Selling a broken or dead Chevrolet Volt

The Volt is a plug-in hybrid with a small gas engine that extends its range. Chevy built it in Detroit from late 2010 until February 15, 2019, in two generations.

The two Volts side by side

On gas, fueleconomy.gov rates the 2012 at 37 mpg combined on premium and the 2019 at 42 mpg combined on regular.

Known problems, year by year

Every count below was tallied from the NHTSA downloads of October 10, 2026. Some recalls also covered other GM models; for those, the number of vehicles given is for the entire campaign.

2011-2012: the crash-test fire and GM's fix

In a May 2011 NHTSA side pole test, the pole pierced a Volt's battery enclosure and started a coolant leak. Three weeks later, after a rollover test let that coolant reach the electronics, the car burned. NHTSA opened Preliminary Evaluation PE 11-037 on November 25, 2011, covering 14,735 Volts from 2011 and 2012.

GM announced a free customer satisfaction campaign on January 5, 2012 for those 14,735 cars, all built before December 21, 2011. Dealers strengthened the structure beside the battery and added a coolant-level sensor with software that warns the driver and stops charging. They also fitted a tamper-proofing device so owners cannot add coolant. Volts built from 2012 on got the same changes at the factory. A December 2011 retest of a modified car showed no intrusion, leak or fire. NHTSA closed the case on January 20, 2012, having found no consumer crash with a fire or coolant leak.

2012-2014: air bag warnings

On the 2012, 2013 and 2014, complaints file under air bags more than any other system. Of 161 air bag complaints on the 2013 in NHTSA's online records, 105 mention the passenger sensor or occupant detection, usually a "Service Airbag" message or an air bag light that switches off. NHTSA lists no recall for that.

Recall 23V516, from July 2023, replaces the driver air bag module on some 2013 Volts because the inflator could explode when it deploys. Its 767 vehicles also include 2013 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Camaro and Sonic models.

2011-2013: software recalls

Recall 15V145 reached 50,236 Volts from 2011 to 2013. If a driver walked away with the car left on, the battery could drain until the gas engine started, which in a closed garage can build up carbon monoxide. New software limits how long the system stays on. Recall 18V397 reprogrammed 4,606 2013 Volts after an update may have shut off battery cell balancing, which can mean low voltage and a loss of propulsion.

2016-2018: Propulsion Power Reduced

The 2017 holds 699 complaints, 37% of every Volt complaint on file, and nine of them report a fire. It has no recall. In the online records, 200 of those 699 mention propulsion, and 38 quote the "Propulsion Power Reduced" message, often with stalling or a prompt to shift into Park. From 2015 through 2018, the electrical system tops each year's complaint tally. We found no GM bulletin or recall that names a cause for the message on these cars.

On the last two model years, recall 18V576 had dealers bleed the brakes on cars whose rear caliper pistons could trap gas; its 210,628 vehicles span many GM models, from the Equinox to the Bolt EV.

GM coverage programs that name the Volt

Special coverage 14232A dealt with a sticky feel in the electric power steering, which GM calls stick-slip, on 2011-2014 Volts, with a 150,000-mile cap. Special coverage 38170 dealt with an accelerator pedal stalk that can fracture on 2011-2015 Volts, capped at 120,000 miles. Each lasted a decade from the date the car first went into service, so most cars have aged out. GM also warned dealers in October 2012 that counterfeit air bag modules could turn up in 2011-2012 Volts and other models, which matters on a car that had its air bags replaced after a crash.

Complaints and recalls by model year

In the crash and fire columns, each number is a complaint flagged that way by the person filing it. A recall that spans two years counts in both.

Should you fix it?

The answer turns on which part failed. Ask a shop for a written diagnosis that names it, whether that is the battery pack, the drive unit or a control module, with a price. Hold that price against what running Volts of the same year and mileage are listed for. A repair that costs close to the car's running value is a sign to sell instead.

1. Recall check: NHTSA's VIN search at nhtsa.gov/recalls lists anything open. A 2013 with lost propulsion may fall under 18V397.
2. Won't move at all? Our non-running car guide covers what to look at before calling it dead, and the loading side of a car that won't move.

How to sell a Volt whole

1. Write down the year, the miles, every warning message on the dash, and whether it still moves on battery or gas.
2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Say where it is parked, whether that is a garage, a driveway or a spot at an apartment complex, and whether it will roll in Neutral, which shapes how it gets loaded.
4. Leave it complete. Keep the battery and wheels in place. Leave the charge cord with the car if it's still around, and mention any part that has been removed.
5. Bring to pickup the title in your name and an ID. What happens to the plates depends on the state; after you sell explains it.

Comparing other Chevys? See the Bolt, Cruze and Malibu, or every Chevrolet model.