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 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light and low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where a diagnostic test result was undisclosed; however, the contact was informed that the vehicle needed an ASC high-voltage battery to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired after the ASC battery was replaced. The contact stated that the propulsion system warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
I received the "Propulsion Power is Reduced" Alert engine light while driving in "Normal" mode on the freeway at around 60mph with 8-9 miles of Battery capacity, it showed 0 miles of Battery forcing the Gas Engine on and the vehicle hesitated upon applying the accelerator for the remainder of the drive. My safety and that was others was at risk because the acceleration dropped quickly and I was on a busy freeway at the time when the Alert happened causing further hesitation. Upon stopping I could not get the vehicle to take a charge nor would it start up until a mechanic arrived and was able to confirm the problem.
When placing the vehicle in park, an error message "shift to park" lights up even as the car is turned off. This has been an issue with early models of the Chevy Volt. I have owned 4 of them. Every single one of them had this same problem. My current two Volt I just obtained both have this error message. The car thinks it's not in park when it is.
When placing the vehicle in park, an error message "shift to park" lights up even as the car is turned off. This has been an issue with early models of the Chevy Volt. I have owned 4 of them. Every single one of them had this same problem. My current two Volt I just obtained both have this error message. The car thinks it's not in park when it is.
I was driving my plugin hybrid Volt on a highway when the engine stalled and the engine light turned on. I tap the throttle a few times to get it to stay on. It worked, but I had to continue to tap the throttle to keep it going. It also revved up sharply when it was in low gear. The vehicle was out of battery, so it was as running on engine.
My 2013 Volt has started giving me only a maximum of 35 miles charge, but really only giving me 27-32 even through I drive in low (which always gave me more miles than the car thought I'd get). Maybe this is connected to the new problem? Yesterday when I turned on the car (driving in gas because I had run out of electric) it gave gave me a "propulsion power reduced" error message. I tried turning it off and on several times, but the error stayed. I had to drive from downtown la in a car that could barely move. About 8 miles in, the error disappeared and the car ran normally. The dealership tells me they couldn't find any error messages (?!), but maybe, maybe that problem and the charging problem could be corrected by a $300 software update. Maybe. Meantime, I found that some 2013 volts were recalled for exactly this error problem, but apparently not mine. …
A warning message appeared on the dash, which said "propulsion power is reduced," followed by, "engine not available. Service soon," as well as a check engine light. I pressed the OnStar button to find out what was wrong but they had never heard of the error message and could not establish communication with the vehicle to perform diagnostics. While on hold with OnStar, the vehicle began to spontaneously decelerate very rapidly despite my attempts to accelerate, in the middle of fast highway traffic. I made it over to the side of the road safely, limping along at 3-10 MPH, with the help of a good samaritan who blocked traffic for me. This is a spontaneous occurrence, with no maintenance negligence to explain the event. The car was towed to a dealer, which has yet to determine the source of the issue.
While driving down a road in indianapolis at 35 miles per hour, my car suddenly slowed down and a message reading " engine not available - service soon" appeared on my hud. My car only has 32,800 miles on it and a clean title. Nothing about my driving changed to cause this issue, it was sudden and without apparent cause. I had the car taken to the mechanic, and GM just reset the codes. It is driving OK for now, but a reset of codes is a temporary fix to the issue, and I've read extensively about many, many other Volt owners with the same issue. It is extremely dangerous to have your engine shut off while driving, especially if I had been on the high way during rush hour. This is something that needs looked into, and I feel that GM is trying to bury it with resets which aren't working for most people.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle decelerated, the proportion power reduced indicator illuminated, and the vehicle shut off. The vehicle was pushed to the side of the road and towed to an independent mechanic, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The contact called an unknown dealer in orlando, florida and was informed that there was an open recall; however, the VIN search did not locate any recalls. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there were two manufacturer recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.
Engine complaints in other Volt years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2013 Chevrolet Volt?
NHTSA has 38 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2013 Chevrolet Volt, 12% of the model year's 308 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2013 Chevrolet Volt engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2013 Chevrolet Volt, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2013 Chevrolet Volt engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 52,000 miles, and 29% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 2 injuries to engine & cooling 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.