2017 Chevrolet Volt Powertrain (other) Problems

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

NHTSA ID

11755054

Incident

Jul 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

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

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

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, November 25th, 2025, January 11th, 2026, and February 12, 2026 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 illumination, I 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

11718741

Incident

Feb 12, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 - 40 MPH, the message stating that the propulsion was reduced was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact continued to drive the vehicle, and the vehicle unintendedly decelerated. The contact arrived at the destination and parked the vehicle, and the message “Shift to Park” was displayed even though the gear shifter was in park(P). The message “Charging Unavailable” was displayed. The contact stated that while charging the vehicle, the mileage was reduced from 72 miles to approximately 29 miles during the winter months, and 42 miles during the summer months, while still indicating a FULL charge. The “Shift to Park” failure had occurred twice the previous year, and the vehicle was turned off and restarted to correct the failure. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed that the hybrid power train control module had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified on the website, and a case was filed; however, a representative was not reached. The failure mileage was approximately 26,500.

NHTSA ID

11714931

Incident

Jan 2, 2025

Mileage

26,500 mi

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

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

My 2017 Chevy Volt is having Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) issues. I receive the occasional error message of "propulsion is reduced" and engine fault codes of P1E00, U2619, U2620, U2621, U2622, U2623, and U2624. GM issued a Special Coverage bulletin (N232432680) extending the warranty for the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) on 2016-2018 Chevy Volts to 15 years/150,000 miles. My Chevy Volt is within this year and mileage range, but for some reason my Chevy Volt VIN is not included in this Special Coverage (N232432680), which means that this special coverage for some reason doesn't apply to my 2017 Chevy Volt, even though it has the same issue. Is there a way that my 2017 Chevy Volt VIN can be added to this Special Coverage bulletin (N232432680) so that I can get warranty repairs? Thank you.

NHTSA ID

11706596

Incident

Nov 24, 2025

The engine light starts blinking and telling me propulsion power reduced, and then I cannot use the cruise control after that turns on, and it starts losing power, driving on I 70 after work all of a sudden it turned on and wet from going 76 miles an hour to 52 on highway I 70 where the speed limit was 75. This problem was a recall problem which was fixed and now is happening again on the same part and having the same problems.

NHTSA ID

11702324

Incident

Nov 30, 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

The vehicle losses power at times. Will not take a charge. It states it is in reduced power mode. It appears to be the becm however my vin is not reported to be on the special coverage.

NHTSA ID

11697334

Incident

Aug 11, 2025

While driving my Chevy Volt lost power as it disconnected from a full charged battery to gas as the check engine light lit on. The car would then hesitate after stopping at a light/stop sign, losing and regaining power as it gained momentum (which was very dangerous), and would no longer charge. The issue was confirmed by Sun Devil auto repair (diagnosis attached) that this was a known issue with Chevy Volts 2016-2018 and would be covered. I was advised that my VIN was not covered and paid Freeway Chevrolet $2,301.62 (invoice attached with BECM replacement) and would like to be reimbursed. The Chevy Volt's Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) warranty was extended by GM to 15 years or 150,000 miles, from its original 8-year/100,000-mile Volt Component coverage, for 2016-2018 models. This Special Coverage N232432680 addresses potential BECM malfunctions causing reduced power, no start, or no charge conditions. Details of the Extension •Coverage: 15 years or 150,000 miles (whichever comes first) from the vehicle's original in-service date. •Affected Models: Chevrolet Volt models from the 2016, 2017, and 2018 model years. •Purpose: To cover issues with the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) that can lead to reduced power, no-start, or no-charge conditions. I contacted Chevy and they recommended I file a complaint since they could not help me or explain why my make/model/year fits the criteria of a known issue and would not be covered.

NHTSA ID

11691117

Incident

Sep 20, 2025

My 2017 Chevrolet Volt is experiencing "a malfunction involving the battery energy control module (BECM)" as diagnosed by the Davis-Moore dealership. This failure of the BECM has now caused "a reduced power mode, a no start condition, or a no charge condition". The car currently does not start or charge. My vehicle has be diagnosed as needing a BECM replacement at a Chevrolet dealership. The vehicle is currently inoperable as it will not charge, it will not engage the electric drive mode, and it will not engage the range extender (engine). The car does not start. GM is showing that there is no active recall or special warranty for my vehicle, however, I believe special warranty N23243268 should apply.

NHTSA ID

11688130

Incident

Aug 19, 2025

I am writing regarding my Chevrolet Volt, which suffered the very common Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) failure that your office already investigated and which resulted in GM being required to extend coverage under special warranty reference: MC-10251431-0001 . Despite this, Chevrolet is refusing to cover my repair. Their reasoning: because my Volt was originally purchased in California, they claim it falls under CARB rules—but now that I live in Arizona, they insist neither California’s coverage nor the NHTSA-ordered special coverage applies. In effect, my vehicle has been trapped in a paperwork loophole GM is exploiting to avoid responsibility. This response is not in the spirit of your findings. The defect was not caused by geography, state lines, or ownership history. The BECM is a manufacturer defect, and it failed for the same reason thousands of others have failed: poor design and inadequate durability. Whether the car was first sold in California, Colorado, or Kansas is irrelevant—the failure is GM’s, and the repair obligation should be GM’s as well. By denying coverage on a technicality, Chevrolet is undermining the very purpose of the extended coverage you required: to protect owners from footing the bill for a well-documented, widespread, and unsafe defect. Their position leaves me, and others like me, bearing the costs of GM’s engineering failure. I ask that NHTSA review GM’s handling of these claims and require them to honor the extended coverage as intended, without hiding behind jurisdictional loopholes.

NHTSA ID

11682258

Incident

Jun 28, 2025

I was driving my car from Houston to Dallas when I got the "reduced propulsion" message and a check engine light. When I first saw the reduced propulsion issue I thought it might be related to the BECM issue again since I had already experienced that problem before. In the last few minutes of my trip the AC started to get hot and when I checked the coolant temperature I noticed it was around 240 - 255 F. I hadn't noticed it since there was no warning light for high temperature which I am used to with other cars. I'm not sure of the full extent of the issues yet, but I know for certain that the EGR valve has failed completely at about 71,500 miles. This is with very few miles on the actual ICE. I typically only use the ICE for a few hundred miles of driving each year. Fortunately for me, even though the CEL came on for the reduced propulsion I was able to reach my destination. However, when I went to leave, the car left me stranded as the ICE would shut down after a few minutes of running. The propulsion system is reduced and the engine becomes unavailable. Only the battery power will allow the car to drive. The F3 fuse in the EGR circuit blows if the engine is activated, and has happened multiple times already confirming the EGR issue. I have additional check engine lights that are a result of the EGR failure to circulate coolant properly. Below is a list of all the CEL codes that were pulled: P06DB P0030 P0031 P0403 P0405 P0443 P0458 P0489 P0597 P0598 P06DA P0AC4 P0135 P0AC4 P16E0 Looking into this issue I found that this is an one of the most common failures in the Chevy Volts but is no longer covered under the vehicle warranty and no bulletins posted for an extended warranty other than the BECM failure. This failure is so prevalent that I am surprised it is not.

NHTSA ID

11681144

Incident

Aug 17, 2025

While driving approximately 65 MPH on an interstate highway, the vehicle's check engine light illuminated. Very shortly after, the dashboard screen displayed the message "propulsion power reduced," and the internal combustion engine turned on. The vehicle's power was significantly reduced, almost causing an accident when another car started merging without checking their blind spot, forcing me into the left lane in front of a third vehicle that had to brake sharply to allow me to accelerate to keep up with traffic in that lane. Upon scanning the vehicle with an OBDII reader, codes P1E00, P1F06, U2603, U2604, U2605, U2606, U2617, and U2618 were present. Together, these codes indicate an issue with the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM). The vehicle is currently at a Chevrolet dealer, awaiting replacement of the BECM under the applicable warranty extension.

NHTSA ID

11678683

Incident

Aug 1, 2025

Vehicle: 2017 Chevrolet Volt Purchased: March 2017, new from Quality Chevrolet, Escondido, CA I am reporting a persistent and worsening issue with the “Shift to Park” system in my 2017 Chevy Volt. The problem began approximately three months after purchase (mid-2017) and has continued to worsen over time. Initially, the issue occurred intermittently, but it now happens every time I attempt to turn off the vehicle. The vehicle fails to recognize that it is in Park, displaying a “Shift to Park” message on the dashboard even when the gear selector is correctly positioned. This prevents the car from shutting off properly and poses a safety and battery drain risk. I brought the vehicle to Quality Chevrolet for service on the following dates: June 2017 April 2018 August 2020 Despite these visits, the dealership failed to diagnose or resolve the issue. On July 9, 2025, I returned to the same dealership, and they finally diagnosed the problem as a faulty jumper harness and switch contact, quoting $586 plus tax for the repair. I requested a goodwill repair from GM, given that the issue began within the warranty period and has been ongoing for years, but my request was denied. This is a known and widespread issue affecting many GM vehicles, and I believe it represents a design or manufacturing defect that should be subject to a recall or broader investigation. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue further to ensure consumer safety and accountability.

NHTSA ID

11672449

Incident

Jun 21, 2017

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while attempting to turn off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to respond as needed while shifted into park(P). The contact manipulated the gear shifter until park(P) was recognized and the vehicle turned off. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that an appointment with the dealer was scheduled to inspect the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

NHTSA ID

11672431

Incident

Jul 10, 2025

Mileage

114,000 mi

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that after arriving at the destination and moving the shifter into park(P), the message "Shift to Park" was displayed. The contact became aware that with the message displayed the vehicle would not start. The contact disconnected and reconnected the 12-Volt battery to reset the system, enabling the vehicle to start. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the Battery Energy Control Module. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 96,000.

NHTSA ID

11670831

Incident

Jul 2, 2025

Mileage

96,000 mi

My experience required me to tow my 2017 Chevy Volt from a parking garage, where the BECM died, to 2 different dealerships back and forth to my home. I have been charged over $1,000 in towing and diagnostics at my local dealerships. As usual they informed that I need a new $10k battery. I did my own research and the error codes (U2603, U2604, U2605, U2606, U2617, U2618, U2619, U2620, U2621, U2622, U2623, U2624 and P1E00) clearly indicate that my BECM failed. I was able to check the health and status of the traction battery and it functioning correctly. On my 3rd trip to my local dealership service department with the Special Coverage Program N232432680 in hand, the dealership informed me that yes my BCM had failed and there was a Special Coverage Program for 2016-2019 Chevy Volts, but that MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT COVERED. There were a limited number of VINS that received warranty extensions for BECM, but mine was not.

NHTSA ID

11669821

Incident

Jun 6, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that upon arriving to his destination and moving the shift lever into park(P), the warning message " Shift to Park" was displayed, preventing the vehicle from turning off. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the gear position sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-NA-206. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 85,000.

NHTSA ID

11668159

Incident

Jun 20, 2025

Mileage

85,000 mi

Driving on interstate doing 65 and suddenly warning pops up and car dies immediately. I was lucky to get over to the edge and not wreck or cause an accident. Found that the 12 volt battery was not being charged without warning until failure. Found a 15 amp fuse blown in the high voltage relay module.

NHTSA ID

11666946

Incident

Jun 13, 2025

There is a part that fails on a lot of GM vehicles due to getting clogged (an EGR valve). It prevents the vehicle from reaching high speeds on the highway and can fail while driving (which happened to me). I could have lost control of the vehicle on the highway and crashed or gotten rear-ended. GM refuses to pay for repairs involving this part despite so many people reporting the issue that they needed to do another production run of the part after discontinuing it. Here are many others that experienced this problem: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11663386

Incident

May 27, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the message "Shift to park" was displayed, and the vehicle failed to turn off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the gear shifter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

NHTSA ID

11662449

Incident

Dec 21, 2024

Mileage

81,000 mi