2013 Chevrolet Volt Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 63 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2013 Chevrolet Volt, 20% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 57,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “propulsion power” (13% of reports).
- 63electrical system complaints
- 57,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 51%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.
- Propulsion power: mentioned in 8 of 63 complaints (13%)
- High voltage charging: mentioned in 5 of 63 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 44 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 63 complaints, 1 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.
Fully charged. Goes from electric to generator/gas propulsion and abruptly slowes about 1/2 speed. Very dangerous.
The passenger presence sensor is failing or failed because every time someone sit in there the airbag turns on and off repeatedly every 2-3 mins and gives a service airbag warning and if no one is sitting in the passenger seat then it just stays on. Could be really dangerous if a wreck happens…
I received the "Propulsion Power is Reduced" Alert engine light while driving in "Normal" mode on the freeway at around 60mph with 8-9 miles of Battery capacity, it showed 0 miles of Battery forcing the Gas Engine on and the vehicle hesitated upon applying the accelerator for the remainder of the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2013 Chevrolet Volts have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 63 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2013 Chevrolet Volt (20% of the 308 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 2013 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 57,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2013 Chevrolet Volt?
The most frequent phrase is “propulsion power”, in 8 of 63 complaints, followed by “high voltage charging” (5).
Other 2013 Chevrolet Volt problems
See all 2013 Chevrolet Volt problems or electrical system problems across all Volt years.