2018 CHEVROLET VOLT Power Train Problems

My 2018 Chevrolet Volt frequently fails to recognize when the vehicle is shifted into Park. The dashboard displays “Shift to Park” even though the gear selector is already in Park. When this occurs, the vehicle will not power off, requiring multiple attempts to move the shifter before shutdown is possible. This creates a safety risk because the vehicle may be left powered on unintentionally and may not properly secure itself in Park. In one occasion, the vehicle moved backwards even when shifter was in Park, which created a collision risk. This is a known defect affecting many GM vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt, and has been widely reported by owners. I am concerned about unintended vehicle movement, battery drain, and driver safety.

On June 27, 2025, while driving, the vehicle displayed a "Propulsion Power Reduced" warning message and a Check Engine Light illuminated. I immediately experienced a loss of power. I brought the vehicle to an authorized Chevrolet dealer the same day. On July 1, 2025, the dealer diagnosed the failure as a faulty Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) and high-voltage system fault (Code P1E00), requiring a full replacement of the high-voltage battery pack (Part #24296900). The manufacturer (GM) was contacted, and the replacement battery was ordered on July 2, 2025. As of December 2025, the vehicle remains in dealer possession (over 5 months) with no repair completed. The manufacturer has stated the part is on indefinite backorder with no ETA. The failure of this component renders the vehicle inoperable and presents a safety risk due to sudden loss of propulsion power while in motion. The manufacturer has confirmed the failure but...

The car can't decide if it wants to use the battery or the engine. It shows zero charge even though it is full. It lurches at stop lights as it tries to decide whether to use battery or engine. It says "propulsion power reduced". "Not able to charge". "Shift to park". Check engine light is on.

On [XXX], while traveling on [XXX] near Rockingham, NC, the car suddenly decelerated, all of the dash warning lights came as well as a 'Reduced Propulsion' message, stop driving the car immediately. We did, called a tow truck, waited an hour and was towed to Diffenbach Chevrolet in Rockingham. They found multiple trouble codes and a bulletin saying the EGR valve needed to be replaced. (As it happens, these have been on a nationwide backorder for years.) The technician cleaned the valve and the car limped home after it sat at the dealership for a few weeks. BTW, we missed the Iron Maiden concert we were headed to Charlotte for. We then had the car towed from Southport, NC, to Jeff Gordon Chevy in Wilmington, NC. They had it for a while and stated the part was on back order and with no ETA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM...

The Volt experienced a "Shift to Park" error, preventing it from recognizing when it was in park, even when the gearshift was engaged. While this issue was frustrating, it initially didn’t affect the car’s driving capability. I simply had to wiggle the gearshift until the system registered that it was in park. This problem persisted for a month until one day, the vehicle would no longer shift into any mode, though the "Shift to Park" message remained on the dashboard. The car turned on but would not accelerate. The issue was eventually repaired at the dealership, a process that took about two weeks. During this time, we were not initially offered a rental car. It was only after we called and insisted that the dealership provided one while waiting for the necessary parts. This issue appeared to be a factory defect. While part of the repair was covered under warranty,...

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and shifted to park(P), the message "Shift to Park" was displayed on the instrument panel and the vehicle was inoperative. The contact stated that the vehicle was operative while in low power mode; however, the vehicle intermittently failed to charge in low power mode. No warning light was illuminated. However, the vehicle displayed the full battery icon on the display, but 1 EV Mile. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic 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 failure mileage was approximately 11,000.

The BECM (Battery Electric Control Module) failed in November of 2023. Mountain Chevrolet has had my vehicle since then, claiming to be unable to find replacement battery module. The vehicle is available for inspection at Mountain Chevrolet (it has been left unlocked, unprotected, and exposed to the elements for almost 15 months now). When the BECM failed, the vehicle lost virtually all power and slowed dramatically from highway speeds to ~20 mph. There were no warnings prior to the failure.

On [XXX], while driving on [XXX] in Virginia, the check engine light came on in my Chevy Volt. A message on dash said that there was reduced propulsion, and the gas engine quit running. The car switched to battery power, which would not have lasted long enough to get us home. At this point, we were stranded on a very busy highway which seemed quite dangerous. Using battery power, we were able to get off the highway. We then made arrangements to have the car towed, approximately 150 miles to a car dealer/repair business in Frederick MD. The vehicle was checked out by the car dealer who identified the EGR valve as the problem. However, they did not know when the part would be available , and still, 4 weeks later, do not have any date for availability of the broken part. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION...

On 9/18/24 I was driving my Chevrolet 2018 Volt on a freeway, traveling at approximately 55 mph while starting to exit the freeway. In the middle of fast-moving traffic, on the freeway offramp and starting to decelerate, the car suddenly displayed a message saying "Propulsion Power is Reduced." A micro-second later, the displayed message changed to read "Action Required: Shift to Park" and in that moment I lost control of the car's powertrain. I continued to break, coming to a slow stop in the middle lane of a multi-lane offramp, with other cars speeding past and around me. I attempted to power the car down and reboot it, moving the gear shift into "Park" position as instructed, but nothing changed. The car remained totally inoperable. I was on a slight decline and noticed the car moving forward pulled by gravity, so I steered the car to the farthest right of...

On [XXX] while driving with my son in IN on [XXX] to my niece's wedding in PA, a reduced power warning sounded on the driver's console. Was able to stop and get gas at the eastbound travel plaza near mile marker [XXX]. Getting back on the road and accelerating toward 70 mph, suddenly lost all drive power. The fuel gauge side of the console was lit in yellow and said something like "No fuel detected." Pulled over to the shoulder and found the engine would start, run, and then die. An IN State Police Officer was kind enough to offer us an escort to the next exit near mile marker [XXX]. Noticed that the engine would remain running for longer periods and finally stayed on continuously. While being escorted, was able to run the speed up to 55 mph and made it safely to the interstate exit. During this time...

When attempting to power down car after shifting into park, message states shift to park. Car cannot be locked or secured.

My 2018 Chevy Volt displayed a warning message of "Propulsion Power is Reduced" on the dash when I started the car in a parking garage on Saturday, March 9th around 10am. The car would not drive normally and made a strange noise. I had to stop and start the car six or so times before it drove normally for me to get home. Had this happened at high speed, it could have caused an accident or worse. I contacted the local Rockville, MD Chevrolet dealership and they ran the diagnostic test on the BECM and HPCM2 systems and performed battery capacity reset. I do not believe this software reset will correct the technical issue. According to the dealership records, such a software reset was performed in 2021 by the previous owner before we purchased the car second hand in July, 2022. The dealer would not replace the BECM unit but...

Ten mile trip with 60% battery charge (about 30 mile range indicated, full tank of gas). Check engine light appeared. "Propulsion Power Reduced" appeared and cleared after restart at traffic light. Total loss of power at highway speed, "Shift to Park" appeared. "Power Off" appeared on energy display, coasted to shoulder and was unable to restart vehicle after multiple attempts.

Chevy Volts from 2016 - 2019 all have a manufacturing defect which can prevent the driver from powering - the error message is "Shift to Park". GM released a Volt Service Bulletin in May 2021 but offered no assistance to replace the defective part. On [XXX] I was driving home on [XXX] headed [XXX] from Santa Cruz in fair weather in the afternoon. This highway can be dangerous with limited shoulders and poor visibility, making it an unsafe place to pull over. While traveling at about 55 mph, the car made an alert sound and illuminated the check engine light and presented a message "Shift to Park". I was running out of room on the shoulder to pull off safely so I had to make the quick decision to pull off to the left-hand shoulder. I followed the instructions on the display which said to shift into park, followed by...

Early on the week of November 9th my car displayed a message that there was "Low propulsion power - engine not available." Upon returning home and parking the car it started without incident the following day. On November [XXX], my vehicle stated "Low propulsion power - engine not available" but this time the car shut down completely leaving me unable to return home. I had the car towed to Fairway Chevrolet for repairs. The service technician indicated that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced and the part was out of stock and would take 3 weeks to become available. No rental or loaner car was provided. On November [XXX] I was told that my car was fixed and it would be able to be picked up. I picked up the car and parked it at home and drove the car I was currently renting to California for the Thanksgiving...

The BECM on my 2018 Chevrolet Volt has failed and I am being told it may be months before the dealership will have the part to fix the issue.

After getting some repeated "propulsion power is reduced" display warnings, my 2018 Chevrolet Volt literally died without warning while I was driving it on New Year's Eve and could not be restarted.

Chevy Volt lost power while driving on the highway. No warning. The car has been at the dealership for 3.5 months and they have yet to tell me what the issue is, I have asked every time. Seems as though they don't want me to know. HIghly likely it is is BECM issue. Also, I scheduled the car to be looked at via their app, the day I arrived for the appointment no technician was available, and said I needed to reschedule and bring it back in a week. I just left the car there because it was incredibly unsafe.

Initially was receiving intermittent “Recieved Propulsion Power” warning and no check engine light. Did it about every 2 weeks but became worse. Received Reduced Propulsion power warning on a road trip from East TN to Charlotte then showed a check engine light. I continued to Charlotte I had 4 miles left on battery and was running on gas engine when “Engine Not Available” warning came on leaving me with a nearly dead battery for propulsion. Fortunately, there was a very nearby GM dealership in Charlotte which I was able to drop off and flew out of town for the week. I was told by the dealership that it was an O2 sensor and they had replaced it. Picked up the car the next week. I began the 3 hour trip back to East TN and about 30 miles into the trip I received the Reduced Propulsion Power AND Engine Not...

On Dec 3, 2023 I got the message "Propulsion Power is Reduced" and the gas engine started even though there was about 53 miles left in the battery. I was able to continue on to my destination use the gas engine. On Dec 8, 2023 I drove the car to La Quinta Chevrolet and they diagnosed the problem as a failed BECM (Battery Energy Control Module). On Dec 11 I got the car back and was told the BECM is on backorder and there is no estimated delivery date. Also on 12/3 when I tried to start the car after getting it home I started getting the message "Shift to Park" The dealer was able to fix this before I got it back on 12/11. I've been told I don't qualify for a loaner vehicle so I am left with a car that could stop at any time.

Vehicle is 2018 Chevrolet volt with approx 91000 miles, purchased new in California with both PZEV and Voltec warranties in place. Vehicle produced MIL in December, in Colorado, with exterior temperatures ~30 degrees, after attempting to remote start. The resulting OnStar Codes P1AEE, P1AEF, and P0AC4 indicating "the electric propulsion system is not performing as expected. Please service immediately." Drove the vehicle to the nearest dealership assuming there could be an unexpected loss of power. Identified PIC6285B as trouble shooting aid for the dealership. The dealership stated they contacted their GM TAC representative and the service foreman and TAC agreed the vehicle needed a transmission flush. No indication that the work would be covered by the bulletin found. Customer contacted Chevrolet EV advisor and confirmed vehicle did not qualify for any warranty as the diagnostics indicated a category 4 issue associated with the bulletin but the repairs required were a...

In August 2023, while driving on I-93 in Boston, car switched from Battery Mode to Engine Mode, and Driver Information Screen reported "Reduced Propulsion". Propulsion Battery charge and gasoline fuel levels were adequate such that this should not have happened. In this Reduced Propulsion state the environmental systems, i.e. Heat/Defrost/AC, become inoperative. A thunder storm overhead was pouring cold rainwater on the windshield and it became fogged inside from condensation. Because windshield Defrost was not functioning my passenger and I had no recourse but to frantically grab whatever we could to wipe away the condensation and keep some small amount of road visibility. This problem is intermittent. Car is available for inspection upon request. Reduced visibility in a moving vehicle is a safety hazard to the driver and all those in their vicinity. A dealer or service center has not been alerted. The vehicle has not been inspected for this...

My 2018 Cheverolet Volt stopped charging via the PHEV port, the check engine light came on, and "Propulsion Power Is Reduced" read on the driver display. Car acceleration began to lag and I called the dealership service department immediately. I took it to the service dept and they said the repair is under warranty but the part is back-ordered with no ETA on when I will get my car back, but I should keep it there to prevent from getting stranded. They will provide no loaner car. It is currently at the dealership and I have no transportation. This appears to be a BECM issue.

The vehicle failed to restart after being parked in a garage all day while at work. On board diagnostics returned multiple codes concerning the EV battery and vehicle integrated control module. Specific descriptions include: The Lithium-Ion Battery is not performing as expected. An issue has been detected in the Onboard Charging System which manages your vehicles battery pack charge level; Vehicle network communication code. The network provides a communications link between systems inside the vehicle and when the network is disrupted a code can be set. If vehicle functionality is impacted please seek service soon. Dealership indicates the Battery Module needs replacing and part is back-ordered with unknown delivery time. There had been no warning or other diagnostic codes visible prior to the failure.

Driving down interstate when the following error came up on the console: ACTION REQUIRED: SHIFT VEHICLE INTO PARK Coasted to a stop in the middle of a homeless encampment under the freeway. I was in fear of my life due to the failure of the vehicle. Vehicle taken to Rydell Chevrolet 18600 Devonshire St, Los Angeles, CA 91324. Told the Power Inverter Module had failed. Parts unavailable.

The vehicle has a failure of the BECM and the EGR valve and cooler. Both parts are unavailable. I've been without my car for over a month. The service center cannot tell me when parts will be available.

BECM (Battery Energy Control Module) failed. Initially received check engine light, reduced propulsion power, and battery not available warnings but was able to drive via the internal combustion engine. Within 24 hours, car was completely dead in my driveway and would not drive at all on either propulsion system. Ended up having to have it towed to the dealership where the faulty BECM was diagnosed and replaced under warranty.

The car lost propulsion while driving on the interstate, luckily the car was able to make it the shoulder. The check engine light was not on prior to this and it was taken to the dealership where it diagnosed as a faulty battery energy control module (BECM). The part is awaiting replacement, but no spare parts are currently available.

When the vehicle is placed in park and I attempt to turn it off, the dash will indicate the vehicle is not in park and subsequently, the vehicle cannot be turned off. Sometimes, if you wiggle the shifter or move it through all the settings (RNDL) and back to park, it will resolve the issue. Sometimes, it can take a few minutes to resolve the issue. It's getting worse. If you can't shut off car someone can steal it, you also can't lock doors.

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop and shifting into park(P), the message "Shift to Park" was displayed. The contact stated that the transmission shifted to park(P) after several attempts to park the vehicle. The contact then turned off the vehicle. The local dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was 25,000.

While driving my 2018 chevy volt I received a reduced propulsion error. I pulled over to assess and turn off the car and turn it back on only to find when I turned it back on I received an enginer failure error and the car would not drive forward or reverse. I had to have it towed to a Chevy dealership for evaluation. I understand from research and talking to service experts this is a common failure among the 2017 and 2018 Chevy volt and it is abhorrent that Chevy has not issued a recall on a common failure that compromises the safety of the driver and other drivers around them.

Car doesn't shift into gear, just goes into neutral. Car says 'shift into park' and won't turn off when in park and the power button is pushed.

On Nov 21, 2022, after approximately of 10 minutes (5 miles of driving), while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle lost the ability to accelerate. The vehicle was in full EV mode in the middle of a busy intersection. The vehicle had a full charge (50+ EV range remaining or 100% total EV remaining). The driver attempted to press down more on the accelerator to no avail. After approximately 5-10 seconds, in the busy intersection, without the ability to make the vehicle accelerate, the driver noticed the vehicle jerk (which occurred 2-3 times) at which point the ICE turned on and provided power to the vehicle, allowing the driver to drive out of the intersection. After several minutes of driving, the driver noticed "Reduced propulsion warning" was noticed/illuminated in addition to "Check Engine Light". After this point, the driver noted that the propulsion felt approximately 20% of "normal...

Reduc d propulsion power warning while driving in EV mode. ICE started and was able to make it 1/2 mile home. Failure diagnosed to a faulty BECM. Has been at the dealer for 1 month today with no word on when the part or repair will be done.

The gear shifter for the Chevy Volt has an issue where it does not register in Park. I need to contantlty move through the gears to have it be in park.

"Shift to park message" from failing shifter frequently displays, preventing the car from turning off.

Going 80 mph on the freeway with adaptive crusie control on, the car begins to jerk, and the rpm's shoot up and down. The adaptive cruise control disengages, the stabiltrack, abs, and engine light turned on and the car goes into limp mode. As I slow down, the speedometer keeps increasing up to 90. After, I inspected the driver wheel speed sensor and discovered that the sensor tip in the hub had been damaged. The anti-click washer had broken and began cutting the sensor until it failed.

When car is put into park, system does not show vehicle is in park and will not shut off. It takes multiple times of pushing the start button and moving the gear shift back and forth before the car finally realizes and confirms the vehicle is in park and will turn off.

"Shift to Park" error message on dashboard this error prevents the car from being driven

When the Gear shift is placed into park and the power button to turn the car off is pushed, I get an alert that says “Shift to Park” and cannot turn the car off. I have to attempt to turn the car off and on several times before I can actually turn the car off and leave it.

The car won't shut off and requires you to shift to park but it is shifted into park. After playing around with the shifter eventually it will allow you to shut it off.

After turning off the engine, the car will frequently raise an alert saying "Shift to Park", even though the lever is positioned correctly on "P" (park) and the light for "P" is lit up.

When shifting to Park, and switching the car off, the vehicle will not register as being IN “Park”… and Displays “Shift To Park” and accompanying warning chime. Further, the car will not turn off.

When I stop and shift vehicle into park and try to turn off vehicle. The vehicle does not recognize the vehicle is in park and will stay running. This had happened numerous times and is ongoing. Have read there is even a class action suit because of this problem with numerous different gm vehicles. Why has a recall not been issued?

“Shift to park” message appears when car is in park making it impossible to turn vehicle off. This is a documented issue going back to 2016 across other Chevy vehicles

The car doesnt shift into parking and engine keeps running.

When turning vehicle off, it will display a message "SHIFT TO PARK" even though shifter is in the park position, the vehicle will also remain on. Sometimes have to jiggle the gear shift or shift back into park a few times before the message goes away and am able to turn vehicle off. This is very dangerous as if it's left unnoticed in a garage the car can be left running potentially filling the house with fumes. Can also run out the battery and gas and leave you stranded if away from your home.

Shift to park issue, not allowing car to shut off.

Car will not shift to park. Will not allow the car to be turned off.

I keep getting a shift to park message when I place the vehicle in park. I have to continuously take the vehicle out of park and put it back in a few times until it finally works otherwise I cannot turn off the vehicle. This is a huge issue that needs to be recalled immediately.