2012 Chevrolet Volt Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 86 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Volt, 35% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 73,200 miles. The words owners use most often: “instrument panel” (16% of reports).
- 86electrical system complaints
- 73,200median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 49%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Instrument panel: mentioned in 14 of 86 complaints (16%)
- Fuel level: mentioned in 7 of 86 complaints (8%)
- Went blank: mentioned in 5 of 86 complaints (6%)
- Became inoperable: mentioned in 5 of 86 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 72 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 86 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 3 an injury.
Chevrolet Volt electrical system complaints by model year
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system:ignition; engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Volt vehicles manufactured August 25, 2010, to June 26, 2013. If the driver exits the vehicle without turning off the electrical system, the battery may drain low enough that the gasoline engine will automatically start itself to recharge the electric battery.
Risk: If the engine runs for an extended period of time in an enclosed space, there may be a build up of carbon monoxide, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the engine management software to limit the time that the stationary vehicle can be left in the ON position, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14617.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, the contact attempted to start the vehicle; however, the instrument panel displayed a blank screen. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to…
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start, and the lights inside and outside of the vehicle failed to illuminate. The vehicle was jump-started. The failure reoccurred while attempting to restart the vehicle, and the contact was unable to drive the…
The contact owns a 2012 chevrolet volt. While driving at the speed of 70mph the instrument panel became inoperable without warning. As a result, the contact was unable to determine the speed of the vehicle, along with the amount of fuel that was inside the vehicle or any warning lamps. The incident…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Chevrolet Volts have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 86 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2012 Chevrolet Volt (35% of the 245 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Chevrolet Volt electrical system?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 73,200 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Volt?
The most frequent phrase is “instrument panel”, in 14 of 86 complaints, followed by “fuel level” (7).
Other 2012 Chevrolet Volt problems
- Air Bags problems (86)
See all 2012 Chevrolet Volt problems or electrical system problems across all Volt years.