Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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 contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while starting and driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Reduced Propulsion" message was displayed. Additionally, after parking the vehicle, the "Shift To Park" message was displayed, and the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact pressed the Start/Stop button and then opened and closed the front driver's side door to turn off the vehicle. The vehicle later failed to charge and start as needed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) needed to be replaced; however, the part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 83,574. The VIN was unavailable.
I had just left my house about to enter the on-ramp to Interstate 95 south when my 2016 Volt abruptly and without warning stopped. I was unable to coast or pull the car to the side of the road. I was in the middle of the lane in a dangerous place to stop a car and a dangerous place to get out of the car due to the steady traffic entering the interstate. My car would not restart and I had it towed to the Portsmouth NH Chevy dealer. As it was the beginning of the GM strike I had to wait several days for the replacement battery control sensor then I had to wait for another 4 weeks or so for a replacement transmission to be installed. The day after I got my car back, about 2 weeks ago, the transmission fluid was leaking onto the garage floor. The Chevy dealer has ordered new transmission hoses but only one has come in and I was told not to drive my car until these were replaced. …
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. …
I was driving in clear weather (with my ICE engine as propulsion) when an Engine Warning Fault light appeared on my dash and the vehicle slowed to 5mph with no response from the throttle pedal. I pulled into a parking lot, had the vehicle towed to an independent service shop, and had them check the codes. There were a dozen faults stored, but they found the 'Non Walk Home' fuse had blown, and faults pointed to the EGR Valve as having faulty electronics. They could not find an EGR valve for sale so they unplugged the EGR Valve and replaced the fuse, which allowed the engine to drive normally again, but with the Check Engine Light on at all times. I called my local Chevy dealer and they told me the EGR I needed was Part Number 12691147 for $243, but they were backordered and there were dozens of people in front of me for their dealer alone. …
Action Required Shift to Park message comes up on the dash after starting the vehicle & shifting into gear out of Park. The message goes away when shifted back into Park, but the vehicle doesn't respond when shifted into gear. Reverse, Neutral, Drive, Low - none will engage. I had to repeat the process of starting the vehicle 28 times before it would operate as it should. Start Vehicle to View Application message comes up when in Park & trying to shut the vehicle off & will not power down until the driver door is opened. I worried that I'd be stranded if this continued to happen & took the vehicle to Brad Deery Motors in Maquoketa, IA for repair on 4/14/22. I paid $736.71 & the invoice states: 106128 shift to park, diag, intermittent open in the shift park solenoid, replaced shift park solenoid and jumper harness, tested working properly. …
Action Required Shift to Park message comes up on the dash after starting the vehicle & shifting into gear out of Park. The message goes away when shifted back into Park, but the vehicle doesn't respond when shifted into gear. Reverse, Neutral, Drive, Low - none will engage. I had to repeat the process of starting the vehicle 28 times before it would operate as it should. Start Vehicle to View Application message comes up when in Park & trying to shut the vehicle off & will not power down until the driver door is opened. I worried that I'd be stranded if this continued to happen & took the vehicle to Brad Deery Motors in Maquoketa, IA for repair on 4/14/22. I paid $736.71 & the invoice states: 106128 shift to park, diag, intermittent open in the shift park solenoid, replaced shift park solenoid and jumper harness, tested working properly. …
Vehicle suddenly lost power and displayed shift to park on display. Vehicle will not respond or display any status other than shift to park. Vehicle towed to dealership. Diagnosis of their mechanic is failed BECM module. Vehicle was brought to dealership 3yrs ago with infotainment center problems. Infotainment Software was updated but problem persisted. 2 years ago it was brought to dealership with complaint of intermittent inability to charge propulsion battery. Sunshine Chevrolet stated their mechanic could not diagnose issue so it was not covered under warranty. I demonstrated intermittent charging issue by plugging vehicle into dealership charger in front of showroom. I was at that time allowed to leave without paying diagnostic charge. 1 years ago while car was still under warranty car failed to start. Called dealership. They stated it could be 12volt battery. …
When attempting to power down the car, a message, "Action required, Shift to Park" appears and car will not power down. After repeated attempts, sometimes requiring 10 or more, by re-starting the car and attempting to power down, it has eventually powered down. This problem is intermittent and the car WILL power down successfully repeated times, and then do it's "shift to park" refusal to power down. There are hundreds of complaints on the GM Volt owners' forum and even a Technical Service Bulletin No. 19-NA-206 dated February 2020 (maybe even more recent, but that's the latest one I know of). The service bulletin also includes the Chevy Blazer, Malibu, Traverse and GMC Acadia (which, I understand, there is now a class action suit in that regard). …
Driving at 75 MPH on the freeway the power completely cuts off an a message appears on my dash "Propulsion Power is Reduced" - Pressing the gas barely gives any power, Imagine being in the middle of flowing traffic doing 75 mph to close to 20 mph. Research shows me this is a KNOWN issue with GM and the problem is with the BECM control module. There is also the issue of the EGR valve which apparently is tied into the BECM. I brought to the Chevy dealer and they said the BECM NEEDS to be replace ASAP because GM knows this is a dangerous situation and GM extended the warranty on this part to 150,000 miles. My vehicle is at 152,400 miles and they will not cover this. This is a serious issue that should be a recall that forces GM and Chevy to pay for this fix as it is something they have been aware of for years and it is a major accident waiting to happen. …
Vehicle had the Battery Energy Control Module fail at about 87,000 miles. Vehicle will not start and will leave you stranded when this happens. This is a known defect and GM issued a special coverage to extend the warranty for this specific component, but for some reason only applies to a handful of VINs. Mine was not one of them, so I got stuck with a $2500 repair bill. I love the car and am not mad that they are breaking, engineering is hard. I am mad that even after a requirement from the NHTSA, Chevy is refusing to repair a known defect with their vehicles that can leave the owner stranded and is making the owners foot the several thousand-dollar repair bill. This was my first Chevy, and due to the poor way this has been handled, probably my last.
Transmission complaints in other Volt years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2016 Chevrolet Volt?
NHTSA has 51 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2016 Chevrolet Volt, 30% of the model year's 170 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission › lever and linkage › floor shift (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Chevrolet Volt transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 40,000 miles, and 9% 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.