2011 Chevrolet Volt Problems

Driver display is blank (no speed, gear position, odometer, gas tank, etc), with the exception of some warning icons like tire pressure and passenger seat belt status. Does no return after turning off power.

Driver instrument panel went blank. Speedometer, fuel/battery gauge, odometer, etc are all gone. The screen display light lit on and off in the background without any information.

FOR UNKNOWN REASON CHECK AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. NO ONE SITS IN PASSENGER SEAT AND THE SEAT HAS NOT BEEN WET.

SINCE THE SPRING OF 2020, "SERVICE AIR BAG" WARNING COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY, RELATED TO PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG. WARNING GENERALLY COMES ON AT STARTUP, IF IT APPEARS. NO FLUIDS HAVE BEEN SPILLED ON THE SEAT, AND NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE SEAT. I AM THE SECOND OWNER, PURCHASED FROM FRIEND, CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGED AND SERVICED REGULARLY. ONLINE SEARCH SUGGESTS THAT OTHER OWNERS HAVE SAME ISSUE, AND THAT DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR CAN BE $500 TO $1000. I HAVE NOT HAD A CHEVROLET DEALER DIAGNOSE THIS ISSUE SINCE IT IS INTERMITTENT. CURRENT MARKET VALUE OF VEHICLE (55K MILES, OTHERWISE EXCELLENT CONDITION, A GREAT CAR TO DRIVE) MAKES COST OF REPAIR DIFFICULT TO JUSTIFY, ESPECIALLY IF IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING.

'11 Chevy Volt hybrid was daily driver of 100+ miles, multiple trips both highway and city for last 2 1/2 months. Breaks and rotors have been replaced all the way around, fresh oil changes as needed and filters. Warning on dash "Service High Voltage Charging System", ”Service Airbag" and check engine light have been on since I've owned it (Oct. 23). When plug car in it doesn't charge, but the EV charges while driving. Car generally switches back and forth from EV to ICE without issues. No other issues have been noted. 1/18/24 Start car and drive all day for work. Total of 129 miles between 22 trips. Last trip car sat for 30 minutes after running deliveries all day. Started as normal, turned off at gas station, filled tank with premium, restarted and drive to freeway. Drove 20 miles, pulled over to text, put car in park. 5 mins later took out of park and car wouldn't move. Inside had complete power, radio, windows, ect. Only noticable difference was car would get no acceleration, power steering went out, and heat started blowing cooler air. Absolutely no warning and car just cuts off engines. Thankfully I was parked safe. Towed home, replaced 12v. Started and drove no problem on 1/19/24. No new warnings or anything different. Started up 1/20/24 drove 7 miles and the engines cut off in the middle of a main road while accelerating, once again no warning. Luckily got into turn lane before almost getting hit. Still not sure what's wrong with car. Same codes. No battery warning or loss of power indication at all. Just up and cuts off. This is very very dangerous and needs to be looked into please. When my volt died today the truck behind me had to slam on his brakes and came inches from hitting me. If this would've happen on the freeway, I'd likely been hit.

The car quit running when my wife was driving the car when the mileage range went down to 4 miles range remaining. The car was towed to the local Chevrolet dealership who charged over $1,000 to reset the electronics so car would run. I was advised that if battery range was run down to a low mileage range that car would quit running again and that it would have to be towed back to the dealership for the electronics to be reset. I was concerned about liability if anyone drove car and it stopped on highway. It was clear to me that the only way out of potential liability, associated with the car stopping on the highway was to sell the car for salvage. I purchased this Chevrolet Volt Premier new. It was never in a collision or damaged in any way. The car was sold for with approximately 81,000 miles for $2,013.

'11 Chevy Volt hybrid was daily driver of 100+ miles, multiple trips both highway and city for last 2 1/2 months. Breaks and rotors have been replaced all the way around, fresh oil changes as needed and filters. Warning on dash "Service High Voltage Charging System", ”Service Airbag" and check engine light have been on since I've owned it (Oct. 23). When plug car in it doesn't charge, but the EV charges while driving. Car generally switches back and forth from EV to ICE without issues. No other issues have been noted. 1/18/24 Start car and drive all day for work. Total of 129 miles between 22 trips. Last trip car sat for 30 minutes after running deliveries all day. Started as normal, turned off at gas station, filled tank with premium, restarted and drive to freeway. Drove 20 miles, pulled over to text, put car in park. 5 mins later took out of park and car wouldn't move. Inside had complete power, radio, windows, ect. Only noticable difference was car would get no acceleration, power steering went out, and heat started blowing cooler air. Absolutely no warning and car just cuts off engines. Thankfully I was parked safe. Towed home, replaced 12v. Started and drove no problem on 1/19/24. No new warnings or anything different. Started up 1/20/24 drove 7 miles and the engines cut off in the middle of a main road while accelerating, once again no warning. Luckily got into turn lane before almost getting hit. Still not sure what's wrong with car. Same codes. No battery warning or loss of power indication at all. Just up and cuts off. This is very very dangerous and needs to be looked into please. When my volt died today the truck behind me had to slam on his brakes and came inches from hitting me. If this would've happen on the freeway, I'd likely been hit.

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an abnormal whining sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

MY 2011 VOLT FREQUENTLY SHOWS "PROPULSION POWER REDUCED" AFTER THE BATTERY HAS BEEN DEPLETED AND ON RESTART. THIS AFFECTS PERFORMANCE, ACCELERATION AND THUS SAFETY FOR SEVERAL MINUTES UNTIL THE SYSTEM REBALANCES ITSELF. THIS CONDITION BEGAN BACK IN 2015 SEVERAL YEARS AGO BUT IS FIRST NOTED IN DEALER'S RECORDS AT 101,000 MILES. THE CAR HAS 142,000 NOW. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP SEVERAL TIMES ASKING FOR THIS CONDITION TO BE REPAIRED AS THE PROBLEM BECAME MORE FREQUENT. IT APPEARS TO HAVE HAD THE SOFTWARE UPDATE YOU REFERENCE IN YOUR BULLETIN THAT MAY CAUSE THE PROBLEM . THE CONDITION IS IDENTICAL TO THAT IN YOUR RECALL 18215, REFERENCE NUMBER N172130460. PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFORMATION. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *CW *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET VOLT. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE B-BEARING JOINT DISINTEGRATED IN THE TRANSMISSION AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO MAKE LOUD NOISES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ORIGINAL PLASTIC B-BEARING JOINT WITH A METAL ONE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

'11 Chevy Volt hybrid was daily driver of 100+ miles, multiple trips both highway and city for last 2 1/2 months. Breaks and rotors have been replaced all the way around, fresh oil changes as needed and filters. Warning on dash "Service High Voltage Charging System", ”Service Airbag" and check engine light have been on since I've owned it (Oct. 23). When plug car in it doesn't charge, but the EV charges while driving. Car generally switches back and forth from EV to ICE without issues. No other issues have been noted. 1/18/24 Start car and drive all day for work. Total of 129 miles between 22 trips. Last trip car sat for 30 minutes after running deliveries all day. Started as normal, turned off at gas station, filled tank with premium, restarted and drive to freeway. Drove 20 miles, pulled over to text, put car in park. 5 mins later took out of park and car wouldn't move. Inside had complete power, radio, windows, ect. Only noticable difference was car would get no acceleration, power steering went out, and heat started blowing cooler air. Absolutely no warning and car just cuts off engines. Thankfully I was parked safe. Towed home, replaced 12v. Started and drove no problem on 1/19/24. No new warnings or anything different. Started up 1/20/24 drove 7 miles and the engines cut off in the middle of a main road while accelerating, once again no warning. Luckily got into turn lane before almost getting hit. Still not sure what's wrong with car. Same codes. No battery warning or loss of power indication at all. Just up and cuts off. This is very very dangerous and needs to be looked into please. When my volt died today the truck behind me had to slam on his brakes and came inches from hitting me. If this would've happen on the freeway, I'd likely been hit.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET VOLT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO MERGE ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, HE DROVE OVER THE RUMBLE STRIPS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO VIBRATE AND THE POWER STEERING TO STOP WORKING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY HARD TO MANEUVER AND THE CHECK POWER STEERING WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,000.

I was stopped at a red light with my foot on the brake. When the light turned green, I released the brake and the car suddenly accelerated forward on its own, without me touching the accelerator. As soon as the car surged forward, I immediately pressed the brake pedal hard to stop it but instead of slowing down, the car continued to accelerate. It felt like pressing the brake was making it worse. The car was totally out of my control. The vehicle collided with tow truck and even after the impact, the engine was still revving as if it was trying to keep going. I had to shut the car off to stop it completely. There were no warning lights or error messages before or during the malfunction. The front end of my car was damaged in the crash. No one was injured, but the malfunction could have easily caused serious harm or death. This was not user error it was a terrifying mechanical and electronic failure. The car accelerated on its own and the brakes failed or possibly triggered more acceleration. I have never experienced anything like this. After looking online, I found other Volt owners reporting similar problems involving brake assist failure, unintended acceleration, and stuck revving. This looks like a serious pattern that deserves urgent attention. I’m asking the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and General Motors to immediately investigate this issue. I want to know if there are any recalls, technical service bulletins (TSBs), or known defects related to brake failure or unintended acceleration in the 2011 Chevy Volt. Please contact me with next steps. This is a major safety risk that could easily result in fatalities if not addressed.

Several times over the 2 years I have owned this vehicle while driving an almost complete loss of braking occurs with a service notice for the ABS system. If you turn off the ignition and restart it the braking works fine. I am in the process of having the Electronic Brake Control Module - GM (84070136) and the Brake Pressure Modulator Valve - GM (23283683) replaced. i believe that there is a design flaw in this system in that a problem of the ABS should not eliminating the ability to stop the vehicle. This is costing me $3500, but the point is that loss of braking is a serious safety issue and should be addressed by the manufacturer. Thank you.

FOR UNKNOWN REASON CHECK AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. NO ONE SITS IN PASSENGER SEAT AND THE SEAT HAS NOT BEEN WET.

SINCE THE SPRING OF 2020, "SERVICE AIR BAG" WARNING COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY, RELATED TO PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG. WARNING GENERALLY COMES ON AT STARTUP, IF IT APPEARS. NO FLUIDS HAVE BEEN SPILLED ON THE SEAT, AND NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE SEAT. I AM THE SECOND OWNER, PURCHASED FROM FRIEND, CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGED AND SERVICED REGULARLY. ONLINE SEARCH SUGGESTS THAT OTHER OWNERS HAVE SAME ISSUE, AND THAT DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR CAN BE $500 TO $1000. I HAVE NOT HAD A CHEVROLET DEALER DIAGNOSE THIS ISSUE SINCE IT IS INTERMITTENT. CURRENT MARKET VALUE OF VEHICLE (55K MILES, OTHERWISE EXCELLENT CONDITION, A GREAT CAR TO DRIVE) MAKES COST OF REPAIR DIFFICULT TO JUSTIFY, ESPECIALLY IF IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET VOLT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LIGHTING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT OUT WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE PREVENTED THE CONTACT FROM SEEING THE SPEEDOMETER OR FUEL GAUGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ALAMO CITY CHEVROLET (9400 SAN PEDRO AVE, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78216) WHERE AN UNKNOWN ELECTRICAL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED; HOWEVER, THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER LEAVING THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,763. *TT*JB CONSUMER STATED PROBLEM CONTINUES OFF AND ON DEALER CAN'T DIAGNOSIS THE PROBLEM. *JB

DRIVER INSTRUMENT CLUSTER , SPEEDOMETER, GAS / ELECTRIC GAUGE UNREADABLE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET VOLT. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE "PROPULSION POWER LOW DECREASE SPEED" MESSAGE DISPLAYED AND THE SPEED AUTOMATICALLY DECREASED TO 20 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (LYNN SMITH CHEVROLET, 25 N BURLESON BLVD, BURLESON, TX 76028) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYBRID POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE 2 (HPCM2) FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V397000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE YEAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT TO CALL NHTSA AND OPENED CASE NUMBER: [XXX]. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TT INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT

THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE THAT I'M CONCERNED MAY IMPACT OTHER VOLTS. HERE'S THE BACKGROUND. ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON, I WAS PULLING INTO MY GARAGE AT A VERY SLOW RATE AND GOT HALFWAY THROUGH WHEN I HEARD A LOUD 'CRUNCHING' SOUND. I GOT OUT WONDERING WHAT THE THE NOISE WAS AND SAW THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR DOWN AND DIRECTLY SITTING ON THE TIRE. THE CONTROL ARM OR STRUT OR WHATEVER YOU CALL IT HAD SEEMINGLY COLLAPSED. LOOKING MORE CLOSELY, IT LOOKED LIKE THE WHEEL HAD PRACTICALLY COME OFF. GREASE WAS DRIPPING ONTO THE DRIVEWAY FROM UNDERNEATH. THE DEALER HAS NOW REPAIRED THE PROBLEM AND CLAIMS IT WAS A BAD BOLT, HOWEVER I AM NOT CONFIDENT THAT SUCH A MAJOR MANUFACTURING FLAW CAN BE SO EASILY DISMISSED. *TR

THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE THAT I'M CONCERNED MAY IMPACT OTHER VOLTS. HERE'S THE BACKGROUND. ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON, I WAS PULLING INTO MY GARAGE AT A VERY SLOW RATE AND GOT HALFWAY THROUGH WHEN I HEARD A LOUD 'CRUNCHING' SOUND. I GOT OUT WONDERING WHAT THE THE NOISE WAS AND SAW THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR DOWN AND DIRECTLY SITTING ON THE TIRE. THE CONTROL ARM OR STRUT OR WHATEVER YOU CALL IT HAD SEEMINGLY COLLAPSED. LOOKING MORE CLOSELY, IT LOOKED LIKE THE WHEEL HAD PRACTICALLY COME OFF. GREASE WAS DRIPPING ONTO THE DRIVEWAY FROM UNDERNEATH. THE DEALER HAS NOW REPAIRED THE PROBLEM AND CLAIMS IT WAS A BAD BOLT, HOWEVER I AM NOT CONFIDENT THAT SUCH A MAJOR MANUFACTURING FLAW CAN BE SO EASILY DISMISSED. *TR

THE REAR END OF THIS CAR FEELS AS IF IT IS SLIPPING OUT WHEN YOU ENTER A CURVE AT 60 TO 65 MPH. GM CALLS IT SENSITIVE STEERING BUT I CALL IT SCARY AND UNSAFE. *TR

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the defroster failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer replaced the heating system module; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

MY FIRST PROBLEMS I EXPERIENCE WITH THE 2011 CHEVY VOLT WAS AROUND OCTOBER, 2014. WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT HIGHWAY SPEED, I RECEIVED A "PROPULSION POWER REDUCED" INDICATION ON MY DASHBOARD AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH HIGHWAY TRAFFIC WHICH RESULTED IN A HAZARD FOR MYSELF AND OTHER DRIVERS. I WAS AFRAID I WOULD BE REAR ENDED OR CAUSE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO MY LOW RELATIVE SPEED. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE, AT TIMES, NOT ABLE TO GO FASTER THAN 45-55 MPH ON HIGHWAYS WITH 65-75 MPH SPEED LIMIT. I LIVE IN SAN DIEGO CA WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF TRAFFIC ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE ALSO REVIEW THE LIFT GATE STRUCT "CUSTOMER SATISFACTION" DILEMMA. I HAVE HAD MY HATCH CLOSE ON MY HEAD BUT IT DID NOT CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. IT WAS MORE OF AN ANNOYANCE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. IT CONTINUES TO BE WEAK, AND SOMETIMES NOT KEEP THE HATCHBACK UP AT ALL. I HAVE NOTICED IT IS WORSE AT LOWER TEMPERATURES (40-50 DEGREES F). LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM GM STATING "THIS LETTER IS INTENDED TO MAKE YOU AWARE THAT SOME 2011 MODEL YEAR CHEVROLET VOLT VEHICLES MAY HAVE INCREASED FRICTION IN THE STEERING SYSTEM. THIS COULD CAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL TO STICK IN THE STRAIT-AHEAD POSITION AFTER DRIVING LONG DISTANCES ON A STRAIGHT HIGHWAY. THE STEERING WHEEL CAN BE TURNED BUT IT MAY REQUIRE INCREASED EFFORT." CONTACTED GM ABOUT THIS NOTICE I RECEIVED AND THE GM REPRESENTED ME SAID THERE WAS NO SAFETY ISSUE REGARDING THIS LETTER. I DISAGREED (HOW IS A STEERING WHEEL LOCK UP ON THE HIGHWAY NOT A SAFETY ISSUE?) AND REQUESTED TO GET OUT OF MY VEHICLE AND INTO A DIFFERENT ONE THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF MY AND MY FAMILY BEING KILLED BY A VEHICLE DEFECT. AFTER SEVERAL EMAILS BACK AND FOURTH AND GOING TO A CHEVY DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME TO GO TO, THE ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *TR

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that water was accumulating inside the driver's side taillight assembly. The contact stated that the water caused a short circuit in the taillight, and the passenger’s side turn signal became inoperable. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed, and determined that the wiring harness for the driver's side taillight assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET VOLT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEATBELT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHEN THE SEAT BELTS WERE SECURED AND NOT WHEN THE SEAT BELTS WERE NOT SECURED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT A UNKNOWN LOCATION HOWEVER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DETAILS OF THE REPAIRS WERE UNKNOWN. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO AN AIR BAG FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET VOLT EQUIPPED WITH GOODYEAR ASSURANCE FUEL MAX TIRES, SIZE 215-55-17. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 70 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED DUE TO LOW TIRE PRESSURE. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,445. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.