AI Damage2018 Chevrolet Volt: common problems
Owners of the 2018 Chevrolet Volt filed 225 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and powertrain. The maker issued 526 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 225
- involving a crash
- 4
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 526
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 39% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 38% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel/propulsion system 32% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 22% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 4% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 2% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 2% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 87 complaints (39% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 126.
- Powertrain: 85 complaints (38% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 53.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 73 complaints (32% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 9.
- Engine: 50 complaints (22% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 28.
- Service brakes: 9 complaints (4% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 11.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.5 L · plug-in hybrid · 4 cyl
- CVT
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 225 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 87 | 0 | 126 |
| Powertrain | 85 | 0 | 53 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 73 | 0 | 9 |
| Engine | 50 | 0 | 28 |
| Service brakes | 9 | 3 | 11 |
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| Steering | 5 | 0 | 9 |
| Visibility | 4 | 1 | 14 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 52 |
| Structure | 2 | 1 | 24 |
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 20 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 16 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
while driving my vehicle when the outside temperature is 50 degrees Fahrenheit or below I turn my defrost on and for 30 plus seconds my front window completely fogs up and I am unable to see out of my front window and have zero visibility which caused me to crash.
After fully charged my car, I pulled out of the parking garage and into an available parking stall at work on friday january 24th 2020 at approximately 1:50pm. I let my car cruise into the stall while my foot is covering the brakes. Halfway into the parking stall, the car accelerated on its own.
Now I have a volt at the body shop for the 5th week (lacking an ac line for reassembly), an over 55% increase in my insurance premiums (per the renewal notice I just received) and what really hasn't been a good experience.
About 2/3 of the way downhill the brakes failed, no resistance whatsoever and the car rolled into the vehicle in front, a distance of about 15 feet. This was a one-off incident and did not recur so far.
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.
I now apply the parking brake at every stop as a precaution. WARNING MESSAGE: The "Action Required / Shift to Park" message first appeared within days of purchase. I bought the vehicle used on 07/29/2026 at 69,471 miles and reported the fault to the selling dealer on 08/10/2026, twelve days later.
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.
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.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 290 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Volt has 283 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 225, below average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it
- This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance
- PI to help diagnose A/C concern
- This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size…
- This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a…
This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
- This service bulletin provides information on Tire Sidewall Irregularities
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have…
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer’s vehicles that exhibit vibration conditions…
- This Warranty Administration service bulletin provides Lithium-Ion battery Exchange Process and…
This Warranty Administration service bulletin provides Lithium-Ion battery Exchange Process and Transaction Submission information.
- New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have…
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on. Technician may…
- This Preliminary information communicates assistance in locating the Rear seat belt comfort guides in the…
- Amendments to the Song-Beverly Act (SBA) California warranty law provides vehicle owners with an…
Amendments to the Song-Beverly Act (SBA) California warranty law provides vehicle owners with an opportunity to submit a written notice to GM before filing a lawsuit seeking a vehicle repurchase. If such a notice is…
NHTSA lists 526 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Chevrolet Volt?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, powertrain, fuel/propulsion system. Total complaints: 225. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (24%), loss of power / limp mode (12%), stalls while driving (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2018 Chevrolet Volt?
NHTSA lists 526 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2018 Chevrolet Volt from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2018 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.