2017 Chevrolet Volt Fuel system Problems

My 2017 Chevrolet Volt, with 97,758 miles, experienced a failure that rendered the vehicle inoperable. The vehicle would not start or operate normally. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Chevrolet dealership for diagnosis. After several days, the dealership confirmed that the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) had failed. The dealership quoted approximately $2,500 for replacement, including parts and labor. This failure presents a serious potential safety concern because BECM malfunctions can result in loss of propulsion, reduced power, or an inability to restart the vehicle, potentially leaving drivers stranded in unsafe locations. General Motors has previously recognized BECM failures in certain Chevrolet Volt vehicles and established a special coverage adjustment for affected vehicles. However, despite my vehicle experiencing the same diagnosed component failure, GM informed me that my VIN was excluded from the coverage program. I contacted General Motors directly and opened a case. GM confirmed that my repair would be considered an out-of-pocket expense and advised me to report the failure to NHTSA. I believe this failure warrants investigation because vehicles experiencing the same defect should be evaluated regardless of whether their VINs are currently included in GM’s existing special coverage program. The failed BECM has been diagnosed by an authorized Chevrolet dealership. The vehicle’s current repair status and availability for further inspection can be confirmed with the servicing dealership.

NHTSA ID

11770247

Incident

Oct 2, 2026

I am reporting a suspected Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) failure in my 2017 Chevrolet Volt. My vehicle has experienced multiple symptoms consistent with the known BECM defect documented by General Motors, including intermittent failure to start, reduced propulsion power, and failure to operate on electric power despite the high-voltage battery being fully charged. When the vehicle did start, it would run using the gasoline engine instead of the fully charged battery. The vehicle also experienced reduced propulsion power, limiting acceleration and creating a serious safety concern, particularly when merging into traffic, crossing intersections, or driving at highway speeds. The intermittent starting failures also create a risk of becoming stranded. My vehicle has generated multiple diagnostic trouble codes associated with these malfunctions, which are available for review. These symptoms are consistent with those identified in GM Technical Service Bulletin 18-NA-261 and Special Coverage Program N232432680. GM established extended BECM warranty coverage of 15 years or 150,000 miles for eligible 2016–2018 Chevrolet Volts. However, despite my vehicle being a 2017 model and experiencing the same documented failures, my VIN is excluded from this coverage. NHTSA previously investigated this defect under PE23022 and closed its investigation following GM’s implementation of extended coverage. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate why my vehicle is excluded despite exhibiting the same known safety-related symptoms and whether GM’s coverage should be expanded to include similarly affected vehicles.

NHTSA ID

11770047

Incident

Oct 9, 2026

2017 Chevy Volt, lost propulsion and stalled on a highway in 3 separate instances. GM Case # XXX: The first instance, in late 2021, resulted in a BECM replacement. The following instances, XXX and SXXX, had the exact same symptoms: loss of propulsion on highway, shift to park, full charge but 0 range, check engine light. GM Case # XXX: In March the vehicle was towed to Haselwood Chevrolet in [XXX] and they told to check for BECM issues. The dealership refused to include the customer description of the failure on the highway, or acknowledge there was a possible BECM issue, since they said there was no BECM code. The failure presented as a classic intermittent BECM thermal failure. They failed to follow GM's diagnostic tree for an intermittent communication loss, as per GM Technical Service Bulletin PIP5812. Because of that diagnostics failure, I am now completely disabled, again, at [XXX],191 miles, 6 months later. This is a single, continuous warranty failure spanning from March through Sept 2026. GM Case # XXX: Due to previous misdiagnosis, I am awaiting GM’s pre-approval or referral for a rental car as covered by GM Special Coverage Program XXX, before having the car towed to Ruddell Chevrolet in [XXX]. I live a 2 hr round trip from [XXX] and am stranded without a loaner or rental. The tow truck is my way to the dealership to get a rental. If the BECM was recalled, these last two instances could have been prevented and I would not have had to fight tooth and nail with dealerships and GM for coverage, towing, and rental reimbursement, yet again. Please issue a recall on the Volt 2017 BECM and any BECM replaced before the soldering issue on these parts was corrected to prevent future dangerous failures and high levels of customer inconvenience and frustration. My 4 x JPEG and PNG attachments under 10MB failed to upload on this site. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11768306

Incident

Sep 29, 2026

Battery Energy Control Module Malfunction Module replaced but not covered under Special Coverage N232432680

NHTSA ID

11755054

Incident

Jul 19, 2026

While driving down highway rapidly slowed to 15mph. "reduced propulsion" was displayed with significant battery and gas left. Caused cars to swerve and pile up behind me. The car was inspected by dealer and received a variety of U26XXX codes. Dealer states its a faulty BECM. There was no warning lights on before the incident and have had no issues till then. We were lucky this was during the day. Nighttime would have been a terrible accident with oncoming traffic. Dealer is not wanting to cover BECM repair from GM Special Coverage Bulletin N232432680 that was investigated by your organization a couple of years ago.

NHTSA ID

11752213

Incident

Jul 9, 2026

In March 2026, our 2017 Chevrolet Volt (89,300 miles) would not charge nor start, and had to be towed to an authorized Chevrolet dealership in Portland, Oregon. The dealership diagnosed an internal fault in the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) producing U26XX diagnostic trouble codes, per GM bulletin #18-NA-261, and replaced the BECM under GM Special Coverage N232432680 — GM's field remedy for a known BECM defect affecting 2016–2019 Volts that causes reduced power, no-start, or no-charge conditions (the subject of NHTSA investigation PE23022).The remedy failed immediately. On the day the vehicle was returned to us (March 26, 2026), the check engine light illuminated while driving home on public roads, and the vehicle failed to charge that same night — the identical condition it had before. It was towed back to the dealership. The dealership's second work order confirms in writing that the vehicle "will not start after previous repairs and is having the same issues," and attributes the failure to the high-voltage battery contactor. The dealership informed us the part is no longer produced and cannot be obtained, advising that the vehicle be scrapped. Safety concerns: (1) after the repair, the dealership returned the vehicle to us as fixed, and we drove it approximately 26 miles home on public highways in traffic, unaware the defect was still present — the check engine light illuminated during that drive. This defect is the subject of NHTSA investigation PE23022 into sudden loss of propulsion, we unknowingly operated a defective vehicle in conditions where that failure could have occurred at highway speed; (2) GM's official field remedy for this known defect (Special Coverage N232432680) failed within hours of being performed; and (3) the parts required to complete the remedy are reportedly discontinued, leaving a known safety defect permanently unrepairable. Supporting documents uploaded: dealer repair orders, and the GM warranty history of the N232432680 repair

NHTSA ID

11751708

Incident

Mar 12, 2026

While driving at highway speeds over 100 miles away from home with my child in the vehicle, the car experienced a sudden, catastrophic loss of propulsion power and entered 'Propulsion Power Reduced' mode, dropping vehicle speed immediately and creating an extreme hazard with high-speed highway traffic. A full computer scan revealed active diagnostic codes U2603 through U2624, confirming an internal hardware communication failure of the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM). This matches GM Technical Service Bulletin 18-NA-261. The vehicle has over 150,000 miles, but I have only owned the car since January. This is a known, systemic manufacturing defect (cracked internal circuit board solder joints) that creates a critical safety liability regardless of vehicle mileage. GM has refused to remedy the safety defect due to the mileage limit.

NHTSA ID

11745949

Incident

Jun 19, 2026

Received "reduced propulsion" message, with no engine detected. Car slowed to a near stop while driving on the Interstate highway. Very dangerous to have that suddenly happen. Message popped up randomly with no prior warning.

NHTSA ID

11745522

Incident

Jun 21, 2026

I was not going to put in a complaint about this failure but after learning about GM creating a special extended warranty program for this issue, I felt it should be addressed and treated as a recall. The battery energy control module (BECM) failed on my 2017 Chevrolet Volt at exactly 170,000 miles in December of 2024, leaving me in a dangerous position on the roadway and almost causing me to be rear ended due to losing the ability to accelerate. I had no choice but to have the vehicle towed to a dealership where it was eventually repaired with an out of pocket cost of $1900. My vehicle was not eligible for the extended warranty program which I find to be unacceptable.

NHTSA ID

11742228

Incident

Dec 5, 2024

Failure of Battery Energy Control Module (BECM), within the high voltage battery. Vehicle is unable to charge and sets “reduced power” message. GM released special coverage bulletin for this issue (N232432680), but this vehicle is not listed due to which state it was registered. Continued failure of the BECM will lead to inoperability of the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11725760

Incident

Feb 20, 2026

Coolant was found inside the Lithium-Ion battery module when the dealership opened it to repair a different issue. They condemned the battery on the spot. There was no damage to the battery module. All PMs were performed at Chevrolet dealerships throughout the life of the car. All recalls were fixed. Including the BECM replacement the car is known have problems with. Car had 127,000 miles on it. One of the service reps even admited that he's seen it on multiple cars and that it is a manufacturing problem. Dealership said the repair is $29,000. The car was $35000 new 10 years ago. Thank God there was no fire, I drove my family around in that car for years. The dealership won't even let me see the diagnosis report online anymore...

NHTSA ID

11724388

Incident

Feb 18, 2026

Three separate high-voltage battery section failures within one year, each causing complete loss of propulsion. Two occurred at freeway speeds on [XXX]. FAILURE 1 ([XXX]): Vehicle lost propulsion. Dealer diagnosed DTC P0AFA (low voltage), failed cell in Battery Section 3. Section 3 replaced under GM Special Coverage N232432680 (BECM, 15yr/150k). Vehicle out of service approximately six months awaiting GM authorization and parts. FAILURE 2 ([XXX]): Vehicle lost propulsion on [XXX] at night at freeway speeds. Required towing. Dealer diagnosed DTC P0AFA, Cell 85 at 1.85V in Battery Section 1 (different section). Section 1 replaced under same Special Coverage. Vehicle returned Jan 28, 2026. FAILURE 3 ([XXX], ~300 miles after Failure 2 repair): Vehicle again lost propulsion on the freeway with check engine light, then progressed to no-start condition. Towed to dealer. Diagnosed Feb 20, 2026: DTC P0AFA, Cell 57 at 1.5V in Battery Section 2 (GM minimum spec 2.5V). Third distinct section failure. Vehicle remains at dealer awaiting GM repair authorization as of filing date. SAFETY CONCERN: Loss of propulsion at freeway speeds is an immediate safety hazard. During the Nov 2025 event, the vehicle lost power on [XXX] at night in active traffic. The progressive failure pattern (three different sections failing sequentially in the same pack, identical DTC) suggests a systemic defect rather than isolated component failures. Prior section replacements have not resolved the underlying problem. Vehicle has been usable approximately 20 total days in the past 12 months. All repairs performed or pending under GM Special Coverage N232432680. GM Case [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11721595

Incident

Feb 9, 2026

Several years ago, when I was driving the vehicle, I got a sudden "reduced propulsion alert" and the onboard coolant temperature gauge showed a significant spike in temperature. To avoid overheating, I had to pull over on the side of the highway. In the onboard fuse box, there was a blown F3 fuse. I replaced the fuse and the same issue happened again last year. After some online research, it is clear that the EGR valve failed. Unplugging the valve and replacing the fuse has returned the vehicle to normal operations, but it's now out of compliance with local emissions regulations. GM has failed to properly produce replacement parts. As of Feb 11, 2026, a local GM dealer in Bloomington, IN quoted a backorder and unclear wait time on a replacement part and quoted me at $2,000+ just for the part. If not for my quick thinking, this part failure could have overheated my vehicle causing extensive damages. GM has failed to produce enough replacement parts and given the safety issues associated with a blown fuse and overheating, NHTSA should order a recall on this part and force GM to replace the parts for owners. This is a widespread problem documented among Volt owners, and the only stopgap issue is to drive the vehicle out of compliance with local emissions rules.

NHTSA ID

11717254

Incident

Jan 3, 2025

There is a ongoing problem with the BECM on 2016-2018 volts. Mine is one of them. Contacted Chevrolet and they say my vin isn’t under the extended coverage. I believe it should be and can’t stand they won’t cover my car under warranty. Is there anything you can do?

NHTSA ID

11713641

Incident

Jan 24, 2026

My car started having issues with the hybrid system, with fault alerts related to the drive motor control module, hybrid powertrain control module, and battery energy control module in the transmission, and the vehicle is available for inspection if needed. The engine light had been on for about a week, and I was waiting for availability at work to take it to a mechanic. While driving around 70 mph on the highway, a “Propulsion Power Reduced” message suddenly came on and the car started limiting its speed. As I kept driving, the power continued to drop, making it unsafe to stay at highway speeds and putting both me and other drivers at risk since the car couldn’t keep up with traffic and could slow down unexpectedly. I took it to an independent mechanic who confirmed the issue and warned me it was dangerous to drive because the speed would keep decreasing as power dropped. So far, only an independent mechanic has inspected it. After doing some research, I found this is a very common problem with 2016–2018 Chevy Volts, with many people reporting similar situations where their cars lost power or started jerking at high speeds and they had to pull over.

NHTSA ID

11711096

Incident

Jan 3, 2026

Experiencing intermittent propulsion system failure with multiple simultaneous warning messages on 2017 Chevrolet Volt at approximately 59,000 miles. WARNINGS DISPLAYED: - "Propulsion Power Reduced" message - "Check Tire Pressure Monitoring System" (false alert - all tires properly inflated and recently replaced) - Multiple dashboard warning lights including exclamation point indicators - Vehicle exhibits abnormal driving characteristics PATTERN: Issue occurs intermittently while driving. Vehicle can be restarted and may operate normally afterward, then fault returns unpredictably. SAFETY CONCERN: This matches documented Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) failure pattern referenced in GM investigation N232432680/PE23022 and Customer Satisfaction Program 17228 recall N172096420 for reduced propulsion power in 2016-2018 Volts. Review of owner complaints shows other 2017 Volt owners experiencing sudden complete loss of propulsion while driving at highway speeds, creating dangerous situations requiring evasive action by other drivers. RISK: Loss of propulsion power while driving with dependent passengers creates serious crash risk. Vehicle is used for daily transportation of minor children. REQUEST: Vehicle exhibits known defect pattern but manufacturer has not extended recall coverage. Request investigation into whether recall should be expanded to cover additional affected vehicles.

NHTSA ID

11710156

Incident

Jan 10, 2026

The BECM (Battery Energy Control Module) failed. The vehicle illuminated the MIL and the driver display to show a "Reduced power". When restarted, the display showed "shift to park", which I did several times. After a couple of restarts it displayed the "Reduced power" message, but would not go into drive. THE MIL was illuminated the entire time. Through numerous key cycles I got the VIN operable and took it to the dealer for repair. The BECM part is at the dealer or on its way back to GM as a core return. While this occurred while I was leaving my garage, it could have occurred in traffic, which would put me or others at risk. The problem was investigated by my local dealer (Currie Chevrolet in Forest Park, IL) and it was determined to be both a bad Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) and a bad shifter assembly. The shifter had been replaced (or repaired?) for an earlier Shift to Park failure per TSB 23-NA-119. The dealer kept the BECM as a core. I have pictures of the core. The dealer or GM should have that core. The above described warning lamps and messages and systems first appeared at the time of the event that lead me to take it other dealer ASAP. Note the condition and model year is described in GM special coverage letter "N232432680 Battery Energy Control Module Malfunction". NHTSA investigation PE23022 lead to this coverage letter. Per GM, while my vehicle experienced the conditions and is in the model year coverage of the letter, its VIN is not covered. I think NHTSA should re-open the investigation and consider a recall. There could be other VINS susceptible this failure condition. There could be operators of those VINs who cannot afford the expense (~$3000 or more) or downtime of the repair, and will keep operating the vehicle, putting people at risk again. If a recall is not supportable, I'd request that the VIN list be expanded to cover all possible defective BECMs.

NHTSA ID

11709185

Incident

Dec 26, 2025

On 10/14, I was driving the car to my job, when the car suddenly switched from its electric battery power to its internal combustion engine. The vehicle's information screen only showed that the battery was unavailable. I was able to operate the car on only the internal combustion engine to arrive at work. However, when I went to leave several hours later, the car would not start. The car was towed to a dealership and apparently repaired after about a week. However, the repair, a software reset, did not fixt the underlying issues, and on 10/27, after having the car for five days, the car again failed on my way to work, displaying a "Shift to Park" message and not starting. I towed the car to the same dealership, and they had it until 11/04. I recovered my car and drove it again to work that same day, but the car failed again due to the dealership not correctly diagnosing the issue, which appears to be the BECM, a failure related to bulletin N232432680. Due to this issue, I was left stranded on a busy highway for several hours on multiple occasions, and have not have a working vehicle since 10/14, meaning I have had to call off of work on multiple days, losing non-trivial amounts of income and undue economic hardship, due to this issue. Neither the dealership nor General Motors have offered any kind of help or support, and have generally attempted to avoid responding to my repeated phonecalls. Prior to this issue, there were no warnings or symptoms that I observed.

NHTSA ID

11707875

Incident

Oct 14, 2025

I was driving in stop and go traffic on a relatively busy road when I was cut off. I braked hard to avoid a collision. Immediately afterwards, the car would not respond to the accelerator and would not go forward. I was in the middle of the road and the car would not respond. It could have caused an accident. I put the car into park and then back into drive and it seemed to work again. But I am now worried about the car.

NHTSA ID

11705387

Incident

Dec 15, 2025

I am reporting a series of safety concerns regarding my 2017 Chevy Volt, which have persisted despite multiple attempts to address them with the dealership. These issues pose significant risks to my safety and that of others on the road. On January 18th, 2024, I brought my vehicle to the dealer after experiencing reduced propulsion power while driving on the highway, coupled with the illumination of the check engine light. The mechanic performed a quick inspection and used a GM scan tool to diagnose the issue, revealing the code P1E00 for the Hybrid Powertrain Control Module 2, which was cleared without a thorough investigation. I was advised to return if the issue reoccurred. Despite the reset, the problem persisted, and on February 9th, 2024, I scheduled another appointment due to my Chevy Volt's High Voltage battery charging only to 65% capacity despite indicating a full charge. Subsequently, on February 11th, 2024, the check engine light illuminated again, and on February 12th, 2024 and again on November 25th, 2025, while driving to work, both times I experienced a loss of propulsion power on the highway, placing my safety at risk and lost all power in a traveling lane of traffic. These ongoing issues with propulsion power and the high-voltage battery charging system are not only inconvenient but also potentially dangerous. Despite multiple visits to the dealership and attempts to diagnose and resolve the problem, it persists, indicating a systemic issue that requires immediate attention. The reduced propulsion power while driving on the highway, coupled with the illuminationI urge the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate this matter thoroughly to ensure the safety of Chevy Volt drivers and passengers. It is imperative that General Motors addresses these issues promptly and implements appropriate measures to prevent further incidents.

NHTSA ID

11701635

Incident

Nov 25, 2025

Vehicle propulsion system failed. According to Chevy dealer the Battery Energy Control Module and A/T Control Park Switch and harness failed. Warning lights came on when the failure happened. Failure happened just past the extended 150k mile warranty. But car in only 8 years old.

NHTSA ID

11693062

Incident

Oct 9, 2025

My EGR system caused a check engine light. P0401 This is an extremely well documented issue on Gen2 Volts, especially 2017 models. Simply searching "EGR" on the Volt subreddit or forums returns hundreds of related threads. This issue can lead to a clogged EGR valve, causing further damage. A temporary resolution is unplugging the EGR valve, which i have not yet done. But this leaves the CEL illuminated, and without daily scanner, I wouls not know if other issues arise, causing a significant safety hazard.

NHTSA ID

11692401

Incident

Oct 9, 2025

EGR Valve failed in this vehicle <55,000 miles. The EGR valve has an electronic component that, when fails, can cause the car to shut down by blowing the "walk home" fuse. This is a safety issue. This is a well documented problem (internet) and Chevrolet refuses to fix it, leaving the owners with an expensive replacement quoted at $3900 (Sept 2025). Recommend that it be covered by the emissions warranty, which was recently extended to 150,000 miles and 8 years for other problematic emissions components. An electric vehicle that cannot be driven because an EGR valve is faulty - it's a joke.

NHTSA ID

11689998

Incident

Sep 18, 2025

Check engine light came on car was able to start but the cluster started reading the battery being full with a charge. And was having trouble starting. Fast forward a day I get a propulsion system reduced warning on the dash as I’m entering the highway and the car fails to stay on I’m able to pull it to the shoulder and I cannot get the car to start. Get towed home throw it on the charger and the dash says unable to charge. swap the 12v (checked it and it died) thinking that might fix the problem since the car was able to power on but not start. To no avail through my code reader and code p1e00 code. Took it to my local dealer and was told id need replace the becm… and was quoted 33xx for the repair. Had any of this happened while I was on the freeway I might not have been able to make it to the shoulder potentially putting myself and others on the road and a possibly fatal situation.

NHTSA ID

11685432

Incident

Aug 30, 2025

Propulsion power reduced and check engine light came on my 2017 Chevy volt - been happening a few times now the last week

NHTSA ID

11681705

Incident

Aug 8, 2025