Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Chevrolet Volt owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 - 40 MPH, the message stating that the propulsion was reduced was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact continued to drive the vehicle, and the vehicle unintendedly decelerated. The contact arrived at the destination and parked the vehicle, and the message "Shift to Park" was displayed even though the gear shifter was in park(P). The message "Charging Unavailable" was displayed. The contact stated that while charging the vehicle, the mileage was reduced from 72 miles to approximately 29 miles during the winter months, and 42 miles during the summer months, while still indicating a FULL charge. The "Shift to Park" failure had occurred twice the previous year, and the vehicle was turned off and restarted to correct the failure. …
The contact 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle switched over from battery to fuel and a message was displayed that there was no fuel available. The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve failure light illuminated, and the vehicle started decelerating. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. The contact continued to drive at slower speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the propulsion power was reduced. The contact was informed that the battery energy control module needed to be replaced. The dealer later found upon further inspection that the EGR valve needed to be replaced but was not replaced. The contact stated that after having the repair completed the failure occurred approximately 3 times. …
Vehicle Make and Model 2017 Chevrolet Volt LT Miles Currently 28,000 (Car is recalled) Energy Hybrid The vehicle will not turn off, Motor Light Constantly on I never received a recall letter, email not mail notification The whole car smells like smoke and gasoline when AAA gives me jumps I've had two not at fault accidents since I've had the vehicle CarMax sold me the vehicle in February of 2021 I spoke with GM yesterday who stated and confirmed that my vehicle is defective and recalled The recall states that any 2017 & other Models can't be sold due to a multitude of reasons The recall was put in place before it was sold to me At this point, I want another vehicle (Brand New, That is recalled and damaged) I'm having panic attacks when trying and attempting to drive this car I was badly injured and I still am
This car has a failed EGR valve which first became evident in March of 2024. There are no parts available, this in an emissions issue but the failure causes blown fuses which can cause the car to completely stop running which is a safety issue. Reduced propulsion is a symptom which is dangerous and this has been confirmed by three Chevy dealerships. I have had the EGR valve cleaned to the tune of $1200, have a deposit on a new valve which doesn't seem to exist for $850. There were no other messages before the failure. I am driving the car with the EGR valve disconnected, mostly on the battery power but no end is in sight to this problem.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact mentioned that the electrical hybrid battery failure warning error was illuminated, and the check engine warning light was also illuminated. The vehicle was able to start after multiple attempts to switch over to gasoline mode. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery energy control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 46,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that occasionally at start-up or while driving at various speeds, the "Propulsion Power Reduced," warning message would appear on the instrument panel. Once the warning message would appear, the vehicle would not shift out of first gear. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer on numerous occasion; however, the code reader could not diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was given a case number. The vehicle had yet to be diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that the vehicle was lagging and hesitating before accelerating. The contact stated that an excessive amount of pressure was needed to depress the accelerator pedal while driving. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced reduced Hybrid propulsion. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure was intermittent. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.
from all my reading and my own knowledge and what I have read on forums from others who have had the same issue, this problem is due to the cars BECM (battery energy control module) going bad unexpectedly. apparently this has happened to many other people driving the generation 2 Chevy volt at varying mileages. On the highway on her way home from work, my wife experienced a large loss of power and the car started shuddering and switching between the electric and gas powertrain as well as slowing down quite a bit. the dash showed a notification of "propulsion power reduced". the car also lost power to many of its accessories. she ended up having to pull over on the side of a busy highway and turn the car on and off again till it would finally work and managed to limp it home along back roads. …
Traveling from Mexico ,we just got into yuma Arizona heading towards the 8 freeway when my volt displayed reduced propulsion and the engine light came on and the car lost power while driving on the road we had to let the car drift into a parking lot. We let the cat sit for a several minutes and the engine started up but was running hard. After that it ran a little so we decided to rent a uhaul and car hauler to get the car home. Before this happened We were about to head back to California and we were stranded there until we got an Uber to the uhaul place and rented a truck and car hauler, the car would stay on long enough for us to drive it up on the ramp so we had to push the car to get it up there. We finally did and 24 hours later we made it home hauling the cars a 3 hour ride home was turned into a nightmare. …
On Sunday night, I was driving around 65 mph on the 405 freeway to take my friend to the airport. I noticed that the car started to give a weird feedback sensation on the pedals and had started to jerk us forward. As I merged onto the two-lane on ramp to the 10 freeway, the car started to rapidly lose power and then completely died and went dark. I was unable to use the hazard lights as the car had just gone dark but then it turned back on but would not let me shift it into drive. As I was on a two-lane on-ramp with no shoulder in the dark, we just had to pray that no one would hit us. In doing research, I suspect that this was yet another BECM failure that has been repeatedly happening with this year of Chevrolet Volts. There was most recently a class-action lawsuit filed for this very issue. …
Fuel System complaints in other Volt years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2017 Chevrolet Volt?
NHTSA has 241 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2017 Chevrolet Volt, 34% of the model year's 702 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2017 Chevrolet Volt fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2017 Chevrolet Volt. 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 2017 Chevrolet Volt fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 33,000 miles, and 36% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 1 fire and 3 injuries to fuel & propulsion 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.