2017 Chevrolet Volt

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the "Propulsion Power Reduced" and "Shift to Park" messages were intermittently displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle lost automotive power and stalled, and the contact pulled over to the shoulder to avoid a crash. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact sustained emotional distress from the failure. The vehicle was towed back to the residence and then towed to a dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the battery energy control module needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that he had experienced a recurring loss of propulsion that would occur shortly after vehicle startup, which was attributed to a failure with the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM). The failure caused the check engine, ABS, Stabili-Trak, and Forward Collision Avoidance warning lights to illuminate. The contact informed the local dealer of the failure and was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer acknowledged that there was a Customer Satisfaction Program for the failure, but the vehicle was not included. The contact was referred by the manufacturer to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

Chevrolet is denying that my car is included in Special Coverage Bulletin N232432680, because of where it was built. The car is now in Kentucky, which is not a CARB state. Was the reason for a vehicle not to be included in the bulletin because it would be included under CARB? It seems like a loophole they are using not to fix my car. Am I wrong?

In March 2026, our 2017 Chevrolet Volt (89,300 miles) would not charge nor start, and had to be towed to an authorized Chevrolet dealership in Portland, Oregon. The dealership diagnosed an internal fault in the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) producing U26XX diagnostic trouble codes, per GM bulletin #18-NA-261, and replaced the BECM under GM Special Coverage N232432680 — GM's field remedy for a known BECM defect affecting 2016–2019 Volts that causes reduced power, no-start, or no-charge conditions (the subject of NHTSA investigation PE23022).The remedy failed immediately. On the day the vehicle was returned to us (March 26, 2026), the check engine light illuminated while driving home on public roads, and the vehicle failed to charge that same night — the identical condition it had before. It was towed back to the dealership. The dealership's second work order confirms in writing that the vehicle "will not start after previous repairs and is having the same issues," and attributes the failure to the high-voltage battery contactor. The dealership informed us the part is no longer produced and cannot be obtained, advising that the vehicle be scrapped. Safety concerns: (1) after the repair, the dealership returned the vehicle to us as fixed, and we drove it approximately 26 miles home on public highways in traffic, unaware the defect was still present — the check engine light illuminated during that drive. This defect is the subject of NHTSA investigation PE23022 into sudden loss of propulsion, we unknowingly operated a defective vehicle in conditions where that failure could have occurred at highway speed; (2) GM's official field remedy for this known defect (Special Coverage N232432680) failed within hours of being performed; and (3) the parts required to complete the remedy are reportedly discontinued, leaving a known safety defect permanently unrepairable. Supporting documents uploaded: dealer repair orders, and the GM warranty history of the N232432680 repair

While driving at highway speeds over 100 miles away from home with my child in the vehicle, the car experienced a sudden, catastrophic loss of propulsion power and entered 'Propulsion Power Reduced' mode, dropping vehicle speed immediately and creating an extreme hazard with high-speed highway traffic. A full computer scan revealed active diagnostic codes U2603 through U2624, confirming an internal hardware communication failure of the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM). This matches GM Technical Service Bulletin 18-NA-261. The vehicle has over 150,000 miles, but I have only owned the car since January. This is a known, systemic manufacturing defect (cracked internal circuit board solder joints) that creates a critical safety liability regardless of vehicle mileage. GM has refused to remedy the safety defect due to the mileage limit.

I was not going to put in a complaint about this failure but after learning about GM creating a special extended warranty program for this issue, I felt it should be addressed and treated as a recall. The battery energy control module (BECM) failed on my 2017 Chevrolet Volt at exactly 170,000 miles in December of 2024, leaving me in a dangerous position on the roadway and almost causing me to be rear ended due to losing the ability to accelerate. I had no choice but to have the vehicle towed to a dealership where it was eventually repaired with an out of pocket cost of $1900. My vehicle was not eligible for the extended warranty program which I find to be unacceptable.

BECM failure. My car is available for inspection upon request. This car has unexpectedly stopped adequately accelerating all of a sudden while on the road! This problems has been confirmed by the dealership. The manufacturer has not inspected it. Not much warning. I found out SOME not ALL chevrolet volt 2017 users got their BECM replaced without cost because it is a WELL KNOWN ISSUE with the car. Chevrolet did not provide extended warranty for all chevrolet volt users even though it is an issue with most volts. I do drive much. I got the car when it was brand new and in 8 years accumulated 77k miles. If I had known all of the cars would have had this safety issue I would not have bought the car in the first place. Chevrolet expects me to pay 2500 out of pocket for something they know is faulty and dangerous in their vehicles.

Failure of Battery Energy Control Module (BECM), within the high voltage battery. Vehicle is unable to charge and sets “reduced power” message. GM released special coverage bulletin for this issue (N232432680), but this vehicle is not listed due to which state it was registered. Continued failure of the BECM will lead to inoperability of the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start while parked. The check engine warning light illuminated and remained illuminated, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the repair would be at the owner's expense. The approximate failure mileage was 84,000.

Three separate high-voltage battery section failures within one year, each causing complete loss of propulsion. Two occurred at freeway speeds on [XXX]. FAILURE 1 ([XXX]): Vehicle lost propulsion. Dealer diagnosed DTC P0AFA (low voltage), failed cell in Battery Section 3. Section 3 replaced under GM Special Coverage N232432680 (BECM, 15yr/150k). Vehicle out of service approximately six months awaiting GM authorization and parts. FAILURE 2 ([XXX]): Vehicle lost propulsion on [XXX] at night at freeway speeds. Required towing. Dealer diagnosed DTC P0AFA, Cell 85 at 1.85V in Battery Section 1 (different section). Section 1 replaced under same Special Coverage. Vehicle returned Jan 28, 2026. FAILURE 3 ([XXX], ~300 miles after Failure 2 repair): Vehicle again lost propulsion on the freeway with check engine light, then progressed to no-start condition. Towed to dealer. Diagnosed Feb 20, 2026: DTC P0AFA, Cell 57 at 1.5V in Battery Section 2 (GM minimum spec 2.5V). Third distinct section failure. Vehicle remains at dealer awaiting GM repair authorization as of filing date. SAFETY CONCERN: Loss of propulsion at freeway speeds is an immediate safety hazard. During the Nov 2025 event, the vehicle lost power on [XXX] at night in active traffic. The progressive failure pattern (three different sections failing sequentially in the same pack, identical DTC) suggests a systemic defect rather than isolated component failures. Prior section replacements have not resolved the underlying problem. Vehicle has been usable approximately 20 total days in the past 12 months. All repairs performed or pending under GM Special Coverage N232432680. GM Case [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)