Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Chevrolet Volt owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Driver display is blank (no speed, gear position, odometer, gas tank, etc), with the exception of some warning icons like tire pressure and passenger seat belt status. Does no return after turning off power.
Since the spring of 2020, "service air bag" warning comes on intermittently, related to passenger seat airbag. Warning generally comes on at startup, if it appears. No fluids have been spilled on the seat, and no visible damage to the seat. I am the second owner, purchased from friend, car has always been garaged and serviced regularly. Online search suggests that other owners have same issue, and that diagnosis and repair can be $500 to $1000. I have not had a Chevrolet dealer diagnose this issue since it is intermittent. Current market value of vehicle (55K miles, otherwise excellent condition, a great car to drive) makes cost of repair difficult to justify, especially if it could happen again without warning.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that the lighting on the instrument panel went out without warning. The failure prevented the contact from seeing the speedometer or fuel gauge. The contact stated that the same failure occurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to alamo city Chevrolet (9400 san pedro ave, san antonio, tx 78216) where an unknown electrical repair was performed; however, the same failure occurred after leaving the dealer. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 84,763. Consumer stated problem continues off and on dealer can't diagnosis the problem.
Driver display shuts off while in motion driving usually in cold weather. Temperature usually around 0 degrees celsius and below. Consistently every morning at cold start 1-2 mins into drive. This results in no speedometer. The only way to fix the problem is to pull and reinstall display fuse or turn car off for a few minutes and restart. Many volts are having this issue. Please order an investigation as this is a major NHTSA violation. Had to the dealer and called GM customer care. Both told me I was crazy. This is unacceptable. I have a video screenshot attached.
Driver's instrument panel (lcd display) blackout. The lcd display simply did not come on as it normally did when I turned on the vehicle. I am driving "blind" can't tell how fast I'm going, how much gas is left, can't see if the turn signals are blinking, don't know how much charge I have on the battery etc. Etc. I've waited for 4 days now to see if the display comes on on its own for some reason; however, it is time to take it to the dealer; it is not safe to drive it this way.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that the instrument panel lighting failed to illuminate. As a result, the contact was unable to read the speedometer or any other information displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or local mechanic for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 87,000.
Instrument cluster, which displays speed, odometer and fuel lever among other safety information, started to glitch towards that end of a trip of about two hours. At first the screen would flicker but would eventually reboot and the information was available shortly after. Next morning the screen would turn on slowly at first, but then it went out again and never started again ever since.
While driving on the morning of May 30, 2019, the driver side instrument cluster went blank. I pulled off the road to initiate a full shutdown of the vehicle. Upon startup, the display came back on for 5 seconds, then went totally blank again. The instrument cluster never came back on. Dealer analysis revealed a short in the lcd panel caused the instrument cluster to be inoperable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the instrument panel became inoperable without warning. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed nor repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 117,000.
In the 6 years that I've had this vehicle, the power cord has burn through 2 times and the receptacle in which it was plugged was burned out 4 times. I'm fortunate my house hasn't caught fire. I feel this is GM's responsibility and I should not have to pay for the 2nd replacement of this cord.
Related recalls
Electrical system › Ignition
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Volt vehicles manufactured August 25, 2010, to June 26, 2013. If the driver exits the vehicle without turning off the electrical system, the battery may drain low enough that the gasoline engine will automatically start itself to recharge the electric battery.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the engine management software to limit the time that the stationary vehicle can be left in the ON position, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2015.
NHTSA investigations
Post-Crash EV Fire Hazard
The subject vehicles, which employ emerging technology, are range-extended electric vehicles that utilize a high voltage (HV) battery to provide energy for propulsion. The HV battery is lithium-ion based technology that has a nominal full charge of 390 VDC, a 16 kWh capacity, and a control system that incorporates liquid (antifreeze) cooling and various electronic devices (control modules, sensors, wiring, etc) to…
Pedestrian alert sounds
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.
Electrical complaints in other Volt years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2011 Chevrolet Volt?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the electrical system of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, 47% of the model year's 49 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Chevrolet Volt electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-145 (ignition, Mar 13, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2011 Chevrolet Volt electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 64,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.