Chevrolet Volt Fuel System Problems

Owners have filed 514 complaints about fuel & propulsion system problems with the Chevrolet Volt — 27% of all Volt complaints. The worst model years are 2017 (241), 2018 (74) and 2016 (65). Problems typically start around 55,000 miles. One related recall has been issued.

514complaints
2017worst year
55ktypical miles
1related recalls
9crashes
2fires

Fuel System complaints by model year

20112012201320142015201620172018201973757201165241742
Fuel System complaints per model year, Chevrolet Volt.
YearComplaintsShare of year's complaintsTypical mileage
201926%2,000 miles
20187433%30,000 miles
201724134%33,000 miles
20166538%60,000 miles
20151125%27,000 miles
20142022%53,000 miles
20135719%66,000 miles
20123715%78,000 miles
2011714%80,000 miles

Which parts fail

  • Storage › Evaporative emissions › Hoses/valves/sensors
    1

Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).

Mileage when the problem started

  • Under 25k
    3527%
  • 25k–50k
    3023%
  • 50k–75k
    2419%
  • 75k–100k
    2116%
  • 100k–150k
    1713%
  • 150k+
    11%

What owners report

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the EVAP pipe was rubbing against the air conditioning hose connector. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was previously repaired under GM Campaign Number: N192273600; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 84,800.

2018 Volt · Storage › Evaporative emissions › Hoses/valves/sensors · 85,000 miles · Jan 2025

The issue started with a forward push while lowering my speed while coming to a stop. It then progressed to a trembling engine. Then it progressed to the car struggling to effectively switch from electric to gas and back. It then would only be usable on electric range and the engine would not start and would be greyed out. Now, it only works on engine mode, it uses fuel like a pick up truck, it loses power while driving due to trying to switch to electric mode and back, and it struggles to accelerate. It will do it while idle as well as while driving 45mph and up. It barely has any propulsion power and I have to turn my hazards on any time I am going to accelerate. If I brake hard the engine will shake violently and then shut off. I then have to switch gears from drive to park or neutral to park to drive to reengage the engine. …

2018 Volt · Sep 2024

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. …

2017 Volt · 27,000 miles · Jan 2025

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. …

2017 Volt · 112,000 miles · Sep 2024

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. …

2016 Volt · 143,000 miles · Aug 2024

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. …

2016 Volt · 60,000 miles · Aug 2022

The car has not been able to charge since April of last year. I have taken it to the dealer to diagnose but they want to charge $200 per hour to diagnose. They already suggested that the charge receptacle should be replaced. I purchased the part and replaced it myself. I have tried asking if it could be the BECM like with other model years and they said they could only determine that after testing and replacing parts. The P1EE6 error code suggests that the BECM might need to be replaced and/or reprogrammed. There have been several times that I have experienced a loss of propulsion error while driving. I know there is a safety bulletin for the 2016-2019 models year that I think should apply to other model years.

2015 Volt · Apr 2024

This car is connected to Bouncie a device that detects when a car turns on and off, the speed, if break or acceletor are stepped on forcefully and any trips. Recently the device is detecting the engine is turned off but the car is showing no signs of struggling and its in full motion. This is new, I've tested the device in another car for two weeks hoping it was the device but I had no issues on the other vehicle. The images is just one of several occasions. The image shows green dot where car starts and red where car is turned off. However, I never turned off my car at the Demaree Rd that day. I feel like the car is losing power and starts back up while in motion.

2015 Volt · Dec 2023

Related recalls (1)

Hybrid propulsion system

NHTSA recall 18V-397 · Jun 14, 2018 · 4,606 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Chevrolet Volt vehicles. An update to the Hybrid Powertrain Control Module 2 (HPCM2) may have disabled the cell balancing function causing a low-voltage condition.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the HPCM2, free of charge. The recall began July 24, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18215.

Frequently asked questions

Which Chevrolet Volt years have fuel system problems?

By NHTSA complaints, the 2017 (241), 2018 (74), 2016 (65), 2013 (57) and 2012 (37) model years. Fuel System complaints make up 34% of all complaints for the 2017.

Is there a recall for Chevrolet Volt fuel system problems?

Yes — 1 recall, including 18V-397 (hybrid propulsion system, Jun 14, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.

At what mileage do Chevrolet Volt fuel system problems start?

Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 55,000 miles; 51% happened before 50,000 miles.

What part fails most often?

Owners most often name the storage › evaporative emissions › hoses/valves/sensors (1 mentions).

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.