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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
6,765 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2017 Chevrolet Volt engine problems

engine problem

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2017 Chevrolet Volt Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #22

Mar 102024

Volt

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

This car has a failed EGR valve which first became evident in March of 2024. There are no parts available, this in an emissions issue but the failure causes blown fuses which can cause the car to completely stop running which is a safety issue. Reduced propulsion is a symptom which is dangerous and this has been confirmed by three Chevy dealerships. I have had the EGR valve cleaned to the tune of $1200, have a deposit on a new valve which doesn't seem to exist for $850. There were no other messages before the failure. I am driving the car with the EGR valve disconnected, mostly on the battery power but no end is in sight to this problem.

- St Clr Shores, MI, USA

problem #21

Jun 032024

Volt

  • miles
I had the BECM fail as part of many 2017 volts with this issue at around 40K miles. This failure has caused multiple near accidents with immediately losing power at highway speeds. The last time this happened (after the BECM was replaced) was a couple of weeks ago. They said the reason for the failure was a programming issue, and they have updated it. It is flabbergasting to me that a programming issue can result in such a dangerous result. The car reduced propulsion on the highway and got stuck on the offramp while trying to pull over on the busy highway. Not only were we left stranded on the highway with me being 8 and a half months pregnant, but my husband almost got into an accident twice while trying to make it over safely. Chevy needs to be accountable for these significant failures that seem to continuously happen to Chevy Volts. It's not just the BECM - they have multiple things that are causing extremely dangerous results. When they replaced the BECM they also replaced the 12V (with significant out of pocket cost to us) and leaving us with no vehicle for a long time. We bought a new car right after this incredibly scary incident.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #20

Dec 082023

Volt

  • miles
On [XXX] while traveling at highway speed my Chevrolet volt abruptly lost propulsion and an alert was displayed to pull over and turn car off. I was on [XXX] in California a 4 lane highway forced to cross 3 lanes of traffic at an exceptionally slow speed in heavy traffic. It is a miracle a crash did not occur. Fortunately other drivers were aware and able to stop or quickly change lanes. AAA towed directly to Stewart Chevrolet in Colma Ca. It was diagnosed and I was advised it is under warranty HOWEVER parts are on back order. Today [XXX] ~ the car still has not been repaired and I have been advised parts will not ship until September 2024. This is both dangerous and unacceptable. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- South San Francisco, CA, USA

problem #19

Feb 132024

Volt

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I am writing to report 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 Provo Utah Chevrolet 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. However, upon arriving for the appointment at 4:00 PM, I was informed that the hybrid mechanic had left for the day, and I was asked to return on another day. Subsequently, on February 11th, 2024, the check engine light illuminated again, and on February 12th, 2024, while driving to work, I experienced a loss of propulsion power on the highway, placing my safety at risk. 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. 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.

- Vineyard, UT, USA

problem #18

Dec 242023

Volt

  • miles
While we were driving on the freeway, we saw a check engine light and -??propulsion power is reduced-?? message. The car began driving very roughly and we had to slow down. We had this happen once before where the car engine stopped working entirely while driving at city speeds after seeing this error earlier in the summer, so we pulled over as soon as we could. We were traveling in a remote area at the time, just before the holidays, and it was fairly cold out. The car dealer inspected the car and told us it was unsafe to drive, that we could not take it back until it was fixed, and that it was an EGR valve problem. We previously had this fixed under warranty as well for similar behavior, and the car is barely five years old with very few miles on it. It-??s our only car and we have been waiting on the part for weeks now, with no response on when we-??ll be able to have our car back, and no rental car that we can drive in the meantime to get to our jobs and get groceries. The part is covered under our warranty. Both times this has happened to us, we were actively driving. In the city, it was very unsafe for the engine to unexpectedly stop as we were driving because of the amount of traffic and pedestrians, and because it meant we didn-??t have full control of the vehicle. On the freeway, it was very unsafe because of the speed we were going on the freeway. Knowing that our engine was at high risk of unexpectedly stopping working while driving on the freeway from the past experience in the city made it difficult to safely concentrate on pulling over and also maneuver in traffic.

- Malden, MA, USA

problem #17

Dec 182023

Volt

  • 26,000 miles
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.

- Marblehead, MA, USA

problem #16

Mar 112023

Volt

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- Fremont, CA, USA

problem #15

Nov 152023

Volt

  • miles
This vehicle has a very dangerous malfunction. There was no power when I tried to move out of the way of an out-of-control semi truck while driving on the highway by pressing the pedal. I made every effort to maneuver because I was terrified. But because of the power outage, I could have died. This is really worrying, and I hope you can address the issue raised by Chevy so that someone else might be spared and so that future generations of electric cars are constructed to a standard that includes safety. Thank you.

- Yeadon, PA, USA

problem #14

Oct 022023

Volt

  • miles
While driving after the electric battery is used and switches over to gas, I have been getting the check engine, ABS, steering, parking, and brake lights. I have lost power steering, lost the speedometer, lost fuel range, lost stabilitrak, it has randomly turned on the emergency brake while all these other things are happening, It also has said -??shift to park-??, propulsion power reduced. I have taken it to the dealer and they read some of the codes but say they can-??t find anything wrong and they need to be able to reproduce the problem to find it. I lost all propulsion and pulled over and turned it off and it stopped with a -??clunk.-?? Then I turn it back on and just the check engine light is on. I-??m very afraid to drive it but with the lack of vehicles available to buy and the dealer not knowing how to fix it I don-??t know what to do.

- Perry, IA, USA

problem #13

Dec 262022

Volt

  • miles
After the battery runs out, the engine loses propulsion and fails to run on gas. The car completely stalls in the middle of traffic. The speed drops from 70+ mph to 0. Extremely dangerous to myself and others. The issue suddenly appeared at the end of December 2022 during a long drive. The engine check light remains on and a warning re: reduced propulsion power is displayed every time the car is turned on. Dealer is unable to fix the issue because they already have multiple cars with the same issue waiting for weeks to be repaired. Recently filed class action law suit suggests that this problem is caused by defective BCEM unit.

- Oceanside, CA, USA

problem #12

Jun 032021

Volt

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When shift-to-park the vehicle says the cars is not in park and will not turn off.

- Corona, CA, USA

problem #11

Mar 102020

Volt

  • 10 miles
The cruise control does not work every so often. It seems to happen when I use a lot of the steering control to increase and decrease the speed. It's I took it to the dealership 2 times and they can't find the problem. I don't have specific dates when this happened but it happens enough. Other things that happens are 1) the Volt has a charge setting that optimize to start charge delay depending on when you schedule when you plan to leave so the car will not be left fully charge for a long time. However, the estimated charge time is completely off now. It seems to think it will take 12 more hours to charge. Therefore, the car would start charging a few hours earlier than it should. 2) the audio system connected to the smartphone is very buggy. Sometimes the display shows music is playing but no audio.

- Torrance, CA, USA

problem #10

Nov 292020

Volt

  • miles
We own two 2017 Chevy Volts. Both have two issues: 1) often cruise control does always stay engaged due to brake pedal slipping to a very slight depressed position. 2) shift-to-park- cars will not properly go into park sometimes and thus cannot be turned off. These two issues are clearly manufacturer defects as both cars were bought new and within a month of each other. I will enter this for my other VIN number as well. These have been ongoing issues that we are having to spend money to correct and there are many reports of these being issues, yet there is no recall. We purchased both cars brand new within a month of each other. Both issues have been ongoing and have occured more than once.

- Greenville, SC, USA

problem #9

Nov 292020

Volt

  • miles
We own two 2017 Chevy Volts. Both have two issues: 1) often cruise control does always stay engaged due to brake pedal slipping to a very slight depressed position. 2) shift-to-park- cars will not properly go into park sometimes and thus cannot be turned off. These two issues are clearly manufacturer defects as both cars were bought new and within a month of each other. I will enter this for my other VIN number as well. These have been ongoing issues that we are having to spend money to correct and there are many reports of these being issues, yet there is no recall. We purchased both cars brand new within a month of each other. Both issues have been ongoing and have occured more than once.

- Greenville, SC, USA

problem #8

Jan 172020

Volt

  • 15,300 miles
My 2017 Chevy Volt has an adaptive cruise control problem. It will only work when it wants to but what make it so dangerous is that if you get it to engage it will randomly and without any warning disengage itself. If you are using the 2017 Volt in the low gear mode and this happens the car will rapidly decelerate which is very dangerous and has almost cause the people behind me to run into me. I have tried to get this fixed several times but it seems nobody knows what to do with it and they will try but it just goes right back to doing it again.

- Leesburg, GA, USA

problem #7

Jul 122019

Volt

  • 15,000 miles
While driving on city streets and highways, the adaptive cruise control will not engage 25% of the time and will disengage without notice. "adaptive cruise control will appear in dic. However, this creates a safety hazard as you never know if the car will automatically slow down. I have filed case # 9-5379585813 with Chevrolet and been to four dealers and they refuse to fix the problem. They no longer return my calls. I am afraid to use the cruise control.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #6

Sep 272019

Volt

  • 36,000 miles
Faulty front proximity sensor or camera resulting in false positives of object in front of the car. False warning lights and warning sounds as if an object is in front of the car when no object is in sight. Usually during the rain but occasionally not. Occurs when the vehicle is traveling less than 6mph. Happens around 75% of the time during the rain and about 5% of the time during dry weather.

- Amherst, NH, USA

problem #5

Jan 252019

Volt

  • 26,000 miles
Driving up the freeway at a normal speed, my Volt began to accelerate without warning and after applying the brakes again began to accelerate involuntarily. After I managed to pull to the side of the road by applying the brakes hard, smoke came out of the hood. I called a tow truck and he had to jump the car to start it again.

- Castro Valley, CA, USA

problem #4

May 012017

Volt

  • 530 miles
Adaptive cruise control unavailable randomly occurs while driving using adaptive cruise control. Presents a large danger of hitting other vehicles if the adaptive cruise control is used to come to a complete stop as it will randomly disengage while coming to a stop. Cruise control only works 4/10 times attempted and was "fixed" by the dealer with less than 500 miles on the odometer. However the problem recurred within a day. Looked it up in forums and it is not an uncommon problem. Holding foot under the brake pedal allows cruise control to work but is more dangerous than randomly cutting off. No one in Volt forum has gotten a complete fix to date. When they do I will be getting mine repaired armed with the correct information. But it is dangerous.

- Laurel, DE, USA

problem #3

Apr 252018

Volt

  • 15,000 miles
Like others, including the incident in rancho cucomonga, ca on the same day, April 25th, I was driving on the highway at high speed. I was in the carpool lane on the 210 freeway. I think I also was told to put the car in park. I lost the ability to accelerate on at a very dangerous time, while I was the furthest to the left in the late afternoon. Miraculously, there was only 1 car quite far behind me. So, after deceleration was forced upon my car, I began to steer the car to the right through 5 lanes - one of the widest parts of the highway at that point. Here is what I now think. I have been through loss of power in my 2014 Volt. I had accidentally turned it off while being on the highway. They fixed that design flaw in this 2017 model. I have shared my theory with GM. GM/Chevy has 3-way called me with the "stolen vehicles dept". they aggressively describe how they won't issue a slow-down through the on-star unless they have a request through police, the police are behind, the lights blink, etc. But, they're reluctant to share what happens next. They've been reluctant to share how they track your vehicle through the VIN and gps tracking. They're reluctant to share that this system can be hacked. It is evident that much can go wrong once the ability to control your car is placed in other's hands -- who aren't in the car driving it. The dealership could see the code of the slow-down. Of course they were surprised. This wasn't just a "failure". this is a "feature" in the car...but someone else used it without our permission. I want the on-star control disabled in my car!!! it could have killed my daughter and me. It could have killed the others who reported a similar situation.

- Altadena, CA, USA

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