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.
On [XXX] while driving with my son in IN on [XXX] to my niece's wedding in PA, a reduced power warning sounded on the driver's console. Was able to stop and get gas at the eastbound travel plaza near mile marker [XXX]. Getting back on the road and accelerating toward 70 mph, suddenly lost all drive power. The fuel gauge side of the console was lit in yellow and said something like "No fuel detected." Pulled over to the shoulder and found the engine would start, run, and then die. An IN State Police Officer was kind enough to offer us an escort to the next exit near mile marker [XXX]. Noticed that the engine would remain running for longer periods and finally stayed on continuously. While being escorted, was able to run the speed up to 55 mph and made it safely to the interstate exit. During this time my son was checking online and found that the problem might be due a blown fuse. At the [XXX] exit we found a Pilot station that carried fuse sets. One of the sets had the fuse we needed. We bought two sets. We replaced the fuse--it had blown--and the car ran well again. This fuse is called "No walk home." We were able to continue on at 70 mph until stopping at a friends home in western PA for a few hours rest. While at our friend's home we partially charged the Volt's battery giving us about 20 miles of electric range. While in electric mode we stopped for gas. We drove through the mountains without incident then stopped for gas again in central PA at the Cumberland Valley Service Plaza. Filled the tank and while accelerating from the plaza again lost power and had to pull over. Replacing the fuse solved the problem once more. It appeared that turning off the engine while in gas mode and then turning the engine back on leads to the fuse blowing. That Sunday on the return trip to IL, I never turned the car off when refueling. This got me back home without incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My 2018 Chevy Volt displayed a warning message of "Propulsion Power is Reduced" on the dash when I started the car in a parking garage on Saturday, March 9th around 10am. The car would not drive normally and made a strange noise. I had to stop and start the car six or so times before it drove normally for me to get home. Had this happened at high speed, it could have caused an accident or worse. I contacted the local Rockville, MD Chevrolet dealership and they ran the diagnostic test on the BECM and HPCM2 systems and performed battery capacity reset. I do not believe this software reset will correct the technical issue. According to the dealership records, such a software reset was performed in 2021 by the previous owner before we purchased the car second hand in July, 2022. The dealer would not replace the BECM unit but there is supposedly a special coverage bulletin issued by General Motors. We need the unit replaced ASAP for safety.
Ten mile trip with 60% battery charge (about 30 mile range indicated, full tank of gas). Check engine light appeared. "Propulsion Power Reduced" appeared and cleared after restart at traffic light. Total loss of power at highway speed, "Shift to Park" appeared. "Power Off" appeared on energy display, coasted to shoulder and was unable to restart vehicle after multiple attempts.
Chevy Volts from 2016 - 2019 all have a manufacturing defect which can prevent the driver from powering - the error message is "Shift to Park". GM released a Volt Service Bulletin in May 2021 but offered no assistance to replace the defective part. On [XXX] I was driving home on [XXX] headed [XXX] from Santa Cruz in fair weather in the afternoon. This highway can be dangerous with limited shoulders and poor visibility, making it an unsafe place to pull over. While traveling at about 55 mph, the car made an alert sound and illuminated the check engine light and presented a message "Shift to Park". I was running out of room on the shoulder to pull off safely so I had to make the quick decision to pull off to the left-hand shoulder. I followed the instructions on the display which said to shift into park, followed by shifting back into drive. During this time I had my foot on the brake, but after removing my foot from the break, the vehicle began to roll towards traffic, so I put my foot back on the break. I tried powering the car off/on multiple times and tried to get the car to go back into drive but was unsuccessful. Eventually, I put the car back into park, called a tow truck driver, and waited for over an hour to have my car safely towed off [XXX]. Prior to this, I had not experienced any of these or similar symptoms. An OBD code scan was done (screenshot attached). Once at the Chevy dealership, they confirmed that the car could, at that time, shift into park and were not able to reproduce the "Shift into Park" issue. However, they reported that the car was revving high and the transmission would not shift into the proper gear ratio. The dealership was not able to fully diagnose the problem and instead suggested to replace the entire transmission as assembly and then continue investigating. We reached out to the manufacturer, Chevrolet/GM, about the issue(s) and were ed case # [XXX] while they work with the dealership to investigate further. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (F
- San Jose, CA, USA
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Early on the week of November 9th my car displayed a message that there was "Low propulsion power - engine not available." Upon returning home and parking the car it started without incident the following day. On November [XXX], my vehicle stated "Low propulsion power - engine not available" but this time the car shut down completely leaving me unable to return home. I had the car towed to Fairway Chevrolet for repairs. The service technician indicated that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced and the part was out of stock and would take 3 weeks to become available. No rental or loaner car was provided. On November [XXX] I was told that my car was fixed and it would be able to be picked up. I picked up the car and parked it at home and drove the car I was currently renting to California for the Thanksgiving holiday. Upon returning home, I returned my rental and returned to my car. The car behaved normally but after driving down a busy roadway for less than 2 miles the "Low propulsion power - engine not available" message reappeared and the car shut off IMMEDIATELY. This is horrifyingly dangerous especially considering the speed and location of where I was driving. I had the car towed to Fairway Chevrolet but didn't speak to anyone until the morning. In the morning I called in and explained what happened and stressed the safety fact that my car was returned and malfunctioned in a very dangerous way. The tech said that they were going to perform a diagnostic which they were going to charge me for, even though the original repair did not fix the defect. Fairway performed the diagnostic and stated they need to clean the engine bay and run a separate diagnostic of the brake system. These total more than $1.6k out of pocket and are not related to the power deactivating while in motion. My car is still at Fairway as they have not started the repairs and I am still self paying for a rental car. Fairway is uncooperative and refuse to check into the propulsion INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM
After getting some repeated "propulsion power is reduced" display warnings, my 2018 Chevrolet Volt literally died without warning while I was driving it on New Year's Eve and could not be restarted.
Chevy Volt lost power while driving on the highway. No warning. The car has been at the dealership for 3.5 months and they have yet to tell me what the issue is, I have asked every time. Seems as though they don't want me to know. HIghly likely it is is BECM issue. Also, I scheduled the car to be looked at via their app, the day I arrived for the appointment no technician was available, and said I needed to reschedule and bring it back in a week. I just left the car there because it was incredibly unsafe.
Initially was receiving intermittent -??Recieved Propulsion Power-?? warning and no check engine light. Did it about every 2 weeks but became worse. Received Reduced Propulsion power warning on a road trip from East TN to Charlotte then showed a check engine light. I continued to Charlotte I had 4 miles left on battery and was running on gas engine when -??Engine Not Available-?? warning came on leaving me with a nearly dead battery for propulsion. Fortunately, there was a very nearby GM dealership in Charlotte which I was able to drop off and flew out of town for the week. I was told by the dealership that it was an O2 sensor and they had replaced it. Picked up the car the next week. I began the 3 hour trip back to East TN and about 30 miles into the trip I received the Reduced Propulsion Power AND Engine Not Available. I had about 10 miles left on the battery so I stopped and stayed at a hotel with a car charger overnight. Resumed trip home that am, but same code was displayed and engine would not come on. Rented a uhaul w/trailer and towed it home. Dropped it off at Champion Chevrolet in Johnson City and they diagnosed it as a faulty EGR valve. I learned that the part has been back ordered and looking at web forums I see people have described the same problem and they have been waiting many months for an EGR to be available. So, nature of complaint is: I got lucky in that I did not get stranded. Fortunately I was in the right place at the right time. I could have easily totally lost propulsion were my battery were fail and don-??t know if I could have gotten off the roadway.
On Dec 3, 2023 I got the message "Propulsion Power is Reduced" and the gas engine started even though there was about 53 miles left in the battery. I was able to continue on to my destination use the gas engine. On Dec 8, 2023 I drove the car to La Quinta Chevrolet and they diagnosed the problem as a failed BECM (Battery Energy Control Module). On Dec 11 I got the car back and was told the BECM is on backorder and there is no estimated delivery date. Also on 12/3 when I tried to start the car after getting it home I started getting the message "Shift to Park" The dealer was able to fix this before I got it back on 12/11. I've been told I don't qualify for a loaner vehicle so I am left with a car that could stop at any time.
Vehicle is 2018 Chevrolet volt with approx 91000 miles, purchased new in California with both PZEV and Voltec warranties in place. Vehicle produced MIL in December, in Colorado, with exterior temperatures ~30 degrees, after attempting to remote start. The resulting OnStar Codes P1AEE, P1AEF, and P0AC4 indicating "the electric propulsion system is not performing as expected. Please service immediately." Drove the vehicle to the nearest dealership assuming there could be an unexpected loss of power. Identified PIC6285B as trouble shooting aid for the dealership. The dealership stated they contacted their GM TAC representative and the service foreman and TAC agreed the vehicle needed a transmission flush. No indication that the work would be covered by the bulletin found. Customer contacted Chevrolet EV advisor and confirmed vehicle did not qualify for any warranty as the diagnostics indicated a category 4 issue associated with the bulletin but the repairs required were a transmission flush. This was contrary to the published bulletin, other customer reports, as well as the specific DTCs expected. Customer believes diagnostics would be covered by bulletin or warranty given a repair was identified based on the trouble codes that were pulled. Dealership and GM did not agree with customers belief. Customer forced to pay in order to recover vehicle after 1 week.
In August 2023, while driving on I-93 in Boston, car switched from Battery Mode to Engine Mode, and Driver Information Screen reported "Reduced Propulsion". Propulsion Battery charge and gasoline fuel levels were adequate such that this should not have happened. In this Reduced Propulsion state the environmental systems, i.e. Heat/Defrost/AC, become inoperative. A thunder storm overhead was pouring cold rainwater on the windshield and it became fogged inside from condensation. Because windshield Defrost was not functioning my passenger and I had no recourse but to frantically grab whatever we could to wipe away the condensation and keep some small amount of road visibility. This problem is intermittent. Car is available for inspection upon request. Reduced visibility in a moving vehicle is a safety hazard to the driver and all those in their vicinity. A dealer or service center has not been alerted. The vehicle has not been inspected for this problem. The intermittent problem of vehicle entering "Reduced Propulsion" Mode first occurred in July of 2023. I have an On Board Diagnostic (OBD) reader that always reports Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P1E00 when the problem occurs.
My 2018 Cheverolet Volt stopped charging via the PHEV port, the check engine light came on, and "Propulsion Power Is Reduced" read on the driver display. Car acceleration began to lag and I called the dealership service department immediately. I took it to the service dept and they said the repair is under warranty but the part is back-ordered with no ETA on when I will get my car back, but I should keep it there to prevent from getting stranded. They will provide no loaner car. It is currently at the dealership and I have no transportation. This appears to be a BECM issue.
The vehicle failed to restart after being parked in a garage all day while at work. On board diagnostics returned multiple codes concerning the EV battery and vehicle integrated control module. Specific descriptions include: The Lithium-Ion Battery is not performing as expected. An issue has been detected in the Onboard Charging System which manages your vehicles battery pack charge level; Vehicle network communication code. The network provides a communications link between systems inside the vehicle and when the network is disrupted a code can be set. If vehicle functionality is impacted please seek service soon. Dealership indicates the Battery Module needs replacing and part is back-ordered with unknown delivery time. There had been no warning or other diagnostic codes visible prior to the failure.
Driving down interstate when the following error came up on the console: ACTION REQUIRED: SHIFT VEHICLE INTO PARK Coasted to a stop in the middle of a homeless encampment under the freeway. I was in fear of my life due to the failure of the vehicle. Vehicle taken to Rydell Chevrolet 18600 Devonshire St, Los Angeles, CA 91324. Told the Power Inverter Module had failed. Parts unavailable.
BECM (Battery Energy Control Module) failed. Initially received check engine light, reduced propulsion power, and battery not available warnings but was able to drive via the internal combustion engine. Within 24 hours, car was completely dead in my driveway and would not drive at all on either propulsion system. Ended up having to have it towed to the dealership where the faulty BECM was diagnosed and replaced under warranty.
The vehicle has a failure of the BECM and the EGR valve and cooler. Both parts are unavailable. I've been without my car for over a month. The service center cannot tell me when parts will be available.
The car lost propulsion while driving on the interstate, luckily the car was able to make it the shoulder. The check engine light was not on prior to this and it was taken to the dealership where it diagnosed as a faulty battery energy control module (BECM). The part is awaiting replacement, but no spare parts are currently available.
When the vehicle is placed in park and I attempt to turn it off, the dash will indicate the vehicle is not in park and subsequently, the vehicle cannot be turned off. Sometimes, if you wiggle the shifter or move it through all the settings (RNDL) and back to park, it will resolve the issue. Sometimes, it can take a few minutes to resolve the issue. It's getting worse. If you can't shut off car someone can steal it, you also can't lock doors.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Naperville, IL, USA