2017 CHEVROLET VOLT Electrical System Problems

290 NHTSA complaints on file

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All Electrical System Complaints — Page 3

#11561082 |
The BECM located in the battery compartment failed The vehicle was completely immobilized and would turn on but would not "start" leaving me stranded. Away from home. The local Chevrolet dealership confirmed the BECM was at fault The vehicle gave no clear indication of a pending BECM failure before the failure
#11560638 |
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the Hybrid battery drained; however, the engine failed to activate as needed. Due to the failure, the vehicle stalled, and the contact coasted the vehicle to the shoulder of the highway. Due to the failure, the vehicle was initially towed to the residence then to the dealer. The vehicle was kept in dealer possession where repairs were made to the ECM (Electrical Control Module). Since the repair, the contact stated that the vehicle intermittently failed to start up while depressing the START/STOP button. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
#11560053 |
BECM starting to fail. Will work and then won’t work. Having issues intermittently.
#11559882 |
The car regularly reports it is healthy and functioning correctly. It is regularly serviced and there was no advance warning of this problem. While driving the car displayed a message to the driver, something such as "reduced propulsion" and the speed of the car was reduced while the internal combustion engine intermittently raced in an uncharacteristic manner. The amber Check Engine light was displayed. A review of error codes later found a communication fault developed with the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM). As soon as it was possible, we got the car to the side of the road and shut it off. We then attempted to start the car and it displayed a warning that no key fob was present (but there was a key fob in the car). A few minutes later the car started and we were able to drive it to a service center where error codes...
#11559178 |
The battery control module failed and it was replaced at the dealership. The low propulsion mode went into effect twice before it failed and I could not drive it in my driveway. The warning lamp was on but it was on for a while before the failure due to low battery on the key fob. Chevy is aware of the problem and there is a class action lawsuit just for the battery control module issue. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
#11558883 |
This vehicle has a very dangerous malfunction. There was no power when I tried to move out of the way of an out-of-control semi truck while driving on the highway by pressing the pedal. I made every effort to maneuver because I was terrified. But because of the power outage, I could have died. This is really worrying, and I hope you can address the issue raised by Chevy so that someone else might be spared and so that future generations of electric cars are constructed to a standard that includes safety. Thank you.
#11559045 |
The gm repair started the "vehicle power control module" - gm (24296765) is bad. Cause the car to stop, and not restart, 12v won't charge. dealership states the part on back order over 60 days, not expecting it any time soon.
#11558479 |
The car started stating "put in park" every time I would try to put the car in drive. I would shift back and forth from park to drive over and over and I could get it to clear. One time it lost all power and had zero control. Sat on the side of the road for an hour. Shifting back and forth until it stopped and let me engage the drive. The last time it happened in a parking lot and it would just say"shift to park" I couldn't get it out of park. Had to have the car towed. Tow driver had to drag the car on the flat bed with a wench because it was stuck in park. Had the vehicle repaired. Replaced an electronic control module that had previous service bulletins on but GM would not cover the repairs. I was lucky I was not injured our...
#11558413 |
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start up after multiple attempts. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the mechanic informed the contact that the 12-volt battery needed to be replaced. After the battery was replaced, the contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the Propulsion Power reduced message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to AutoNation Chevrolet West Colonial (3707 W Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32808) where the contact was informed that the battery had failed for a second time within two weeks and needed to be replaced. After the second 12-volt battery replacement, the vehicle started making an abnormal cranking sound while the vehicle independently surged and then lost power. The contact stated that an unknown power failure message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact drove the vehicle to another dealer, AutoNation...
#11558158 |
Sometimes when the vehicle powers on, it will not engage to drive in gas or electric mode when fully charged or with a full gas tank. Also sometimes while driving, it will say "gas mode not available propulsion limited". It frequently says "charging not available" as well. This is an on going, intermittent, problem.
#11558181 |
The car will occasionally lose power when driving on battery. In my experience this most often occurs after turning, but can occur seemingly randomly at other times. It's a frightening experience because you just don't know when it will occur, what you'll be doing, and how it will impact other drivers. I spent $8k trying to fix the issue and took it to two dealership issues who said the transmission needs to be replaced. We got the transmission replaced, but the issue persists. The issue happens daily. I don't know what component failed, but yes, it is available for inspection. Safety is put at risk because the car randomly loses power while driving and switches to gas mode. Yes, the problem has been seen by a local dealer. No, the vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance rep. No, there are no indicators of...
#11558230 |
Started acceleration on the freeway, car couldn't turn on engine, message came on dash "reduced propulsion mode" and check engine light came on, could only drive on battery, car was very sluggish, luckily had battery to exit after a few miles to get off the freeway. Had to restart car. If I had depleted the battery as I usually do that day, I would have had a dead car on the freeway with ton of traffic buzzing me and my family.
#11558052 |
Becm module is failing currently we have an engine check light that illuminates every other drive. Started November 26th. We experienced reduced propulsion message . We have experience the car not going into gear to drive or go reverse. It seems these issues occur at random. Check light codes are u2619-u2624. A dealership will be taking a look at the car on Monday
#11558062 |
Car intermittantly lost propultion while driving. this started happening more and more frequently. One time driving on the freeway propulsion cut out and I barely made it to the side of the road. Put the car in park and it would start again. Drive for a few hundred feet then it would cut out again. Finally took it into the dealer when I was driving down the highway and propulsion cut out and I was stuck in the middle of traffic. As I was driving the instrument cluster power remained on but the engine just cut out. I was using the electric motor at the time but this is happened on the ice as well. As I rolled to a stop in the middle of traffic I put it in park so that I could restart the car as I had been able to previously but it would not start....
#11558089 |
On the morning of April 27, 2022, our 2017 Chevy Volt, with what I believe to be a fully charged high voltage battery (was plugged in to charge the entire previous night) and at least a quarter tank of gas, would not start either the electrical or gasoline drive train. The 12 volt battery showed low voltage, so I purchased and replaced the 12 volt battery. The Volt continued to not start in either gas or electric propulsion mode. Checked the OBD 11 codes, and they matched up with what was reported on line to be Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) failure. On May 3, 2022, the Volt was put on a flatbed and taken to Holz Motors in Milwaukee. They verified the BECM failure, ordered new BECM, and was told none were available. Put on waiting list for BECM, and the Volt was repaired 8 weeks later on June...
#11558097 |
I was making a left turn at a light and the vehicle suddenly popped up “shift to park” warning on the dash and simultaneously lost power. The vehicle would only roll under what momentum was generated prior to the warning. Luckily I was able to get through the turn and coast safely off to the side of the road. Chevy volt is currently at the dealership being assessed. They are telling me I will need a new 12v battery and new gear shifter for $1100.00. These were replaced, but the dealership called and told me I will now need a new ECM, or something like that, for an additional $2400.00. Car is currently at Ricart Chevrolet in Dublin,OH waiting on my decision. And I’m being told the part needed is on backorder and may be a month to arrive. After researching this, it seems Chevy knows about this issue and...
#11557847 |
BECM issues causing vehicle to lose power, not go in to park, will not remote start, battery failure, and not turning on or not turning off when prompted.
#11557893 |
BECM Failed without warning. vehicle was inoperable until the part was replaced
#11557918 |
BECM failure, covered by warranty but required towing that I had to pay out of pocket. Have been waiting a week for the repair to be completed and the dealer is refusing to provide a loaner vehicle.
#11557919 |
Any time the car switches from battery to gasoline the 12v battery comes on, I get the message to shift into park, and the car shuts off. This happens multiple times a day, making it difficult to drive long distance. It also makes it difficult to work more than a couple of hours at a time as an Uber driver. It has happened on the highway, very dangerous.
#11557929 |
Car is having a few problems in relations to the BECM
#11557972 |
-- My 2017 Chevrolet Volt experienced a failure of the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) in the powertrain system. This failure prevented my vehicle from being driven. The BECM and related battery pack components were replaced under warranty by a Chevrolet dealership. Those parts, to my knowledge, are not available for inspection. -- From a safety perspective, my vehicle was luckily parked when the failure occurred. Many Volt owners have reported -- via online Volt forums and on Reddit at r/volt -- that the failure has occurred while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in a safety issue when the vehicle loses power and stops in the middle of a street or highway. -- A Chevrolet dealership confirmed my vehicle's BECM failure through diagnosis and code reading (see attached documentation). In my case, the BECM initially failed and I lost the ability to drive my vehicle when it was stopped...
#11557975 |
Cart fails to start nearly every time I try to start it. BECM failure seems to be the issue. Car instructs to shift to park then fails to start until eventually it clicks over and will start in gas mode. Sometimes will randomly flag into low propulsion mode while driving, which majorly affects acceleration speed. Car will no longer charge and must be used in gas mode due to known electrical defects. Sometimes have to wait 10+ minutes for the car to start.
#11558002 |
In the last couple months, have received multiple warnings regarding reduced propulsion that, as I understand is a potential failure related to the BECM. Besides the warning, I haven’t noticed any major change in performance, but I am concerned there may be a defect. I haven’t yet contacted dealer about this issue, but I noticed there was a formal report made about this and wanted to be sure my vehicle was included in the count.
#11558008 |
The check engine light came on in my car with the message "service charging system." I took the car to the deal and they determined it was the battery control module that was failing. They told me the car would eventually stop turning on and I could either take it and drive it until it wouldn't turn on or I could leave it with them until they got a replacement part that is currently on backorder with no estimated time they can get it. I asked if the car was safe to drive and if it would stop working while I was driving, they assured me it would not stop while I was driving. I opted to take the car home and on my home, while driving, the car died on me. Luckily I was already in a turn lane and was able to get off in a neighborhood. The...
#11548325 | Crash
In 2020 my 2017 Chevrolet Volt had an intermittent problem turning off. My Chevrolet dealer worked to fix the problem. This March I had an accident which involved me thinking the car was shut down. I was half way out of the car when I realized it was moving. Before I could get completely in to apply the brakes, I had hit and pushed an object into a building which caused damage to the building and my car. The was a police report which states that I was at fault. My car was towed to my. Chevrolet dealer for repair. The repair took about two months mostly due to obtaining shifting parts. I can now drive the car but the parts to replace the shifting mechanism is still on back order. It is now early October. The “shift into park” as I think the problem has been named, is still...
#11542073 | Fire
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH the message "low brake fluid" suddenly displayed before multiple warning lights began to illuminate and the vehicle stalled. While the vehicle was coasting on the shoulder the contact discovered that the braking system had malfunctioned and the vehicle did not stop when pressing the brake pedal. After coasting to a stop the contact noticed smoke coming from the front end of the vehicle. Eventually, the flames engulfed the front end of the vehicle and the fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. The vehicle was destroyed and towed away. A fire report was taken at the scene. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.
#11541979 |
The shifter of the car will NOT go into park! It takes forever. Have to shut it off, start it back up, and keep trying to get it to work. It's insane! This has to be recalled. Literally thousands of people are having this exact same problem. It's all over the internet. And I wouldn't mind if it were a simple $50 repair, but this is a $500 to $600 thing to fix and it's just not right. The gear shift cable is not long enough. Chevy knows this because they've manufactured a cable extension that needs to be installed. What does that tell you? Manufacturers defect! Please recall these vehicles for this problem and get them to repair their factory mistake. Thank you. Sincerely & Respectfully, [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
#11533715 |
The vehicle suddenly, and unexpectedly lost propulsion while driving. The vehicle is no longer able to turn on or drive. I contacted several Chevy official dealers and took the car in for repair. They said it is a problem with the hybrid battery system. But the car is no longer manufactured and parts are no longer available. So I am now stuck with a car that is non-operational and not repairable.
#11532574 |
Vehicle displays warning "Shift to park" sometimes when vehicle in placed in park. Vehicle will not lock properly and drains battery if left in this state. Vehicle is unable to turn off while this message is present and the only way to get it to go away is to repeatedly shift the vehicle in and out of park and attempt to turn it off. This issue is commonly reported with several GM models. TSB 19-NA-206 was published for this issue in September 2019, but the repair is not covered under a recall at this time.
#11529980 |
The car was been driving, shifting, and turning off normally for 10 months. Then last week, I started to get a "Shift to Park" message on the dashboard when I tried to turn off the car. On all occasions, I was stopped and the shift gear was in park, but the car kept running. I could not get the "Shift to Park" message to stop. I finally had to hit Power again, shift the car from park to drive, then return it to park. After a couple attempts, the electrical system changed to "Park." This has now happened over 10 times. I'm concerned at some point the trick will stop working and I won't be able to power off the car.
#11528288 |
While driving the 2017 Chevy Volt, for about 20 minutes, the electrical system shut down. The warning said to put the car into park and look at the screen. The first instance the car was traveling at 45 mph, the second time it was on the freeway at 70 mph. At this point the check engine light came on. After turning the car off and on three times the car was able to be driven, but it happened again on the next leg of our journey.The Volt at first would not charge. It said "charge not available", then after about an hour the Volt was able to be charged. We believe it is the battery charging module being defective. GM was sued for this very problem, and lost, but has not issued a recall on this very dangerous occurrence. It has issued a bulletin to it's employees, but again, has...
#11526995 |
After putting the vehicle in park and turning off the engine, the car gives a warning that the car is not in park. The main problem with the inability to shift into the park gear is that I anm unable to shut off my vehicle, which could potentially drain the battery. Consumers have been unable to exit, lock, and turn off their vehicles due to the shifting malfunction. The true issue at hand here is not that the vehicle is unable to physically shift into the park gear, but the vehicle is incapable of detecting the shift. Typically, when this malfunction occurs, the driver will receive a “Shift to Park” message on the driver information center, even if the gear selector is moved to park and the ignition is switched to the off position. The driver then must either restart the vehicle and try to repeat the shutting down process...
#11520855 |
When I first purchased the car (used around 30,000 miles), I began to have electrical and propulsion issues where the engine would turn off. After Chevy refused to warranty or lemon the car, eventually the electrical/hybrid issue repeated and caused cooling issues with the car and then water pump went bad. while chevy still refused to fix the hybrid and battery issues, that continued issue and then the water pump failing from it then caused overheating that then broke the head gasket
#11515573 |
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the message “Loss Of Power Proportion" was displayed, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to restart. The contact was able to drive to the residence; however, the vehicle failed to restart while in the garage. The contact stated that upon investigating the failure online, he became aware that the failure mostly occurred in cold weather. As the weather became warmer, the contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) had failed and needed to be replaced; however, the part was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the part was not available. The...
#11513442 |
Loss of power propulsion while driving Eventually vehicle completely stoped. After doing some research this is a common occurrence. Highly dangerous and it seems the manufacturer is aware but ignoring the problem. This problem can cause accidents and also leave people stranded in isolated areas.
#11510149 |
When I got home at 11:50 am at March 4, 2023. The shift-to-park error message came up and prevented shutoff and driving. The car kept running in my garage which pause great danger to my house and my family. The weather is freezing cold with rain and snow. We are scare to stay in the house and afraid of explosion. I contacted Chevy and its dealers. All could not find tech to support. Then I searched on websites. There are tons of complaints that Chevy knows the problem in multiple car modes but resist to make a recall. Also Chevy lost a case due to damage by shift to park error.
#11503782 |
BECM failure. Initially, it caused the vehicle to operate in a low propulsion state. However, it now prevents the vehicle from starting. Likewise, I have heard it has stopped the engines from working/shut down the engines while people are driving on the highway.
#11501785 |
When attempting to turn off the vehicle, an error message "action required - shift to park" appears even though the shifter is in the park position.
#11498415 |
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...
#11497186 |
Battery Energy Control Module failed. Car stopped unexpectedly while driving which was a huge safety issue. Car has been broken for 3 months waiting for parts which seem to be unavailable.
#11495532 |
Our vehicle is a 2017 Chevrolet Volt VIN: [XXX], leased/purchased new delivered 12-31-2016. Vehicle experienced an unexpected loss of power when the check engine light came on and we had to immediately pull off the road. The vehicle is currently at the dealership waiting on the Battery Control Module (BCM) P/N: 24296900 and we have a Case open with [XXX]. We are told the part is not available, only 14 in stock nationwide, and are not being released as they are reserved already. No expected delivery date for the module. Noticed a class action lawsuit may be in the works. Wanted to ensure you had another record of vehicles affected. https://www.classaction.org/news/2016-2019-chevy-volts-suffer-from-battery-energy-control-module-defect-class-action-claims#embedded-document INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
#11495368 |
Vehicle started to lose power. Showed error messages "reduced power" after a series of "shift to park" messages when first starting. Had no propulsion power until several attempts to start vehicle. Once started engine would run but all electric propulsion was inoperable. Vehicle has become totally unreliable at approx 22,000 miles, sometimes starting and sometimes not. Power loss occurs while driving which is definitely a safety hazard if on the Interstate and minimum speed can't be maintained. Have taken vehicle to dealer where it was diagnosed as a defective "BECM" (I believe a master control module attached to the main propulsion battery). The dealer has ordered a replacement module but it's been four months with no sign of a replacement. Essentially I now have an unreliable and potentially unsafe vehicle with no sign of the manufacturer trying to facilitate repairs.
#11495029 |
Emergency warning messages appeared on 24 Aug 2022 and a day later vehicle was taken to Chevrolet dealer who first replaced a "section of the battery" and eventually verified a problem with the BECM (Battery Energy Control Module). Now (end Nov 2022) 3 months later no repair part has become available. Because we immediately took the vehicle to a dealer, we had no safety issues.
#11495051 |
Our car would not start. Took to dealer for repair. They changed 12 volt baterie and a fuse. Next couple days later same problem. No start or baterie. Took back to the dealer they diagnosed a bad becm battery electric control module. They have had it for 2 weeks with no estimate on when the part will be available. I understand it is common failure on volt cars.
#11494551 |
The problem is generally referred to as a “Shift to Park” issue. The car will effectively not turn off. I’m unable to lock the car and the lights will stay on for a few minutes. Worse yet, it is intermittent although it is getting worse over time.
#11492419 |
I parked my Volt with approximately 24 miles of electric range remaining. Later when I got in to start it up, the guess-o-meter showed a full charge but at the bottom of the meter it showed 0 miles of electric range. Shifting to Drive caused the "shift to park" message to appear. Shifting back to Park made the message go away. The car would not move under either electric or gas power. The check engine light was on. By the way, this Shift to Park issue is not the same as the microswitch shift to par however you could pay for the shift to park repair and it not be that resulting in more money spent… also many people have waited months for the part and chevy does little to nothing
#11491088 |
Dear Madam or Sir, regarding the recall of Chevrolet Volt 2017. The vehicle made in USA, VIN No [XXX] has been bought an officially from IAAI auction (after an accident, but repairable) and delivered to Lithuania (Europe), repaired successful. The information regarding the recall has been found in an official GMC site (the details please see in att.) Starting from March 2022 I have been tried to contact to GMC US (Chevrolet authorized dealership is not exist in Lithuania, just for Cadillac), but any help did not received yet. At this moment the vehicle is not safety to drive, because already several times it's has been stopped in a road - the defected Energy control module, which has been mentioned in recall. So, be so kind and help to pass this problem. Waiting the comments Thanks for the kind replay. Sincerely Doctor[XXX] P.S. the conversation please make by email INFORMATION...
#11488788 |
Driving and check engine appeared. Vehicle hybrid power train acted erratically, switching into and out of limp mode. Potential loss of control without any previous warning signs. Diagnosed with a failure of Battery Energy Control Module 24296900. Multiple complaints of the same issue from other owners. 5 other same model cars at dealership waiting for the same part. Estimated arrival is 8-12 weeks. This has been a well documented problem since 2018, and Chevrolet has released a TSB acknowledging the issue, and potentially loss of control and stranding.
#11488687 |
The car will not turn off and it says it needs to be shifted into “park” after it is already parked. I am left unable to leave my car or lock it when I need to leave which makes this dangerous in case of an emergency where I need to leave the car quickly and cannot without leaving the car on and open.

Other 2017 CHEVROLET VOLT Problem Areas

Fuelpropulsion System 224 complaints Power Train 209 complaints Engine 177 complaints Unknown Or Other 113 complaints Vehicle Speed Control 32 complaints Service Brakes 27 complaints Steering 15 complaints Air Bags 12 complaints Electronic Stability Control Esc 9 complaints Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control 5 complaints Power Trainautomatic Transmissionlever And Linkagefloor Shift 5 complaints Electrical Systempropulsion System 4 complaints Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust Systememission Controlgas Recirculation Valve Egr Valve 4 complaints Hybrid Propulsion System 4 complaints Visibilitywiper 4 complaints Back Over Prevention Warnings 3 complaints Electrical Systempropulsion Systemtraction Batterymanagement Systemenergy Control Module Bmsbecm 3 complaints Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking 3 complaints Forward Collision Avoidance Warnings 3 complaints Seat Belts 3 complaints Electrical System12v24v48v Battery 2 complaints Structurebody 2 complaints Wheels 2 complaints Back Over Prevention Sensing System Camera 1 complaint Chest Clip Buckle Harness 1 complaint Electrical System Instrument Clusterpanel 1 complaint Electrical Systemalternatorgeneratorregulatorintegrated Starterother Than Propulsion 1 complaint Electrical Systembody Control Modulebcm 1 complaint Electrical Systempropulsion Systemfuel Cell 1 complaint Electrical Systemstarter Assemblyrelay 1 complaint Engine And Engine Cooling 1 complaint Exterior Lighting 1 complaint Exterior Lightingbrake Lights 1 complaint Fuel System Gasoline 1 complaint Lane Departure Assist 1 complaint Latcheslockslinkages 1 complaint Power Trainautomatic Transmissiongear Position Indication Prndl 1 complaint Seats 1 complaint Steeringlinkagesrodrelayconnecting 1 complaint Suspension 1 complaint Tether Lower Anchor On Car Seat Or Vehicle 1 complaint
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