was depleted. This happened with my car and there were several times it slowed on the freeway and on exit ramps as I tried to safely get my car off the road. It first happened on 4/13/25. I took my car to a regular mechanic who charged me 3k of repairs on basic maintenance, new tires, etc but were unable to fix this issue. They advised it was a manufacturer issue and to go to a hybrid specialist or a dealership. I called a hybrid specialist who found the faulty code and advised the same. I took my car to felix Chevrolet (3330 s. Figueroa st. La, CA 90007) and they offered to do many maintenance service items that I had done earlier this week in an attempt to fix the hpcm2 software bug. After I told them that the maintenance items were complete, they called me back an hour later to tell me I needed other maintenance repairs that are less common. When I gave them the description of the recall and re-explained this is identical to my car's symptoms and that this manufacturing issue may have affected other vehicles like mine that were outside of the recall batch, they told me it was impossible to apply this diagnosis as long as my VIN number was outside of the recall batch. Can you please add my VIN to this recall or have my car reviewed by someone who can debug the software?.

I was slowly maneuvering my car into my garage when the vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly surged forward, despite only lightly tapping the brake and not touching the accelerator. The car had been displaying the warning, “propulsion power is reduced” and was not holding an electric charge in the days before the incident. No malfunction indicator lamp ever turned on. Per the owner’s manual, the vehicle did not need to be serviced because the malfunction indicator light never came on at the same time as the propulsion power reduced message. This led me to believe the vehicle was safe to drive. The unexpected surge caused the car to strike and cause considerable damage to the garage wall. Fortunately there was no one in the garage at the time and I, myself, was not injured. My car was deemed a total loss by the insurance company.

See all problems of the 2014 Chevrolet Volt 🔎.

My car needs an egr valve replacement and this is a known and common problem with this car and now they are trying to charge me outrageous prices for an issue that they know is defective. The becm , the egr valve, and the shift to park. Need to be recognized as recalls.

Battery energy control module failed and left my daughter stranded.

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the message “unable to charge” was displayed with the check engine warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.

Becm failure leaving car stranded in traffic with no ability to move under its own power.

On [xxx] the check engine light turned on in my 2016 chevy Volt (VIN: [xxx] miles 145,xxx). I was 2 hours from home in the freezing cold snow but thankfully the vehicle allowed me to drive home without any issues (no reduced propulsion power). When I returned to the vehicle to have a diagnostic check the error light disappeared and I was unable to check for error codes. Still no issues driving under ev/gasoline. Later that day, the car stopped going completely, no shifting out of park either. Ev range was reporting 0 miles despite having full charge. I plugged in the charger but it would not work (first time this happened), " not able to charge" message displayed. After cycling power the ev range was full range and I was able to shift into drive again. These issues were intermittent over 3 weeks, frequently standing me temporarily. After cycling power, opening and closing the door, cycling power again, the car would function normally and I could drive under battery or gasoline power. I managed to capture these error codes while the mil light was u2603, u2604, u2605, u2606, u2617, u2618, u2619, u2620, u2621, u2622, u2623, u2624 [xxx] my vehicle no longer drives or shifts out of park, "not able to charge" message displayed, cel light on. A class action lawsuit revealed a technical service bulletin 18-na-261 released in 2018 (see attached) accusing gm of continuing support of the known faulty module. The result of the case was special coverage bulletin n232432680 which acknowledges and addresses the above mentioned issues by replacing a faulty becm common to all chevy Volt models years 2016-2018. My VIN is excluded from coverage due to being a carb compliant vehicle despite exhibiting the same behaviors, error codes, and sharing the same faulty becm. Of the 60,000 Volts sold in 2016-2018, only 19,000 (~33%) qualify under the special coverage terms. 100% of the vehicles that qualify for coverage are non-carb compliant. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552.

My car stopped all of a sudden and lost power while my wife was driving. She could've been in a major accident since the car lost power. This has happened a few times in the past. Luckily she wasn't on the freeway or she could've been rear ended at highway speeds. There were warning lamps that said check engine and "lost propulsion". This should be looked at closely as my safety as well as the safety of others was at risk. Very dangerous situation! I had my car towed to the nearest auto repair shop where it is being looked at.

I was driving at about 50mph all of a sudden I got a propulsion error and my car stopped working it had no power! people had to swerve around me and I was almost hit. My car would not drive I shut it off and back on multiple times. Finally it started but would not go above 25 it was so scary. I went to the dealership they said it’s known issue since 2016 and that my miles were too high so it would not be covered to fix the total amount it almost 3,000 this seems unfair that chevy would continue to sell a vehicle knowing it had issues with a energy control module and not fix it for free. Especially when you could be killed while driving it!!.

I was driving and a message "engine popuslison reduce" appeared and I was not able to drive at the speed of traffics which was unsafe.

Becm failure car suddenly stopped driving and or starting had to have it towed home.

While operating my chevy Volt on a los angeles freeway, warning lights came on informing me to park immediately, and that the power propulsion was reduced. The check engine light also came on. At that point the “shift to park” message came on. My car is experiencing the “shift to park” issue. I already had this happen previously in 2023. The repair cost $1,200. There are many, many references to this issue on the internet. The “shift to park” defect is well known in the chevy Volt community. When this happened the second time, ([xxx]), I was stranded on the side of an la freeway. The car will not start. It will cycle through the “shift to park” message on the dashboard and it will not go anywhere. The car initializes, so there is power in the vehicle, but no propulsion. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Shift to park message & audible alarm. Display while in motion pulling into home driveway. Vehicle stalled midway while in motion. Halfway in the street & half driveway. Displaying propulsion power reduced & engine not available service soon. After 30 minutes of starting & restarting was able to move out of the street. However vehicle will not move. Transmission will shift, however will not move. Shift to park keeps popping up.

The vehicle loses power when trying to accelerate when driving in electric mode, and the gas engine kicks on after a second at which point acceleration returns. It occurs when the battery power is high or low. Sometimes a warning pops up on the dash saying speed is limited to a specific mph.

Just purchased and not a week in it dies after I have charged it. I was in drive, at a red light when all of a sudden the car dies. No warning whatsoever. Was not able to turn it on afterwards. Had to get towed to my local Chevrolet dealership that has not been able to fix it for the last month with no eta on a fix.

Lost power when battery power used up and gas engine would not switch over on highway. Car would not re-start and died in the middle of highway.

The car has experienced a ‘becm’ failure, which is very common on the chevy Volt. When it fails the car becomes undrivable and will slow down into reduced propulsion mode. It will not start and required us to have it towed to the dealer. The 2016-2019 chevy Volt becm issue has been investigated by the NHTSA and gm. It is a common enough issue that gm has voluntarily issued ‘special coverage n232432680’. This covers the becm failure on 2016-2019 Volts for free for up to 150k miles 10 years. We have a 2016 Volt with 144k miles so we assumed it would be covered. The dealer said it wasn’t covered based on my VIN but they didn’t know why our VIN was left out of the coverage. Obviously if they thought our car didn’t have a suspect becm, they were wrong because it failed during the special coverage time. The repair is $2600 and gm will not assist us with this repair. I have attached a copy of gm special coverage and the bill. This seems to be a clerical error that our VIN and maybe others were missed despite the fact our car falls right in the special coverage criteria. I believe this should be a full recall or 2016-2019 Volts, especially if the becm has failed.