FaultScore

2017 Chevrolet Volt engine problems

186 of the 1,199 complaints about the 2017 Chevrolet Volt are about the engine — 16% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 28,000 miles.

B

186

Complaints

2

Crashes

1

Fires

2

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Engine 181 97.3%
GAS Recirculation Valve (Egr Valve) 4 2.2%
Engine AND Engine Cooling 1 0.5%

Engine & Cooling across every Chevrolet Volt year

2012 27 7.5%
2013 38 10.5%
2014 11 3.0%
2016 49 13.5%
2017 186 51.4%
2018 51 14.1%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Pasadena, CA

ENGINE

Received "reduced propulsion" message, with no engine detected. Car slowed to a near stop while driving on the Interstate highway. Very dangerous to have that suddenly happen. Message popped up randomly with no prior warning.

NHTSA complaint #11745522 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Chapel Hill, NC

ENGINE

Egr valve went out ; causing a fuse to go out; which triggered a limp home mode: stranding me on side of road

NHTSA complaint #11732820 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Ferndale, MI

ENGINE

Brought car into Chevrolet dealership for intermittent “miss” when driving. Dealer diagnosed it needed an EGR valve replaced at a cost of around $4,000.00 which is a significant portion of the cars value.

NHTSA complaint #11726050 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 92,000 miles Torrance, CA

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed or while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was unexpectedly illuminated. Additionally, there were several error codes provided through the Mobile App for engine-related failures. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 92,000.

NHTSA complaint #11724699 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Vineyard, UT

ENGINE

I am reporting a series of safety concerns regarding my 2017 Chevy Volt, which have persisted despite multiple attempts to address them with the dealership. These issues pose significant risks to my safety and that of others on the road. On January 18th, 2024, I brought my vehicle to the dealer after experiencing reduced propulsion power while driving on the highway, coupled with the illumination of the check engine light. The mechanic performed a quick inspection and used a GM scan tool to diagnose the issue, revealing the code P1E00 for the Hybrid Powertrain Control Module 2, which was cleared without a thorough investigation. I was advised to return if the issue reoccurred. Despite the reset, the problem persisted, and on February 9th, 2024, I scheduled another appointment due to my Chevy Volt's High Voltage battery charging only to 65% capacity despite indicating a full charge. Subsequently, on February 11th, 2024, the check engine light illuminated again, and on February 12th, 2024, November 25th, 2025, January 11th, 2026, and February 12, 2026 while driving to work, both times I experienced a loss of propulsion power on the highway, placing my safety at risk and lost all power in a traveling lane of traffic. These ongoing issues with propulsion power and the high-voltage battery charging system are not only inconvenient but also potentially dangerous. Despite multiple visits to the dealership and attempts to diagnose and resolve the problem, it persists, indicating a systemic issue that requires immediate attention. The reduced propulsion power while driving on the highway, coupled with the illumination, I urge the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate this matter thoroughly to ensure the safety of Chevy Volt drivers and passengers. It is imperative that General Motors addresses these issues promptly and implements appropriate measures to prevent further incidents.

NHTSA complaint #11718741 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bloomington, IN

ENGINE

Several years ago, when I was driving the vehicle, I got a sudden "reduced propulsion alert" and the onboard coolant temperature gauge showed a significant spike in temperature. To avoid overheating, I had to pull over on the side of the highway. In the onboard fuse box, there was a blown F3 fuse. I replaced the fuse and the same issue happened again last year. After some online research, it is clear that the EGR valve failed. Unplugging the valve and replacing the fuse has returned the vehicle to normal operations, but it's now out of compliance with local emissions regulations. GM has failed to properly produce replacement parts. As of Feb 11, 2026, a local GM dealer in Bloomington, IN quoted a backorder and unclear wait time on a replacement part and quoted me at $2,000+ just for the part. If not for my quick thinking, this part failure could have overheated my vehicle causing extensive damages. GM has failed to produce enough replacement parts and given the safety issues associated with a blown fuse and overheating, NHTSA should order a recall on this part and force GM to replace the parts for owners. This is a widespread problem documented among Volt owners, and the only stopgap issue is to drive the vehicle out of compliance with local emissions rules.

NHTSA complaint #11717254 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Vineyard, UT

ENGINE

I am reporting a series of safety concerns regarding my 2017 Chevy Volt, which have persisted despite multiple attempts to address them with the dealership. These issues pose significant risks to my safety and that of others on the road. On January 18th, 2024, I brought my vehicle to the dealer after experiencing reduced propulsion power while driving on the highway, coupled with the illumination of the check engine light. The mechanic performed a quick inspection and used a GM scan tool to diagnose the issue, revealing the code P1E00 for the Hybrid Powertrain Control Module 2, which was cleared without a thorough investigation. I was advised to return if the issue reoccurred. Despite the reset, the problem persisted, and on February 9th, 2024, I scheduled another appointment due to my Chevy Volt's High Voltage battery charging only to 65% capacity despite indicating a full charge. Subsequently, on February 11th, 2024, the check engine light illuminated again, and on February 12th, 2024, November 25th, 2025, and January 11th, 2026, while driving to work, both times I experienced a loss of propulsion power on the highway, placing my safety at risk and lost all power in a traveling lane of traffic. These ongoing issues with propulsion power and the high-voltage battery charging system are not only inconvenient but also potentially dangerous. Despite multiple visits to the dealership and attempts to diagnose and resolve the problem, it persists, indicating a systemic issue that requires immediate attention. The reduced propulsion power while driving on the highway, coupled with the illumination I urge the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate this matter thoroughly to ensure the safety of Chevy Volt drivers and passengers. It is imperative that General Motors addresses these issues promptly and implements appropriate measures to prevent further incidents.

NHTSA complaint #11710367 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Oswego, IL

ENGINE

EGR valve and EGR cooler failure. Engine power was reduced and EGR fuse kept blowing. Has code for EGR flow failure/restriction. Check engine light remains on even when reset

NHTSA complaint #11692768 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Durham, NC

ENGINE

My EGR system caused a check engine light. P0401 This is an extremely well documented issue on Gen2 Volts, especially 2017 models. Simply searching "EGR" on the Volt subreddit or forums returns hundreds of related threads. This issue can lead to a clogged EGR valve, causing further damage. A temporary resolution is unplugging the EGR valve, which i have not yet done. But this leaves the CEL illuminated, and without daily scanner, I wouls not know if other issues arise, causing a significant safety hazard.

NHTSA complaint #11692401 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mansfield, TX

ENGINE

EGR Valve failed in this vehicle <55,000 miles. The EGR valve has an electronic component that, when fails, can cause the car to shut down by blowing the "walk home" fuse. This is a safety issue. This is a well documented problem (internet) and Chevrolet refuses to fix it, leaving the owners with an expensive replacement quoted at $3900 (Sept 2025). Recommend that it be covered by the emissions warranty, which was recently extended to 150,000 miles and 8 years for other problematic emissions components. An electric vehicle that cannot be driven because an EGR valve is faulty - it's a joke.

NHTSA complaint #11689998 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Kirkland, WA

ENGINE

Thousands of 2014-2017 Chevy Volt owners are having issues where the EGR Valve malfunctions and the engine shuts down. The Volt's EGR valve can cause the car to shut down by blowing the "walk home" fuse. This is a safety issue. In many cases cars are in the shop for months because the part is on "backorder". That's my situation-- dealer just told me it's a $2800 repair job, but the part is on "backorder". The car only has 49K miles. Many threads on reddit with hundreds of comments / upvotes: [XXX] / [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11690014 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mulvane, KS

ENGINE

My 2017 Chevrolet Volt is experiencing "a malfunction involving the battery energy control module (BECM)" as diagnosed by the Davis-Moore dealership. This failure of the BECM has now caused "a reduced power mode, a no start condition, or a no charge condition". The car currently does not start or charge. My vehicle has be diagnosed as needing a BECM replacement at a Chevrolet dealership. The vehicle is currently inoperable as it will not charge, it will not engage the electric drive mode, and it will not engage the range extender (engine). The car does not start. GM is showing that there is no active recall or special warranty for my vehicle, however, I believe special warranty N23243268 should apply.

NHTSA complaint #11688130 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Houston, TX

ENGINE

I was driving my car from Houston to Dallas when I got the "reduced propulsion" message and a check engine light. When I first saw the reduced propulsion issue I thought it might be related to the BECM issue again since I had already experienced that problem before. In the last few minutes of my trip the AC started to get hot and when I checked the coolant temperature I noticed it was around 240 - 255 F. I hadn't noticed it since there was no warning light for high temperature which I am used to with other cars. I'm not sure of the full extent of the issues yet, but I know for certain that the EGR valve has failed completely at about 71,500 miles. This is with very few miles on the actual ICE. I typically only use the ICE for a few hundred miles of driving each year. Fortunately for me, even though the CEL came on for the reduced propulsion I was able to reach my destination. However, when I went to leave, the car left me stranded as the ICE would shut down after a few minutes of running. The propulsion system is reduced and the engine becomes unavailable. Only the battery power will allow the car to drive. The F3 fuse in the EGR circuit blows if the engine is activated, and has happened multiple times already confirming the EGR issue. I have additional check engine lights that are a result of the EGR failure to circulate coolant properly. Below is a list of all the CEL codes that were pulled: P06DB P0030 P0031 P0403 P0405 P0443 P0458 P0489 P0597 P0598 P06DA P0AC4 P0135 P0AC4 P16E0 Looking into this issue I found that this is an one of the most common failures in the Chevy Volts but is no longer covered under the vehicle warranty and no bulletins posted for an extended warranty other than the BECM failure. This failure is so prevalent that I am surprised it is not.

NHTSA complaint #11681144 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Westwego, LA

ENGINE

Portion message car stalled on hey

NHTSA complaint #11670250 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Ashburn, VA

ENGINE

EGR Valve stop functioning, which caused Service not available engine check light on. This is a hybrid plugin, when battery is low, it is dangerous is Gas Engine not functioning. This EGR Valve is super expensive, the fix (Parts and Labor) is over $3300. The car milage was only a little over 58800 miles. Without getting this repaired, the emission inspection will not be passed in Virginia.

NHTSA complaint #11669995 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Eagle Mountain, UT

ENGINE

My experience required me to tow my 2017 Chevy Volt from a parking garage, where the BECM died, to 2 different dealerships back and forth to my home. I have been charged over $1,000 in towing and diagnostics at my local dealerships. As usual they informed that I need a new $10k battery. I did my own research and the error codes (U2603, U2604, U2605, U2606, U2617, U2618, U2619, U2620, U2621, U2622, U2623, U2624 and P1E00) clearly indicate that my BECM failed. I was able to check the health and status of the traction battery and it functioning correctly. On my 3rd trip to my local dealership service department with the Special Coverage Program N232432680 in hand, the dealership informed me that yes my BCM had failed and there was a Special Coverage Program for 2016-2019 Chevy Volts, but that MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT COVERED. There were a limited number of VINS that received warranty extensions for BECM, but mine was not.

NHTSA complaint #11669821 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Deforest, WI

ENGINE

While driving the vehicle, the car shut down. Thankfully I was coming to a yield at a round about after exiting the Interstate. I was finally able to get it to restart and proceeded on my way. If this had happened on the Interstate myself, and other drivers would be at risk due to unassisted steering and braking. I also have experienced intermittent periods of "Reduction of Power" while on the interstate and other 55MPH plus highways. This presents a hazard to myself and other drivers as well. These issues ARE covered for similar vehicles under Special Warranty Coverage N232432680 as required by NHTSA on March 6, 2024. My vehicle also exhibits all of the primary symptoms described in that coverage, but GM claims that my vehicle is NOT covered. CEL is on. Can't charge condition Reduced power No start condition

NHTSA complaint #11666037 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Columbia, MD

ENGINE

My 2017 Volt reported a "Propulsion Power is Reduced" message on the display. When I took the car to the dealership for service, they stated that a new EGR valve was needed. The part alone is $1847. The total service with labor would have been over $3000. Looking online, it is a very common issue for the gen 2 Volts. Unfortunately, the dealership is saying this repair is not covered under warranty.

NHTSA complaint #11665710 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

West Allis, WI

ENGINE

There is a part that fails on a lot of GM vehicles due to getting clogged (an EGR valve). It prevents the vehicle from reaching high speeds on the highway and can fail while driving (which happened to me). I could have lost control of the vehicle on the highway and crashed or gotten rear-ended. GM refuses to pay for repairs involving this part despite so many people reporting the issue that they needed to do another production run of the part after discontinuing it. Here are many others that experienced this problem: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11663386 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Los Angeles, CA

ENGINE

There was a recall for the HPCM2 where the propulsion power reduced warning would come on whenever the car's cell battery was depleted. This happened with my car and there were several times it slowed on the freeway and on exit ramps as I tried to safely get my car off the road. It first happened on 4/13/25. I took my car to a regular mechanic who charged me 3k of repairs on basic maintenance, new tires, etc but were unable to fix this issue. They advised it was a manufacturer issue and to go to a hybrid specialist or a dealership. I called a hybrid specialist who found the faulty code and advised the same. I took my car to Felix Chevrolet (3330 S. Figueroa St. LA, CA 90007) and they offered to do many maintenance service items that I had done earlier this week in an attempt to fix the HPCM2 software bug. After I told them that the maintenance items were complete, they called me back an hour later to tell me I needed other maintenance repairs that are less common. When I gave them the description of the recall and re-explained this is identical to my car's symptoms and that this manufacturing issue may have affected other vehicles like mine that were outside of the recall batch, they told me it was impossible to apply this diagnosis as long as my VIN number was outside of the recall batch. Can you please add my VIN to this recall or have my car reviewed by someone who can debug the software?

NHTSA complaint #11657354 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Overton, TX

ENGINE

My Chevy Volt went into Reduced Propulsion System Power Mode, the Engine light came on and the vehicle stalled while sitting at a traffic light on [XXX] at [XXX] in Tyler Texas. Checking the computer and the complaints online I found that my 15 AMP #03 fuse (No Walk Home) had blown. I replaced the fuse and the next day on [XXX] the same thing happened again after driving 30 miles. The vehicle stalled at an intersection outside of Tyler Texas. The EGR Valve is known to cause the fuse to blow, so I had no choice but to unplug the EGR Valve and replaced the fuse and has not blown the fuse since. This is BOTH a safety issue and an emissions issue, but the replacement part cannot be found anywhere to purchase anymore so I am having to drive this vehicle with this ongoing safety issue. Due to the nature of the EGR Valve blowing the fuse all the time and that it affects the safety of the vehicle a nationwide recall needs to be done on these vehicles to force GM to start making the part again. This is a dangerous flaw that will cause the vehicle to stall and create a safety hazard. This has been ongoing for quite some time with these Volts, and something needs to be done about it ASAP. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11653362 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Clarksville, TN

ENGINE

My car needs an Egr valve replacement and this is a known and common problem with this car and now they are trying to charge me outrageous prices for an issue that they know is defective. The becm , the Egr valve, and the shift to park. need to be recognized as recalls

NHTSA complaint #11651783 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Columbus, OH

ENGINE

Bad EGR valve in 2017 Chevy Volt, apparently a common problem. Received a check engine light, risk of reduced propulsion (creates risk of stalling and crashing on highway).

NHTSA complaint #11651408 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Simi Valley, CA

ENGINE

P0401 ERROR EGR VALVE NOT RECEIVING ENOUGH FUEL

NHTSA complaint #11650026 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Concord, CA

ENGINE

On December 2023 the vehicle lost power and lost control while driving speed limit 55 Mph followed by check engine light associated codes due to known issue with BCEM controller failing. June 2024 Vehicle experienced the same issue with duplicate check engine codes associated with prior issue. Dealer states the vehicle has a bad battery pack and has been there for over 8 months. Vehicle has a BECM warranty due to a law suite filed and also has a battery pack warranty from GM that was extended for 150,000 miles or 10 years.

NHTSA complaint #11646116 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Davie, FL

ENGINE

Battery Energy Control Module failed and left my daughter stranded.

NHTSA complaint #11645884 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lansing, MI

ENGINE

Yes this vehicle can be made ready for inspection upon request. According to the registered Chevrolet dealership who inspected my vehicle and gave me the diagnosis - The cars EGR valve control board is shorting out Fuse #3 which leads the car to enter “reduced propulsion mode” and keeps you from using the generator engine due to being in this mode. This happened as I was driving home from work one day and the car notified me of this issue and entering into this mode. This could leave people stranded if low on battery charge, or in danger due to reduced propulsion. Chevy no longer manufactures this unique EGR valve and thus the repair requires obtaining back ordered parts from a manufacturer outside of the US for thousands of dollars. Alternatively you can drive without the EGR power cord connected, which means greater emissions and environmental risk/damage. This is not covered under warranty. This is a known faulty part that many Volt owners complain about, which makes it a good candidate for recall. Thank you for your time, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11645145 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hallsville, MO

ENGINE

The EGR valve failed. This caused the vehicle to have insufficient propulsion while driving. The dealer has confirmed the EGR valve is the problem. The vehicle is at the dealership. The check engine light came on. The dealer is now stating the replacement EGR valve is a $4000 part because GM stopped making the part when they discontinued the Volt. An EGR valve should cost $250-$400 not $4000. The current trade-in value of my vehicle is only $7000. I cannot get my vehicle fixed due to the cost and the vehicle is too dangerous to drive due to the power loss issues.

NHTSA complaint #11642680 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Waialua, HI

ENGINE

The car has a Check Engine Light and "reduced propulsion" warning. Based on OBDII errors, the EGR on my chevy volt failed. I am not in a CARB state (i'm in Hawaii, though I bought my Volt in CA, which is a CARB state). The EGR issues plague all Gen2 Chevy Volts, and tends to break around 40-70k miles into the life of the car. EGR spare part availability is very limited. Given the frequency with which this car breaks for this issue, and the negative impact on emissions, this should be a recall issue nationwide, not just for states that keep CARB requirements.

NHTSA complaint #11641741 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 115,000 miles Pilot Hill, CA

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the message “Unable to Charge” was displayed with the check engine warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.

NHTSA complaint #11641781 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2017 Chevrolet Volt problems

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