102 of the 2,964 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Volt are about the braking system — 3% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2017.
102
Complaints
3%
Share of all complaints
17
Crashes
0
Fires
SERVICE BRAKES
Car will randomly accelerate when not on gas pedal and/or a delay in brakes working. Has happened on more than one occasion.
NHTSA complaint #11724225 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
A "service brakes" warning came up when I was parked in a parking lot and immediately afterwards the brakes stopped working when I was reversing in the parking lot and I almost backed up into another car. I had my car towed to Paradise Chevrolet and they diagnosed the problem as a faulty "brake pressure modulator valve" (BPMV) that needs to be replaced. I saw that there is a recall for the 2012 Chevy Volt for the same issue, faulty BPMV.
NHTSA complaint #11706598 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
I was driving in stop and go traffic on a relatively busy road when I was cut off. I braked hard to avoid a collision. Immediately afterwards, the car would not respond to the accelerator and would not go forward. I was in the middle of the road and the car would not respond. It could have caused an accident. I put the car into park and then back into drive and it seemed to work again. But I am now worried about the car.
NHTSA complaint #11705387 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
I was stopped at a red light with my foot on the brake. When the light turned green, I released the brake and the car suddenly accelerated forward on its own, without me touching the accelerator. As soon as the car surged forward, I immediately pressed the brake pedal hard to stop it but instead of slowing down, the car continued to accelerate. It felt like pressing the brake was making it worse. The car was totally out of my control. The vehicle collided with tow truck and even after the impact, the engine was still revving as if it was trying to keep going. I had to shut the car off to stop it completely. There were no warning lights or error messages before or during the malfunction. The front end of my car was damaged in the crash. No one was injured, but the malfunction could have easily caused serious harm or death. This was not user error it was a terrifying mechanical and electronic failure. The car accelerated on its own and the brakes failed or possibly triggered more acceleration. I have never experienced anything like this. After looking online, I found other Volt owners reporting similar problems involving brake assist failure, unintended acceleration, and stuck revving. This looks like a serious pattern that deserves urgent attention. I’m asking the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and General Motors to immediately investigate this issue. I want to know if there are any recalls, technical service bulletins (TSBs), or known defects related to brake failure or unintended acceleration in the 2011 Chevy Volt. Please contact me with next steps. This is a major safety risk that could easily result in fatalities if not addressed.
NHTSA complaint #11678156 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
Front brake calipers are sticking on, causing the brake pad to engage the rotor causing excessive heat. Risk of fire when parked in garage. I have had the calipers taken apart and cleaned and greased and still have the issue. I have read many reports on message boards of the same issue with no fix.
NHTSA complaint #11666898 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
Unknown My car has been accelerating and decelerating on it’s own while I’m driving.I got it checked with Fix Finder and states that my EGR Valve and ABS System failed. I brought it to a mechanic for a repair and I was told that the valve was unplugged so they plugged it back in and cleaned it , and said that everything was fine it said it might also be the cause of the failed ABS System but everything looks fine. After I got it fixed, it’s doing the same again and it’s worse this time. The car is accelerating on it’s own faster than what it did but the dashboard is saying 0mph. I was driving in the highway when it happened and it’s scary so I had to pull over.
NHTSA complaint #11656857 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
Been having issues with the dealership sierra chevy of monrovia. Brake fluid light came on. My car has been at the dealer for over two months now in counting. Closer to 3 months. First time was in July 24, 2024 for a check engine light. Fast forward to today Nov 19th, 2025. The car has been back at the dealer for the same issue the brake fluid light. Its now almost past 2 weeks. I have talked to the service manager and advisor a week ago. they told me they are having issues finding where the leak is coming from after having my vehicle there the past month. So I told them it was fine for the mechanic to drive the vehicle and figure it out. Now its almost another week and the service manager and advisor are not responding to my calls and texts. Left the service manager 2 voicemails already. Please help me get my car fixed and back to me. Service manager told me he would help me out with a rental since its a reoccurring issues . No communication from the dealership at all. No one is responding. After they claim to have fixed my vehicle the issue came back in less than a week. Dropped my car at the dealership on Nov 6th, 2024. Scared my vehicle's brakes will fail! Its still under warranty. Dont want the car back till its fixed properly. Just want my vehicle to be fixed
NHTSA complaint #11626466 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while the daughter was driving in reverse the warning message "Reduced Propulsion" had displayed and suddenly the power steering failed and the vehicle lurched backward and crashed into a utility pole. During the incident, the driver pressed the brake pedal but the vehicle did not stop. No injuries were reported and no police report was taken. The daughter was able to drive the vehicle home in "Limp" Mode. The contact later examined the vehicle and diagnosed that the engine battery ECM had failed. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the manufacturer's extended coverage for the failure. The failure mileage was 89,800.
NHTSA complaint #11614848 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
SERVICE BRAKE BOOSTER EMITS A SEMI CONTINUOUS TAPPING/CLICKING NOISE. CHEVROLET STATE THAT IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE AND DOES NOT REQUIRE REPAIR. HOWEVER, IT IS DIFFICULT TO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM WHILE THIS SOUND PERSISTS AND IT IS A CONSTANT DISTRACTION WHILE DRIVING. PLUS, THE ABILITY TO SELL OR TRADE THE VEHICLE IN THIS CONDITION IS DIMINISHED. ELIMINATION OF THE NOISE INVOLVES COSTLY REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER ASSY. CHEVROLET FIXED AN APPARENTLY IDENTICAL ISSUE ON THE BOLT MODEL WITH A SOFTWARE UPDATE, BUT CURRENTLY HAVE NO INTENTION TO DO ANYTHING SIMILAR FOR THE VOLT MODEL.
NHTSA complaint #11607082 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
While driving, the car developed a brake malfunction. when the brake pedal is depressed you can feel the pedal pulsating and was not slowing down until you pressed harder then the brakes apply abruptly causing risk of rear ending. Upon pulling over to the hard shoulder the pedal pulsating/drumming continued to happen even though the car is completely stopped and is in parking gear. The symptom is similar to the service bulletin PIC5734A. [XXX] The car was driven to the nearest dealership 'Dublin Chevorlet' in Dublin CA and the car has been there for 4 weeks since GM is unable to help resolve the problem. I have reached out to GM and opened a support case. Case number [XXX] ]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11601801 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
My 2017 Chevy Volt has been making a clicking noise coming from the brake booster assembly since I have bought it. When your foot is released from the brake pedal, there is an audible click (3-4 times a second) inside of the cabin and I've decided to make a formal complaint as GM isn't taking the appropriate action to fix this issue. My reasoning is that this issue is not only common on the Chevy Volt, but also the Chevy Bolt as they share the exact same brake booster. For the Volt, dealers are instructed to replace the Brake Pedal Retainer - GM (39081933) and the Brake Master Cylinder - GM (84006919). This repair is often quoted in excess of $2,000 even though there is a very high likelihood of the issue returning even when the parts are replaced. For the Chevy Bolt, dealers were instructed to stop replacing the brake booster as they determined there was a software fix that could solve the issue. There was a TSB regarding this which details both the problem and the repair procedure (# [XXX]) [XXX] While GM fixed this issue on the Bolts, the Volts have the exact same issue and owners are being directed to spend $2,000+ to make a repair that won't even fix the issue. GM needs to release the software fix for the Volts so that the issue can be resolved properly. This burdens current Volt owners improperly, as GM has proven that a software release can fix this but has thus far refused to address and implement it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11583256 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
Main Issue: Ongoing issue with stuck caliper causing the pads and wheels to overheat increasing the tire pressure to dangerous levels. The regenerative braking system is actually very effective in slowing the car when driven in L mode. If driven smartly, driver rarely have to use a lot of force using the physical brakes and rotors. Three times now, I have had issues where the front calipers were seized and the brakes were stuck causing the wheels to have visible smoke, odors and extreme temps. Perhaps they are not being used as much as normal brakes but service was done at the dealership on both cases, only to have the issue return within a year on a low mileage car. Looking at online forums, this appears to be a common issue with the Volt. Often the High Pressure Accumulator (HPA) is not properly reset during a brake job. [XXX] I have had other non EV cars with regular brakes that worked fine for > 50k miles before service, so there is clearly an issue here. Ironically, as these brakes caliper/pistons/rotors are less used due to regen, the chance of them getting stuck seems to be an issue when they are actually engaged leading to dangerous conditions. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11576323 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
abs system failure due to defect The cause of the condition may be a fracturing of the front half shaft anti-click washer (1) and possible collateral damage to the ABS wheel speed sensor (WSS). this defective $5 part causes thousands of dollars of repair this should be a recall as there are numerous reports of these parts failing and causing the vehicles braking system to be impaired this failure has happened to this vehicle 2 times with in the last 60 days
NHTSA complaint #11573583 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
Grandson was driving and went to brake to make a turn and the engine not available light came on and he had no brakes. He was unable to slow and take the turn and hit a truck in the front driver quarter panel which resulted in the car being a total loss.
NHTSA complaint #11560993 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
BECM failure resulted in a situation where the vehicle drove with erratic surging power delivery throwing engine codes P1E00, U2603,U2604, U2605,U2606 Regen braking in this vehicle has a dedicated control on the steering wheel which applies only regen braking no friction brakes. When battery state of charge is high this can result in a situation where the regen braking button abruptly (i.e. during one extended activation of the button) delivers less brake force than the user is demanding.
NHTSA complaint #11557979 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow down, the brake pedal required an abnormal amount of pressure to slow the vehicle. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the brake pressure modulator valve. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V271000 (Electronic Stability Control, Service Brakes) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
NHTSA complaint #11557540 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
A Shift to Park message displayed while the vehicle is in park. The car will not turn off and continues to run. The issue is well documented through GM/Chevrolet, as they have a service bulletin (19-NA-206) for it. That document specifically states that the Voltec Warranty covers this issue, but Chevrolet is refusing to service my car based on its VIN number, despite identifying it as the same issue. And for the last question, no lights initially came on but then the check engine light came back on. When the car was finally turned off at the dealership, it turned back on with no issue lights or messages.
NHTSA complaint #11540125 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
Vehicle does not allow driver to driven uphill when packed uphill but keeps rolling down the hill even upon being throttled. Also emergency brake goes not catch but locks the wheel. Chevy diagnosed the issues agreed is manufacture defect, parties contracted agreement singed for repairs at no cost. Upon arrival of parts Roseville Chevrolet wanted $4,500 be paid said it was out of warrantee contrarily with the written agreement. Presently I have minors cannot ride in the car. The car may also cause accident and injury to owner and other road users if not fixed.
NHTSA complaint #11535746 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
Several times since I purchased the car in Jan 2022, the left and/or right front brakes have dragged without brake pedal actuation while I was driving in surface street traffic, typically with speed limits of 25 to 35 mph. This has resulted in overheating of the brake caliper, rotor, and wheel. Typically the car can be driven again without issue after two hours of cool-off time. This phenomenon has occurred during both battery/electric and gasoline engine operation of the plug-in hybrid car. There are no instrument indications of a brake malfunction when it happens. It first becomes perceptible as a pulsation through the steering wheel and requires increased throttle pedal pressure to maintain speed. I brought the car to my local Chevrolet dealer after the first two of these incidents. Their first recommendation was a new set of tires to remove the influence of one mismatched tire. The new tires did not resolve the issue, and the dealer has not performed any other corrective action beyond a recommendation to replace calipers and rotors. Due to the intermittent nature of the failure and the fact that it affects both of the front brakes, I believe this is an ABS system issue and not a caliper/rotor issue, and I have not replaced those parts yet. The car's adaptive cruise control does not work properly. It almost always fails to set and shows "Adaptive Cruise Temporarily Unavailable" regardless of road conditions. This condition is intermittent and is not reproducible on demand. This condition is dangerous because it overheats the brake, wheel, and steering components. The heat may have damaged the wheel bearing, steering components, and CV joints. The heat also creates a risk of sudden wheel and/or tire failure while driving. The unexpected application of the brakes affects vehicle response to throttle and steering inputs, and has the potential to reduce driver control of the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11516497 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
1. Propulsion Power Reduced -AGAIN. We have had this repaired recently & it’s back. Apparently it’s “not a problem” as long as check engine light is not on. Unfortunately, the engine light is on AGAIN - despite being reset. The car is not accelerating when needed. 2. “Brake Assist” light is on AGAIN- and I do not have power brakes. It is hard to stop. Could we at minimum get accurate warning systems & repairs that work? 2.
NHTSA complaint #11496963 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.