2018 Chevrolet Volt problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (65) · Fuel/Propulsion System (46) · Electrical System (19)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Chevrolet Volt model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
50 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (2)
Seat Belts:rear/Other 2018-09-26 · campaign 18V673000 · 15,800 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Cadillac CT6, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Volt, and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. Certain second-row or third-row rear seatbelts retractor assemblies may not automatically lock when the seatbelt is fully pulled out of the retractor, possibly preventing a child seat from being properly secured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection.
Risk: If the child seat is not properly secured in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seatbelt retractors and replace them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 7, 2018. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18315.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper 2018-08-30 · campaign 18V576000 · 210,628 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.
Service bulletins (849)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-26 · PIT5698F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi provides diagnostics tips on how the lin bus works and how to diagnosis it.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-04 · PIP4902W · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-21 · PIT5099J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
pi to help diagnose a/c concern
Unknown Or Other 2026-04-01 · PIT3271Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
Unknown Or Other 2026-03-09 · PIP6104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a gds2 session log and upload to a technical assistance case in cx connect.
Unknown Or Other 2026-03-09 · PIP4902V · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.
Showing the 6 most recent of 849 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-27 · Fuel/Propulsion System“my 2018 chevrolet volt lt (vin [xxx]) suffered a battery energy control module (becm) failure at 142,185 miles. gandrud chevrolet in [xxx], diagnosed the failure, citing gm technical service bulletin 18-na-261 and diagnostic codes u2619, u2620, u2621, u2622, u2623 and u2624. the dealer replaced the becm (part 24296900), programmed it, and performed…”
2026-10-24 · Unknown Or Other“while driving through a canyon to get home, my check engine light came on and i saw the message "propulsion power reduced" on my dash. the speed limit on that road is 65 mph, and i lost power going up a hill and went from 65 mph on cruise control to 48 mph. there are a lot of cars on that road, and it could've caused a serious accident. my vehicle …”
2026-09-29 · Unknown Or Other“the vehicle operates normally in all-electric mode for its full range of approximately 48 miles. the failure occurs consistently at the exact moment the high-voltage battery depletes and the vehicle attempts its automatic transition from electric propulsion to the internal combustion engine. at the point of transition, an unexpected surging or sud…”
2026-09-28 · Fuel/Propulsion System“2018 chevy volt lt. diagnosed with a bad battery section on september 9, 2026. warranty part number # 24060120 ordered by dealer. status september 28, 2026 - part back-ordered / no eta. dealer refuses to provide a loaner car while waiting for the part.…”
2026-09-25 · Power Train“failure summary & safety risk: while operating in live traffic, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of motive power and entered a "propulsion power reduced" failsafe mode, creating a severe rear-end collision hazard. the vehicle is currently grounded and remains available for inspection upon request. warning symptoms & diagnostic codes: the i…”
2026-08-27 · Power Train“the vehicle frequently fails to register that the transmission has been shifted into park. when this happens the instrument cluster displays "action required / shift to park" and the power (stop/start) button will not shut the vehicle off. the condition is intermittent. i can usually clear it only by shifting through the gear positions and back int…”
2026-08-27 · Unknown Or Other“i was driving back from [xxx] on xxx, when i received a "propulsion power limited" message on my dash with a check engine light. i pulled off to a nearby gas station and tried to scan the code to figure out what was going on when i then received the message "engine unavailable" and the car shut off. i checked the fuse box and found that the f03 fus…”
2026-08-17 · Fuel/Propulsion System“i was driving on an interstate in seattle, and the car completely died. a check engine light went on. i had to roll into the shoulder and call for a tow to the dealership's service department. here is what they found: ----60gcz engine repair diag/ customer reports the ses lamp is on with reduced propulsion message displayed. check and advise. 1. t…”
2026-08-07 · Unknown Or Other“what component or system failed? when the bcem failed on my car, it led directly to the transmission failing as well as the pim. i was driving normally then had a completely inoperable car with no warning. i was told to pay over $17k for repairs by the dealership because there is no recall on the transmission, but i see proof that this is a common…”
2026-08-05 · Fuel/Propulsion System“while driving on a highway the car started to hesitate, a message appeared on the console "propulsion power is reduced" and the engine light turn on. after driving some miles, a new message appeared: "engine unavailable, service soon" and the car only ran on electric power, no motor engine. i had the same problem 3 year ago and the dealer identifi…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.