2018 Chevrolet Volt Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Volt years
- More complaints than other years 4th of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 225 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Volt. That ranks 4th out of 9 Volt model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (87 complaints, 39%), typically at around 33,300 miles. Complaints mention 4 crashes, 1 injury. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
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- 225owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 4complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2018 Chevrolet Volt problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 87 | 39% | 33,300 | “shift park” (43%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 85 | 38% | 23,200 | “shift park” (59%) | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 73 | 32% | 16,616 | “propulsion power” (37%) | — |
| Engine problems | 50 | 22% | 31,563 | “egr valve” (34%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 41 | 18% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 9 | 4% | 3,150 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 4% | 15 | — | — |
| Steering | 5 | 2% | 16,750 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 1% | 2,200 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 1% | 53,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 1% | 7,100 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | 30,379 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0% | 84,800 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 0% | 111,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2018 Chevrolet Volt recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seat belts:rear/other
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Cadillac CT6, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Volt, and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. Certain second-row or third-row rear seatbelts retractor assemblies may not automatically lock when the seatbelt is fully pulled out of the retractor, possibly preventing a child seat from being properly secured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: If the child seat is not properly secured in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seatbelt retractors and replace them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 7, 2018. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18315.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module (PE23022) — opened Nov 29, 2023, closed Mar 3, 2025.
- Pedestrian alert sounds (DP22005) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V063000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The vehicle operates normally in all-electric mode for its full range of approximately 48 miles. The failure occurs consistently at the exact moment the high-voltage battery depletes and the vehicle attempts its automatic transition from electric propulsion to the internal combustion engine. At the…
2018 Chevy Volt LT. Diagnosed with a bad battery section on September 9, 2026. Warranty part number # 24060120 ordered by dealer. Status September 28, 2026 - Part back-ordered / No ETA. Dealer refuses to provide a loaner car while waiting for the part.
FAILURE SUMMARY & SAFETY RISK: While operating in live traffic, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of motive power and entered a "Propulsion Power Reduced" failsafe mode, creating a severe rear-end collision hazard. The vehicle is currently grounded and remains available for inspection upon…
I was driving back from [XXX] on XXX, when I received a "propulsion power limited" message on my dash with a check engine light. I pulled off to a nearby gas station and tried to scan the code to figure out what was going on when I then received the message "Engine unavailable" and the car shut…
The vehicle frequently fails to register that the transmission has been shifted into Park. When this happens the instrument cluster displays "Action Required / Shift to Park" and the power (STOP/START) button will not shut the vehicle off. The condition is intermittent. I can usually clear it only…
Other Chevrolet Volt years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 Volt | 34 | 2 |
| 2018 | 225 | 2 |
| 2017 Volt | 701 | 0 |
| 2016 Volt | 170 | 1 |
| 2015 Volt | 44 | 1 |
| 2014 Volt | 93 | 0 |
| 2013 Volt | 308 | 3 |
| 2012 Volt | 245 | 2 |
| 2011 Volt | 49 | 1 |
See all Chevrolet Volt problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
Similar Chevrolet models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Chevrolet Volt?
Owners most often report electrical system, power train, fuel/propulsion system problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 87 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Chevrolet Volt?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2018 Chevrolet Volt a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Volt model years, the 2018 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.