2016 Chevrolet Volt problems, complaints & recalls

2016 Chevrolet Volt recalls (1)

• Recall 17V621000Oct 5, 201716 vehicles
  AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

  General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado, and 2016 Chevrolet Volt vehicles. The driver's frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash.

  Risk: An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury in a crash.

  Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2017. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17387.

NHTSA defect investigations

• PE23022Opened Nov 29, 2023Closed Mar 3, 2025

  Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module

  On November 29, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE23022 to investigate allegations of a loss of motive power, including a stall, reduced power state, and/or a no start condition due to the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) in model year (MY) 2016-2019 Chevrolet Volt passenger car vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The BECM is located within the high voltage electric vehicle (EV) battery pack and monitors the temperature, current, and voltage of the high voltage battery cell groups. GM stated that the root cause was identified as an internal failure leading…

• DP22005Opened Jan 27, 2023Closed Aug 7, 2023led to recall 22V063000

  Pedestrian alert sounds

  NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after Marc…

Recent 2016 Chevrolet Volt complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Jun 30, 2026TXFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   The Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) on my 2016 Chevrolet Volt has failed. The vehicle and the component are currently located at my home address and are available for inspection upon request. As of writing this now. This failure caused the vehicle to enter a "reduced power mode" and subsequently resulted in a no-start and no-charge condition. The sudden loss of propulsion power presents a severe safety and crash risk, as the vehicle can lose motive power and stall…

   NHTSA complaint #11747550 · source
2. Filed Jun 22, 2026ILElectrical SystemFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   I purchased the above-listed 2016 Chevrolet Volt through Carvana, relying on the contractual promise that the BECM was covered under Special Coverage N232432680 for up to 15yrs or 150k miles. The vehicle has suffered persistent, severe mechanical and electrical issues resulting in a prolonged loss of use: 1. Initial Breakdown and Delivery: The vehicle originally had a Reduced Propulsion Power Alert on Monday [XXX] around 8pm and nearly caused me to be rear ended on a major…

   NHTSA complaint #11745571 · source
3. Filed May 11, 2026ILFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   My 2016 Chevy Volt started experiencing the "Propulsion Power is Reduced" issues associated with a faulty BCEM unit. I brought my vehicle in for service at a Chevy dealer and they confirmed that the BCEM needed to be replaced. This is a known issue resulting in special coverage under N232432680. Chevy is not honoring the special coverage for my vehicle despite my vehicle being less that 15 years old and having fewer than 150,000 miles. According to the service manager after…

   NHTSA complaint #11737027 · source
4. Filed Mar 20, 2026UTElectrical SystemTransmission & Drivetrain

   I have a 2016 Chevy volt. It had to be towed to a Chevy dealership because it will not drive. The BECM module has failed, as is apparently the case with so many volt owners. GM, as a result of lawsuits about this car, extended the warrantee to fix the issue, but my vin number is not included in the case. The gar is a brick, and there is no way to fix it now. GM doen't even replace these batteries any more, and most often just buys back the bad vehicles. I still owe 9k on…

   NHTSA complaint #11725794 · source
5. Filed Mar 19, 2026GAFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   Vehicle displayed reduced propulsion and shift to park while driving on highway then suddenly stopped. Dealer said battery failed after a year of diagnosing issue. Issue may be BECM which has extended warranty service but dealer not addressing the issue of car stalling but instead other costly minor issues leaving the vehicle a safety concern. Replacing battery with a bad BECM would lead to exact same issue

   NHTSA complaint #11725573 · source
6. Filed Mar 11, 2026ORFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   After experiencing loss of power and loss of propulsion on the highway, took the car to Tropical Chevrolet in Miami Shores, FL. after diagnosing the car for $287.37 (credited to the estimate total of $3101.20), the dealership replaced the Battery Energy Control Module and bled the battery pack cooling system. We paid the bill ($2665.89). On January 4, 2026 the check engine light came on again when the propulsion was reduced again, while driving on a highway. Tropical…

   NHTSA complaint #11723689 · source
7. Filed Feb 10, 2026NCEngine

   The engine light came on, but the car would run and so took it to the dealer. They determined that the EGR valve had failed and would cost $2400 to repair. Apparently, this is a common failure point for Generation 2 Chevy Volts. If it might trigger a forced recall, I'd like to add this to the list.

   NHTSA complaint #11717029 · source
8. Filed Jan 29, 2026CAFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   In May 2025, the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) valve failed on my 2016 Chevy Volt with approx. 60,000 kms / 40,000 miles on it - that cost me approximately $3,000 to fix. In my opinion that should have been covered under warranty given that it is a common failure point on second generation Volts. Note that the EGR value (OEM - Original Equipment Manufacturer) is a readily available part. In October 2025, my BECM (Battery Energy Control Module) failed. Luckily, due to…

   NHTSA complaint #11714210 · source

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 10, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology