Chevrolet Volt Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 310 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the Chevrolet Volt across 8 model years. The 2013 model year has the most (161). The words owners use most often: “passenger seat” (39% of reports).
- 310air bags complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 9mention a crash
- 8mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- $1,150typical repair cost reported by owners
- 20%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.
- Passenger seat: mentioned in 121 of 310 complaints (39%)
- Service airbag: mentioned in 104 of 310 complaints (34%)
- Air bag: mentioned in 81 of 310 complaints (26%)
- Presence module: mentioned in 16 of 310 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical air bags repair on the Chevrolet Volt at $1,150, and half of them between $1,050 and $1,300.
Based on 69 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2017–2024), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 204 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 310 complaints, 9 mention a crash, 8 an injury.
Chevrolet Volt air bags complaints by model year
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Model years: 2013
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Camero, Sonic, and Volt vehicles. The driver-side air bag inflator may explode during deployment due to a manufacturing defect.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver-side air bag module, free of charge. On some 2013 Volt vehicles, the steering wheel will be replaced as well, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 23, 2023. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N232413120.
Air bags:frontal
Model years: 2016
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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…
The passenger occupancy sensor gives a false positive. The only way I can get rid of the beeping is plug in the seatbelt. I have read on Reddit forums that this is a very common problem with 2013 volts, but for some reason there isn't a recall. This is a safety issue. Thank you!
Airbag sensor failure in seat.
Front passenger seat sensor intermittently fails, causing the Passenger Airbag indicator to switch to OFF (even if a passenger is present) with an accompanying "Service Airbag" message on the dashboard and illumination of the service airbag light. This occurs usually driving above 25mph, but can…
Service airbag alert popped up
Frequently asked questions
Do all Chevrolet Volts have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 310 owner complaints about air bags for the Chevrolet Volt. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Chevrolet Volt air bags?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix air bags problems on the Chevrolet Volt?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,150 (half paid between $1,050 and $1,300), from 69 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the Chevrolet Volt?
The most frequent phrase is “passenger seat”, in 121 of 310 complaints, followed by “service airbag” (104).
Other Chevrolet Volt problems
- Electrical System problems (704)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (501)
- Power Train problems (432)
- Engine problems (368)
- Service Brakes problems (100)
See all Chevrolet Volt problems.