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).
There is a bearing that fails in the motor which is a safety issue and should be recalled. It causes the engine/transmission to lock up and become inoperable which can result in a crash. They even issued a bulletin regarding it (PIP5081), yet they have been refusing to cover it under warranty for me as well. This needs to be recalled and all affected owners should be reimbursed for any expenses they paid regarding this issue. General Motors must be held accountable for this safety issue. This has been confirmed by the dealer and all of these vehicles are experiencing the issue.
Sudden loss of power. Driving on freeway. Speed decreased by 25 mph. Just about avoided a rear end accident. Have seen that 2016 onwards Volts have experienced this malfunction. Request that it be noted that this is a 2013 model with less than 60,000 miles. Have already had the latest programming done by Chevy.
When Im driving on the hi way, it sounds like it keeps accelerating, sounds like its going to explode. The pulsation warning comes on, then the pulsation warning will go away and the sound goes away.
On sept. 5th 2018 I hit the center island while turning on the city street at about 15mph. The impact was so slight that the air bags didn't even deploy. I was able to get it to the dealers on it's own power. My insurance company sent their appraiser ,jeremy , to inspect the damage. I had to get some items out of my car before that. The mechanic had the car on the rack so he could show me. The only damage I readily noticed was the radiators were crushed, a 2 1/2" square frame cross member had a 1 1/2" dent where it had impacted the island , and some panels- noticeably the front underside and driver side front wheel well were damaged. Later jeremy called me and told me the car was a total loss.he said the entire frame was bent out of shape. I couldn't believe it. …
2013 Chevy Volt stopped accelerating and received a low propulsion while driving on a state route in ohio. Our son was driving the vehicle and could have been killed if this was on a highway. The Volt would not move and he had to try to glide off the road since it had no power. He pushed the car off the road so it would not be hit. If this situation would have occurred while driving on the highway, our son could have been killed. This problem has occurred to other Volt owners if you look this issue up on the internet. Why hasn't GM fixed this issue so people are safe when driving this vehicle? We brought our Volt into the service department, this car is now going on 3 weeks and we still do not have our car back. They first said it was a short in the electrical module, and replaced parts. Now they are stating that it did not work and it is the transmission. …
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. The contact stated while driving at 75 MPH, the vehicle decelerated independently. The contact pulled over to the side of roadway. Propulsion power reduced was displayed on the instrument panel before the vehicle stalled. After waiting for ten minutes, the vehicle started and operated as intended however, the message remained displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to paradise Chevrolet Cadillac (27360 ynez rd, temecula, ca 92591) however, no assistance was offered. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case number was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000. The consumer has stated that the issue occured once more on July 11 and July 12 of 2020.
I live in and drive my car around southern california under normal conditions. My battery coolant radiator was hit by a small rock and leaked. This prevented charging, caused a check engine light to come on, and coolant to pool underneath my car. I towed it to a nearby Chevy dealership to get the radiator replaced. Radiator damage to volts is not uncommon. Chevrolet knows this is an issue and has issued a service bulletin covering some (but not all) volts due to their low, vulnerable, and relatively unprotected design of the radiator. I believe Chevrolet should remedy the problem with stronger radiator shields and protectors.
Transmission complaints in other Volt years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2013 Chevrolet Volt?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2013 Chevrolet Volt, 8% of the model year's 308 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2013 Chevrolet Volt transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 30% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.