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2016 Chevrolet Volt

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2016 Chevrolet Volt do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 169.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

60 reports with mileage · 109 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 77 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 51 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports1 fire reports1 injury reports

Power Train complaints

51 reports
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Mileage unknown · Mar 20, 2026
Electrical SystemPower Train

I have a 2016 Chevy volt. It had to be towed to a Chevy dealership because it will not drive. The BECM module has failed, as is apparently the case with so many volt owners. GM, as a result of lawsuits about this car, extended the warrantee to fix the issue, but my vin number is not included in the case. The gar is a brick, …

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I have a 2016 Chevy volt. It had to be towed to a Chevy dealership because it will not drive. The BECM module has failed, as is apparently the case with so many volt owners. GM, as a result of lawsuits about this car, extended the warrantee to fix the issue, but my vin number is not included in the case. The gar is a brick, and there is no way to fix it now. GM doen't even replace these batteries any more, and most often just buys back the bad vehicles. I still owe 9k on this car and it is useless now. I need help. These are the codes is is throwing. B101D P1EOO P1EAC POAFA B3111 U3001 U2401 U2603 U2604 U2605 U2606 U2617 U2618 U2619 U2620 U2621 U2622 U2623 U2624 P1FD1 P1FD2 P1FD3 P1FD4

NHTSA ODI #11725794

Mileage unknown · Jan 14, 2026
Electrical SystemPower Train

While I driving in the past week, a warning that "propulsion power reduced" appeared on my dashboard several times. The last time that I had driven the car, the heater would not turn off, and the smell of burnt rubber filled the car and then dissipated soon after. The car would only run in it's gas engine mode, and not switch ov…

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While I driving in the past week, a warning that "propulsion power reduced" appeared on my dashboard several times. The last time that I had driven the car, the heater would not turn off, and the smell of burnt rubber filled the car and then dissipated soon after. The car would only run in it's gas engine mode, and not switch over to electric mode, as it usually would. The next morning, the car would not start. The dash board would light up as if the car started, but when I shifted into drive, a warning appeared on the dash, "Shift to park", as it would when the car is not running. I could not start the vehicle. After plugging the vehicle in, a warning appeared on the console stating that "Charging is not available". The car was towed to the dealership. Their diagnosis showed that the Battery Energy Control Module had failed and must be replaced. They later confirmed that an electric cable needed to be replaced that was "corroded", but they could not confirm the cause of the corrosion because the cable was disposed of already. After researching online, I found that GM issued a Special Coverage bulletin: N232432680, citing a common malfunction of the Battery Energy Control module in 2016 to 2018 Chevy Volts that "causes a reduced power mode, a no start condition, or a no charge condition." The Special Coverage was to extend the warranty to 15 years or 150,000 miles. After inquiring the dealer about the Special Coverage, they claimed that our car is not covered under the warranty. After calling customer service, they claimed the coverage comes from NHTSA, and GM only issues orders by VIN, and therefore cannot cover the issue. After calling NHTSA, I was told the special coverage is not a national recall, and is internal to GM. The GM dealership still claims that the control module on our car is not covered under the warranty, and have denied the request for a manager inspection or investigation.

NHTSA ODI #11711001

Mileage unknown · Jul 25, 2025
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

Driving at 75 MPH on the freeway the power completely cuts off an a message appears on my dash "Propulsion Power is Reduced" - Pressing the gas barely gives any power, Imagine being in the middle of flowing traffic doing 75 mph to close to 20 mph. Research shows me this is a KNOWN issue with GM and the problem is with the BEC…

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Driving at 75 MPH on the freeway the power completely cuts off an a message appears on my dash "Propulsion Power is Reduced" - Pressing the gas barely gives any power, Imagine being in the middle of flowing traffic doing 75 mph to close to 20 mph. Research shows me this is a KNOWN issue with GM and the problem is with the BECM control module. There is also the issue of the EGR valve which apparently is tied into the BECM. I brought to the Chevy dealer and they said the BECM NEEDS to be replace ASAP because GM knows this is a dangerous situation and GM extended the warranty on this part to 150,000 miles. My vehicle is at 152,400 miles and they will not cover this. This is a serious issue that should be a recall that forces GM and Chevy to pay for this fix as it is something they have been aware of for years and it is a major accident waiting to happen. Please make them issue a recall for the BECM fix.

NHTSA ODI #11676109

Mileage unknown · Jan 29, 2025
Electrical SystemPower Train

Vehicle had the Battery Energy Control Module fail at about 87,000 miles. Vehicle will not start and will leave you stranded when this happens. This is a known defect and GM issued a special coverage to extend the warranty for this specific component, but for some reason only applies to a handful of VINs. Mine was not one of the…

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Vehicle had the Battery Energy Control Module fail at about 87,000 miles. Vehicle will not start and will leave you stranded when this happens. This is a known defect and GM issued a special coverage to extend the warranty for this specific component, but for some reason only applies to a handful of VINs. Mine was not one of them, so I got stuck with a $2500 repair bill. I love the car and am not mad that they are breaking, engineering is hard. I am mad that even after a requirement from the NHTSA, Chevy is refusing to repair a known defect with their vehicles that can leave the owner stranded and is making the owners foot the several thousand-dollar repair bill. This was my first Chevy, and due to the poor way this has been handled, probably my last.

NHTSA ODI #11639391

83,574 miles · Oct 15, 2024
Electrical SystemPower Train

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while starting and driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Reduced Propulsion" message was displayed. Additionally, after parking the vehicle, the "Shift To Park" message was displayed, and the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact pressed the Start/Stop button and …

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The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while starting and driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Reduced Propulsion" message was displayed. Additionally, after parking the vehicle, the "Shift To Park" message was displayed, and the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact pressed the Start/Stop button and then opened and closed the front driver's side door to turn off the vehicle. The vehicle later failed to charge and start as needed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) needed to be replaced; however, the part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 83,574. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI #11619890

Mileage unknown · Oct 14, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

Faulty micro-switch from factory, causes power surge. Flawed microswitch in transaxle shift cable. Incomplete connection of microswitch resulting higher voltage to PCM.(power control module) This irregularity, shows a DTC code reducing power propulsion during movement. The car will loose power & ability to shift. During driv…

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Faulty micro-switch from factory, causes power surge. Flawed microswitch in transaxle shift cable. Incomplete connection of microswitch resulting higher voltage to PCM.(power control module) This irregularity, shows a DTC code reducing power propulsion during movement. The car will loose power & ability to shift. During driving movement. Quite a safety concern. A "shift to park" error displays on driver display screen. An OBD2 scanner will clear code & after a few attempts remain operational. However intermittent & unpredictable when to expect the loss of traction power.

NHTSA ODI #11619712

Mileage unknown · Oct 11, 2024
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

My 2016 Chevrolet Volt loses power while driving and the "propulsion power reduced" warning message appears. This has happened multiple times in the past few weeks and it is very dangerous losing power while traveling. After taking it to a Chevy dealer for service, they advised that it was an internal failure of the BECM (batt…

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My 2016 Chevrolet Volt loses power while driving and the "propulsion power reduced" warning message appears. This has happened multiple times in the past few weeks and it is very dangerous losing power while traveling. After taking it to a Chevy dealer for service, they advised that it was an internal failure of the BECM (battery energy control module) and that it would need replaced. After searching online it appears that this is a common issue with the Chevy Volt models from 2016 - 2019. So much so that GM extended a special warranty to cover this failure up to 15yrs and 150,000 miles. Unfortunately for reasons I still don't understand, I was informed that my vehicle is not covered under this special warranty despite it specifically being the year and model that is affected. My vehicle currently has 93k miles and was purchased in 2016. So I am just outside the original 8 year 100k mile warranty but thought I was covered under this new special coverage given that this is an issue that GM is clearly aware of. I was also shocked to find out that there apparently was never a recall for this issue. My wife and child normally take this vehicle across town at highway speeds and I'm lucky the issue only happened to me. I fear for those who brought their vehicles and are not aware of the issue and will be told that theirs isn't covered as well.

NHTSA ODI #11619238

Mileage unknown · Oct 9, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

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.

NHTSA ODI #11619001

Mileage unknown · Jun 18, 2024
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train

I was driving in clear weather (with my ICE engine as propulsion) when an Engine Warning Fault light appeared on my dash and the vehicle slowed to 5mph with no response from the throttle pedal. I pulled into a parking lot, had the vehicle towed to an independent service shop, and had them check the codes. There were a dozen faul…

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I was driving in clear weather (with my ICE engine as propulsion) when an Engine Warning Fault light appeared on my dash and the vehicle slowed to 5mph with no response from the throttle pedal. I pulled into a parking lot, had the vehicle towed to an independent service shop, and had them check the codes. There were a dozen faults stored, but they found the 'Non Walk Home' fuse had blown, and faults pointed to the EGR Valve as having faulty electronics. They could not find an EGR valve for sale so they unplugged the EGR Valve and replaced the fuse, which allowed the engine to drive normally again, but with the Check Engine Light on at all times. I called my local Chevy dealer and they told me the EGR I needed was Part Number 12691147 for $243, but they were backordered and there were dozens of people in front of me for their dealer alone. Now, 11 months later, I'm still waiting on the part, I have found hundreds of other Volt owners online with the same issue, and the Part Number has been changed by GM to 19436113, with a price increase of 1100% to $2642. And the part is still not available because of "high demand" on a car that was discontinued five years ago.

NHTSA ODI #11595024

Mileage unknown · May 7, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

On [XXX], this Volt was towed to the Dealer because the Volt would not start, would not charge, and the engine light was on. The Dealer claimed that the problem was the Chevrolet Volt Battery Energy Control Module (BECM), GM Part # 24296900, which was covered under the GM hybrid VOLTEC warranty (8 years, 100,000 miles). On …

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On [XXX], this Volt was towed to the Dealer because the Volt would not start, would not charge, and the engine light was on. The Dealer claimed that the problem was the Chevrolet Volt Battery Energy Control Module (BECM), GM Part # 24296900, which was covered under the GM hybrid VOLTEC warranty (8 years, 100,000 miles). On [XXX], 2024, this Volt (VIN [XXX] ) was towed to the Dealer again because the Volt would not start, would not charge, and the engine light was on. The Dealer claimed that the hybrid battery connectors were corroded, the disconnect relay should be replaced, and the BECM should be replaced again at a total cost of $5,005.58. On [XXX], GM issued special coverage warranty N232432680 (15 year, 150,000 miles) to cover BECM replacements for a malfunction involving the BECM. Plaintiff checked the VIN at the GM Recall and Warranty Center website. The Volt at issue is covered under special coverage warranty N232432680, according to the GM website. Plaintiff asked the Dealer and GM again after [XXX] about warranty coverage for the BECM at issue. GM responded that the bumper-to-bumper warranty expired and that they would provide no assistance. On [XXX], Plaintiff filed a complaint with the local Better Business Bureau (BBB) regarding the BECM at issue. GM responded in writing that the bumper-to-bumper warranty expired and that they would provide no assistance. Plaintiff sought arbitration, but both the local BBB and the BBB Auto Line found that Plaintiff was not eligible to arbitrate with GM due to GM’s program summary guidelines with the BBB. GM breached multiple warranties and failed to provide sufficient repairs, and this Volt has been out of service for more than 80 days. Based on GM’s warranty breaches, insufficient repairs and inconsistent statements, this Volt poses serious safety concerns. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11587363

Official recalls

1

17V621000 · Air Bags:frontal

Oct 5, 2017

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado, and 2016 Chevrolet Volt vehicles. The driver's frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2017. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17387.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

2

PE23022 · Loss Of Motive Power Due To The Battery Energy Control Module

Opened Nov 29, 2023 · Closed Mar 3, 2025

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System; Electrical System:propulsion System; Electrical System:propulsion System:traction Battery:management System/energy Control Module (bms/becm)

On November 29, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE23022 to investigate allegations of a loss of motive power, including a stall, reduced power state, and/or a no start condition due to the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) in model year (MY) 2016-2019 Chevrolet Volt passenger car vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The BECM is located within the high voltage electric vehicle (EV) battery pack and monitors the temperature, current, and voltage of the high voltage battery cell groups. GM stated that the root cause was identified as an internal failure leading to a loss of communication within the BECM and does not pose a risk to motor vehicle safety. GM further stated that the failure cannot result in a complete stall, only a reduced power mode, no start condition, or a no charge condition. GM additionally stated that if these conditions occur, the driver will be warned via a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) and/or a reduced-propulsion message in the Driver Information Center (DIC). Data received and analyzed by ODI from all sources indicates that nearly all related BECM failures caused conditions aligning with GM’s predicted outcomes. Despite the large number of warranty claims, nearly all failures were not safety-related, i.e., not a stall or reduced power mode. ODI isaware of a single minor crash and no injuries or deaths. In March 2024, GM issued Special Coverage N232432680, which was mailed to consumers, addressing BECM failures in certain MY 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volt vehicles. This special coverage provides an extension of the warranty coverage for the BECM from 8 years / 100,000 miles to 15 years / 150,000 miles for all 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volts. Additionally, GM stated that replacement components are sourced from a different supplier and not susceptible to the failure. In view of the Special Coverage issued by GM, the existing warranty coverage already in place, and the low number of safety-related occurrences, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation (PE). The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Electrical System

On November 29, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE23022 to investigate allegations of a loss of motive power, including a stall, reduced power state, and/or a no start condition due to the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) in model year (MY) 2016-2019 Chevrolet Volt passenger car vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The BECM is located within the high voltage electric vehicle (EV) battery pack and monitors the temperature, current, and voltage of the high voltage battery cell groups. GM stated that the root cause was identified as an internal failure leading to a loss of communication within the BECM and does not pose a risk to motor vehicle safety. GM further stated that the failure cannot result in a complete stall, only a reduced power mode, no start condition, or a no charge condition. GM additionally stated that if these conditions occur, the driver will be warned via a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) and/or a reduced-propulsion message in the Driver Information Center (DIC). Data received and analyzed by ODI from all sources indicates that nearly all related BECM failures caused conditions aligning with GM’s predicted outcomes. Despite the large number of warranty claims, nearly all failures were not safety-related, i.e., not a stall or reduced power mode. ODI isaware of a single minor crash and no injuries or deaths. In March 2024, GM issued Special Coverage N232432680, which was mailed to consumers, addressing BECM failures in certain MY 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volt vehicles. This special coverage provides an extension of the warranty coverage for the BECM from 8 years / 100,000 miles to 15 years / 150,000 miles for all 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volts. Additionally, GM stated that replacement components are sourced from a different supplier and not susceptible to the failure. In view of the Special Coverage issued by GM, the existing warranty coverage already in place, and the low number of safety-related occurrences, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation (PE). The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

Electrical System:propulsion System

On November 29, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE23022 to investigate allegations of a loss of motive power, including a stall, reduced power state, and/or a no start condition due to the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) in model year (MY) 2016-2019 Chevrolet Volt passenger car vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The BECM is located within the high voltage electric vehicle (EV) battery pack and monitors the temperature, current, and voltage of the high voltage battery cell groups. GM stated that the root cause was identified as an internal failure leading to a loss of communication within the BECM and does not pose a risk to motor vehicle safety. GM further stated that the failure cannot result in a complete stall, only a reduced power mode, no start condition, or a no charge condition. GM additionally stated that if these conditions occur, the driver will be warned via a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) and/or a reduced-propulsion message in the Driver Information Center (DIC). Data received and analyzed by ODI from all sources indicates that nearly all related BECM failures caused conditions aligning with GM’s predicted outcomes. Despite the large number of warranty claims, nearly all failures were not safety-related, i.e., not a stall or reduced power mode. ODI isaware of a single minor crash and no injuries or deaths. In March 2024, GM issued Special Coverage N232432680, which was mailed to consumers, addressing BECM failures in certain MY 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volt vehicles. This special coverage provides an extension of the warranty coverage for the BECM from 8 years / 100,000 miles to 15 years / 150,000 miles for all 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volts. Additionally, GM stated that replacement components are sourced from a different supplier and not susceptible to the failure. In view of the Special Coverage issued by GM, the existing warranty coverage already in place, and the low number of safety-related occurrences, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation (PE). The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

Electrical System:propulsion System:traction Battery:management System/energy Control Module (bms/becm)

On November 29, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE23022 to investigate allegations of a loss of motive power, including a stall, reduced power state, and/or a no start condition due to the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) in model year (MY) 2016-2019 Chevrolet Volt passenger car vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The BECM is located within the high voltage electric vehicle (EV) battery pack and monitors the temperature, current, and voltage of the high voltage battery cell groups. GM stated that the root cause was identified as an internal failure leading to a loss of communication within the BECM and does not pose a risk to motor vehicle safety. GM further stated that the failure cannot result in a complete stall, only a reduced power mode, no start condition, or a no charge condition. GM additionally stated that if these conditions occur, the driver will be warned via a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) and/or a reduced-propulsion message in the Driver Information Center (DIC). Data received and analyzed by ODI from all sources indicates that nearly all related BECM failures caused conditions aligning with GM’s predicted outcomes. Despite the large number of warranty claims, nearly all failures were not safety-related, i.e., not a stall or reduced power mode. ODI isaware of a single minor crash and no injuries or deaths. In March 2024, GM issued Special Coverage N232432680, which was mailed to consumers, addressing BECM failures in certain MY 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volt vehicles. This special coverage provides an extension of the warranty coverage for the BECM from 8 years / 100,000 miles to 15 years / 150,000 miles for all 2016-2018 Chevrolet Volts. Additionally, GM stated that replacement components are sourced from a different supplier and not susceptible to the failure. In view of the Special Coverage issued by GM, the existing warranty coverage already in place, and the low number of safety-related occurrences, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation (PE). The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.