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 2013 Chevrolet Volt owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The Check Engine warning light was flashing, and the messages "No Propulsion Power" and "No Power To Engine" were displayed. The contact stated that two individuals pulled over and assisted the contact in pushing the vehicle to the side of the road to prevent a crash. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who made the contact aware of an unknown NHTSA Campaign Number; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact requested vehicle rental assistance, but the dealer was unable to provide assistance. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance in initiating a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 141,323.
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving approximately 76-77 MPH, the vehicle experienced reduced power. The message "Low Propulsion" was displayed, and the engine revved significantly. The contact moved over to the far-right lane to pull over to the side of the road as needed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring temporarily. The contact had researched the failure online and became aware that the release of the accelerator pedal while the failure was occurring could temporarily correct the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving at 65 MPH, a warning message appear a propulsion power reduction and the vehicle began to lose power and reduce in speed while the contact was driving. The contact was able to pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road waited a few minutes and restart the vehicle and continue to drive to their residence. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the failure as the propulsion battery would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was appromaxtley 78,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving at 65 MPH, a warning message appear a propulsion power reduction and the vehicle began to lose power and reduce in speed while the contact was driving. The contact was able to pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road waited a few minutes and restart the vehicle and continue to drive to their residence. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the failure as the propulsion battery would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was appromaxtley 78,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the propulsion power reduction message was displayed, and the vehicle began to lose power and the speed was reduced while driving. The contact was able to pull the vehicle over to the side of the road, waited a few minutes, and then restarted the vehicle and continued to his residence. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the propulsion battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to be restarted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the propulsion system warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed and determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 186,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the service high charging system and the propulsion power reduced warning lights were illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the charging port system and unknown fluid battery to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that his son replaced the charging port. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that the vehicle would not charge. The contact stated that the "service high voltage charging system" warning message was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
I arrived at the charging station and plugged the charging handle into the charge port. At this time an audible shorting sound was heard coming from inside the handle followed by a burst of flames and white smoke. This flame immediately went out and the smoke subsided slightly before building back up and darkening. By the time that the fire department arrived, the car's engine had caught fire resulting in a total loss. Additionally, the charging handle of the station had melted, alongside the side mirror of a neighboring vehicle. It appears that there was a failure to detect the initial fault or at least a lack of protections for shorts. The parts are no longer available upon inspection, unless you have contact with the EVSE manufacturer, ChargePoint. My safety was put directly at risk. The charging handle shorted in my hand. …
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that the electric battery would not charge and the vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the 12v battery was faulty and needed to be replaced. The 12v battery was replaced and the failure was remedied. The contact stated that later while driving the central battery pack located under the center console had overheated causing a loud noise within the cabin of the vehicle. The contact had sustained a burn to the right shoulder which did not require medical treatment. After parking in the garage and shutting the vehicle off the vehicle rolled backward making contact to the with the garage door. No damage to the garage door was reported. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number 18V397000(HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM). …
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
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 2013 Chevrolet Volt?
NHTSA has 63 complaints about the electrical system of the 2013 Chevrolet Volt, 20% of the model year's 308 complaints. The component named most often is propulsion system (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Chevrolet Volt electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-145 (ignition, Mar 13, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2013 Chevrolet Volt electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 30% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 3 injuries 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.