Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Chevrolet Volt owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The car has experienced a 'BECM' failure, which is very common on the Chevy volt. When it fails the car becomes undrivable and will slow down into reduced propulsion mode. It will not start and required us to have it towed to the dealer. The 2016-2019 Chevy volt BECM issue has been investigated by the nhtsa and gm. It is a common enough issue that gm has voluntarily issued 'special coverage N232432680'. This covers the becm failure on 2016-2019 volts for free for up to 150k miles 10 years. We have a 2016 volt with 144k miles so we assumed it would be covered. The dealer said it wasn't covered based on my vin but they didn't know why our vin was left out of the coverage. Obviously if they thought our car didn't have a suspect becm, they were wrong because it failed during the special coverage time. The repair is $2600 and gm will not assist us with this repair. …
The contact's son owns a 2016 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer due to an oil leak caused by a puncture in the oil filter. The vehicle was repaired. The contact's son had informed the dealer that he had been smelling a fuel odor inside the vehicle; however, the dealer informed the contact's son that the odor was probably a burning oil odor. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the fuel rail was leaking and needed to be replaced. The mechanic contacted the dealer who informed him that the part was on a national backorder. The mechanic replaced the part with a used part; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. …
Shift to park message & audible alarm. Display while in motion pulling into home driveway. Vehicle stalled midway while in motion. Halfway in the street & half driveway. Displaying propulsion power reduced & Engine not available service soon. After 30 minutes of starting & restarting was able to move out of the street. However vehicle will NOT move. Transmission will shift, however will not move. Shift to park keeps popping up.
Component: Dealer said its the BECM. Lots of them failing, check any Chevy Volt forum. What happened: Driving on road, battery drive turns off and it switches to gas engine, "reduced propulsion" message pops up, then gas engine quits and 'shift to park' message pops up. No electric motor, no gas engine, coasting, then stuck in road, traffic piling up behind me. After half-hour or so of blocking traffic and me trying to restart the car, electric eventually 'reset' and it worked fine again, so I drove it the several miles home, and the charging system connected fine. Next morning, charging system said it was broken, and car would not start. Towed to dealer. Safety risk: Both battery drive and gas engine turned fully off while traveling on road - no power, and steering/brakes hard to use. …
I'm driving a 2016 Chevy Volt in California that I bought in 2022 from Carmax. In the middle of driving on the highway, the error "Propulsion Power is reduced" alongside the check engine light. In the middle of driving on a highway at 65mi/h, I could not accelerate even though I floored the gas pedal and the car quickly decelerated. This is extremely dangerous especially in the middle of the highway. I had an auto shop look at it and they replaced a fuse and told me it was good to go. When I got it back, I though the problem was fixed but the issue came up again after only 1 week and had to take it to a different shop where I originally bought the car used at ~49k miles (CarMax). It took ~3 weeks before they were able to get it diagnosed at another auto shop. I received this email from them after diagnosis (attached file). …
Driving to work one morning, I noticed an engine light with a "Propulsion Power Reduced" on my 2016 Chevy Volt. Upon closer arrival to work, the car was behaving quite erratically with constant "Propulsion Power Reduced" errors on the dash. The A/C stopped blowing cold and immediately fogged up the front window, making me unable to see the road. After arriving at work, I could smell what could be described as a burning electrical smell coming from the vehicle, although no fires were seen. Upon checking diagnostic codes, the car had a list of codes pointing to the failure of the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM.) I researched the issue and discovered "N232432680 - Special Coverage Battery Energy Control Module Malfunction" listed by GM and the NHTSA. My Chevy Volt is within the model years (2016-18) and mileage (<150,000) for the special coverage warranty from March 2024. …
My 2016 Chevrolet Volt loses power while driving and the "propulsion power reduced" warning message appears. This has happened multiple times in the past few weeks and it is very dangerous losing power while traveling. After taking it to a Chevy dealer for service, they advised that it was an internal failure of the BECM (battery energy control module) and that it would need replaced. After searching online it appears that this is a common issue with the Chevy Volt models from 2016 - 2019. So much so that GM extended a special warranty to cover this failure up to 15yrs and 150,000 miles. Unfortunately for reasons I still don't understand, I was informed that my vehicle is not covered under this special warranty despite it specifically being the year and model that is affected. My vehicle currently has 93k miles and was purchased in 2016. …
My experience is proof for the investigation on "loss of motive power, including a stall, reduced power state, and/or a no-start condition due to the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM)." My safety and the safety of others were affected because the reduced engine propulsion caused me to drive at a max speed of around 50 mph, and eventually the car left my stranded a few weeks later when it would not start at all in a parking lot. The gas engine would run at an extremely high RPM to make up for the failure of battery propulsion. The dealer covered the work under warranty. The work was performed during the pandemic chip shortage in 2022 and my car was at the dealership for two months from about August to October. …
Component/System Failed: The engine of my 2016 Chevrolet Volt experienced a sudden internal crack, leading to complete engine failure. The engine is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: The engine failure rendered the vehicle completely inoperable, posing potential risk if it had occurred while driving. Sudden loss of engine power could have caused a crash or left me stranded in traffic, endangering myself and others. Problem Reproduction / Confirmation: The failure was confirmed by a GM dealership, which performed a full inspection and documented the engine crack. The dealership verified that the crack was sudden and not caused by negligence or improper maintenance. Inspections by Others: The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership, and all reports are available. I have also submitted the issue to GM corporate for warranty review. …
The Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) on my 2016 Chevrolet Volt has failed. The vehicle and the component are currently located at my home address and are available for inspection upon request. As of writing this now. This failure caused the vehicle to enter a "reduced power mode" and subsequently resulted in a no-start and no-charge condition. The sudden loss of propulsion power presents a severe safety and crash risk, as the vehicle can lose motive power and stall unexpectedly while in transit. Prior to the complete failure, the vehicle displayed a Check Engine Light and a "Reduced Propulsion Power" message on the dashboard. The local Chevrolet dealership has inspected the vehicle, pulled the associated diagnostic trouble codes, and officially confirmed that the BECM has failed. …
Fuel System complaints in other Volt years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2016 Chevrolet Volt?
NHTSA has 65 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2016 Chevrolet Volt, 38% of the model year's 170 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2016 Chevrolet Volt fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2016 Chevrolet Volt, though it has 1 recall 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 2016 Chevrolet Volt fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
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.