Print this page

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
7,761 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 fuel system problems

fuel system problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2017 Chevrolet Volt:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2017 Chevrolet Volt Owner Comments (Page 1 of 9)

problem #178

Sep 242024

Volt

  • miles

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

While driving on the highway there was sudden power loss with a message on the display stating "propulsion reduced" and had to pull over.

- Morgan Hill, CA, USA

problem #177

May 142024

Volt

  • miles
As I understand it, the EGR valve failed causing the car to shut down suddenly on the highway. Apparently by blowing the "walk home" fuse. The EGR valve has been unavailable from GM worldwide since Oct 2023 and there is no estimate when it will, if ever, be available.

- Shrewsbury, MA, USA

problem #176

Aug 062024

Volt

  • miles
Reduced propulsion message appears on the dash and car lost propulsion on the highway. The EGR blew a fuse and the car enters the walk home mode. This problem should be covered under warranty but my dealership says it is not covered. This issue causes the car not to be able to drive. Chevy is back ordered for the part and there is no estimate of when the part will be available. They apparently do not make the part anymore and there is no fix. the GR seems to have bad soldering and blows the fuse #3.

- Falcon Heights, MN, USA

problem #175

Jun 032024

Volt

  • miles

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

While driving on high-speed devided highways including stretches where traffic was 2-way (single lanes separated by concrete barrier during road maintenance) Chevy Volt indicated "reduced propulsion", and in 2 cases forced shut-down of electric and gas engine where the single-lane travel had cement barriers on both sides of the driving lane.In at least one case, the engine forced 30-40 mph travel until a break in the right-hand cement barrier was interrupted and I could get off the highway. In another case, the engine and fuel propulsion shut down but there was a breakdown lane on the right allowing traffic flow but exposing me to risk due to how close 65 mph traffic was passiing me. In each failure case, after turning off and re-starting the vehicle, the vehicle seemed to have re-set propulsion control and I could continue the trip at normal speed until another warning but not complete faillure occurred (both lanes being available so I could drive to an exit, turn off the ignition, restart and resume the travel). I believe the failure was in the BECM (Battery Energy Control Module) but the Chevrolet dealer identified an EGR failure that prevents their repair team from diagnosing the BECM. Whatever the failure was, it put me iin a very dangerous situation in at least 2 points in my 600 mile trip.

- Marblehead, MA, USA

problem #174

Mar 102024

Volt

  • miles
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

Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...

problem #173

Sep 142024

Volt

  • miles
While driving, a warning chime sounded and a message appeared saying "propulsion power reduced." The check engine light also appeared. The car lost power, would accelerate only very slowly, and eventually died along a busy road. After a period, I was able to restart car and drive very slowly to dealer. I was told that the problem was a faulty egr valve, which was blowing a fuse and would do so again. Dealer was unable to find a replacement valve anywhere in the nation. GM apparently is not manufacturing replacements for this components, and from reports found onliine, plenty of others have had the same problem. The temporary fix is to disconnect the egr valve, which results in increased vehicle emissions. I will be unable to pass my next emissions test next year. The safety issue is that the vehicle can quit running without warning in any situation.

- Churchton, MD, USA

problem #172

Aug 142024

Volt

  • miles

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

Vehicle began exhibiting issues with BECM, reduced propulsion/limp home mode with range-extender activation. Car unexpectedly stopped running in the middle of the road, came to a complete stop and unable to move off road under car's propulsion.

- Albuquerque, NM, USA

problem #171

Sep 112024

Volt

  • miles
Reduced propulsion power and check engine light. EGR valve failure per mechanic. Part has been on a global back order for 1.5 years. The car will not pass emissions testing and can blow a fuse that will make the car inoperable. The part is also costly at $2400 without labor costs. My car has 83,000 miles, is well-maintained and only 7 years old and now I can-??t drive it or sell it.

- The Hills, TX, USA

problem #170

Sep 112024

Volt

  • miles
Experienced severe engine failure while driving on the freeway, which cost to be in operable due to failure of EGR valve. This is a warranty repair however GM has part on backorder for over a year with no plan to fix. My car is now disabled and I have no other transportation.

- Pleasanton, CA, USA

problem #169

Aug 192024

Volt

  • miles
EGR Valve issue. I have a 'reduced propulsion energy' notice on the dash. Unable to get repaired because there is no parts. This is a common problem with these Chevy vehicles. Emissions test won't pass

- Marshall, WI, USA

problem #168

Aug 182024

Volt

  • miles

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

Egr valve failed. GM has this part in a national control status. Vehicle should be under warranty per the handbook but dealership is denting this. Dealer solution is to just disconnect the part and says it is safe to drive. Not comfortable with this since I have had this vehicle modified to allow myself who is handicapped the ability to drive it. Dealership wants prepayment of part before placing the order for it. Part is expensive and they have no idea how long they will be using my money before or if the part is available.

- Canal Winchester, OH, USA

problem #167

Aug 292024

Volt

  • miles
P1E00 error code resulted in the propulsion system being reduced and climate controls turned off. My wife, driving at the time in a thunderstorm, lost the ability to drive the speed of traffic and also her windshield completely fogging up where she could not see. She could have been killed in this scenario in a number of ways. Took it to the dealer where GM apparently has no spare parts available for months"?" Parts at fault are related to the EGR valve and cooler. CEL light came on and off for a few days prior. Failed to be able to pull the error code because it would go off.

- Berkley, MI, USA

problem #166

Aug 202024

Volt

  • miles
I was driving on a highway around 70 mph on cruise control, without warning a -??propulsion power reduced-?? message came up with the check engine light turning on and the car stopped accelerating/let off of cruise control. Very dangerous when driving at speeds above 70mph. I took the Car to Chevy and they said it-??s a EGR valve issue and that it would cost roughly $3,800 and the part is on massive back order. r Reading online, there-??s many Volt drivers with the same issue and can-??t get the part for months on (with some being offered a repurchase of the car from GM so the problem would go away) it seems like Chevy and or GM do not have sufficient parts to fix the massive amount of Volts having this specific problem and on top of that, this is the largest quote I-??ve seen for this repair.

- Wilmington , NC, USA

problem #165

Aug 262024

Volt

  • miles
Without warning, my car stopped charging. Noticed it was at 0 miles despite charging it the night before. Believing I may have not properly connected the home cord (supplied by Chevy) to the car, I chalked it up to being my mistake and plugged in again the next night. Same result. 0 miles. Then it immediately started acting like a 12V battery failure with engine warning lights and then it just refused to start and/or charge and was dead in the water. I called AAA for a battery jump and they came. It got the car started, but the check engine light remained lit for two days and I primarily ran the car on its gas generator to hopefully charge it. Just last night, the check engine light went away. Despite having a partial charge, this morning 8/29, it registered 3 miles down from being higher. I just plugged in to my home outlet using the chevy cord, and again, it would not charge (no green light on dash indicating active charge and a message on the dash should "unable to charge". I suspect a Battery Energy Control Mondule (BECM) failure which seems to happen with this car. My 12V ACDELCO battery is relatively new (3 yrs) and not used heavily (given COVID).

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #164

Jun 152024

Volt

  • miles
The EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) valve has failed, which causes issues with the fuel propulsion system, can cause the cooling system to fail, and affects the emissions system. We are unable to obtain a replacement valve anywhere and have been on a waiting list at the dealership for months. The car is not safe to drive in this condition.

- Monkton, MD, USA

problem #163

Aug 102024

Volt

  • miles
EGR valve failed while driving on the freeway. Loss power. Check engine light on. Propulsion power reduced. It is safety and emissions related.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #162

Aug 202024

Volt

  • miles
My 2017 Chevrolet Volt started displaying an error message last week "reduced propulsion power". I set up an appointment at the dealership but had to continue driving in the meantime. The error message changed to "Engine Unavailable" and shortly therefore shut down completely. We had it towed to a dealership, who has informed us that the EGR valve and gasket need to be replaced, and are on indefinite backorder. This is clearly a safety issue as we need to be able to rely on the car not shutting down in the middle of driving. Now we are left without a car or a timeline for repair.

- Nashville, TN, USA

problem #161

Jun 162024

Volt

  • miles
1st incident-While doing a U-Turn on an inclined road car suddenly sounded like it was going to die, no acceleration when I pressed on the gas pedal. Car almost stopped as it was on a hill and suddenly the gas engine turned on so the accelerator started to work again. I felt very unsafe and thought I was going to get hit by any on coming cars due to the loss of acceleration. 2nd incident(about a month after the 1st)-Just going straight down a road, pressed on the accelerator and again nothing happened, no acceleration, car sounded like it was turning off, then switched over to the gas engine and the accelerator started to work again. Also, not very safe with cars coming up behind me quickly and loss of acceleration. Had GM look at car, could not reproduce problem, BCEM module already replaced-they could not replace due to GM not approving a second replacement, they would not say car is safe, but go ahead and drive it anyway until the problem occurs again. How many times should this happen before I am actually in an accident because of this problem? I have been the sole owner of this care since 2017 and I have done all the maintenance required for it, I do believe this is a safety issue that should be addressed. I have just been told to drive it until it catastrophically doesn't work, how reassuring of GM!

- New Berlin, WI, USA

problem #160

Aug 112024

Volt

  • miles
While driving, a warning message came on: "Engine unavailable." I was able to drive a few more blocks but then the car stopped on its own. This happened despite the fact that the car had almost a full tank of gas. If this had happened on the highway, it would have been very dangerous. Luckily, I was on a fairly empty city street and I simply pulled to the curb. This is a known problem with the Chevy Volt (2017). An independent service center confirmed that the original problem is that the EGR valve needs replacing. When this is an issue, a fuse often blows and this fuse stops the car from moving. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance rep or others. There was a message that came on a few days before the incident that said "propulsion power is reduced." An independent service center said the EGR valve needs to be replaced. There are no EGR valves available; they have been on back order for months. I have an appointment with the Chevy dealer for next week, so they can confirm the EGR valve needs replacing and I can get on their waitlist to receive an EGR valve. This is expected to take 6-12 months or possibly longer. In the meantime, I can drive the car on electric charge but am supposed to avoid engaging the ICE engine. If I end up running out of electric charge, I am at risk of once again having the fuse blow and the car failing to move forward. This is ridiculous. Why is GM/Chevy not required to provide parts in a timely manner to existing customers to make sure their cars run safely? I am definitely not the only Volt owner experiencing this issue -- there are many people online complaining about the same issue. All of us risk a situation of the car stopping to run at any time.

- San Francisco, CA, USA

problem #159

Jun 012024

Volt

  • miles
Starting June 2024 my car started s displaying the check engine light with the message -??Propulsion power is reduced-?? when driving on electric. When the message is displayed it switches to gas even if it has a full charge. Since June 2024 the check engine light is mostly on but sometimes turns off when electric is depleted and it-??s running on gas. The message is randomly displayed when I accelerate

- Aloha, OR, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?