NHTSA vehicle safety data

2013 Chevrolet Volt Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

The 2013 Chevrolet Volt has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns and 308 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Chevrolet dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2013 Chevrolet Volt, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

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2013 Chevrolet Volt owner complaints

Owners have filed 308 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Chevrolet Volt, describing incidents dated August 31, 2012 to April 27, 2026.

Most-cited components

Air Bags 161 complaints
Electrical System 63 complaints
Fuel/Propulsion System 57 complaints
Engine 38 complaints
Seats 31 complaints
Power Train 24 complaints

Of the 308 complaints on file, 8 report a crash and 2 a fire; across all 308 complaints, owners report 9 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11734728 · Filed April 30, 2026
Fully charged. Goes from electric to generator/gas propulsion and abruptly slowes about 1/2 speed. Very dangerous.
ODI #11720796 · Filed February 26, 2026
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 while…
ODI #11715715 · Filed February 4, 2026
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…

Read all 308 complaints

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2013 Chevrolet Volt in 2 investigations. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

Defect Petition DP22-005: Pedestrian alert sounds
Closed August 7, 2023
- Recall 22V-063
Preliminary Evaluation PE19-013: Passenger Sensing System
Closed July 2, 2021

Open and recently closed NHTSA defect investigations

Driver's Air Bag Inflator May Explode

NHTSA #23V516000 · Air Bags — Frontal — Driver Side — Inflator Module · NHTSA notice

Reported July 27, 2023 · General Motors, LLC

Potentially affected: 767 vehicles

Repair completion: 46.36% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign N232413120 · Owners notified October 23, 2023

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Manufacturer remedy

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.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Loss of Propulsion Power in Low Voltage Condition

NHTSA #18V397000 · Hybrid Propulsion System · NHTSA notice

Reported June 14, 2018 · General Motors LLC

Potentially affected: 4,606 vehicles

Repair completion: 88.42% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign 18215 · Owners notified July 24, 2018 · Vehicles built May 1, 2012 – June 26, 2013 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Chevrolet Volt vehicles. An update to the Hybrid Powertrain Control Module 2 (HPCM2) may have disabled the cell balancing function causing a low-voltage condition.

Safety consequence

If the voltage drops, the vehicle may lose propulsion, increasing the risk of crash.

Manufacturer remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the HPCM2, free of charge. The recall began July 24, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18215.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

On, but Unattended, Vehicle may cause CO Poisoning

NHTSA #15V145000 · Electrical System — Ignition · NHTSA notice

Reported March 13, 2015 · General Motors LLC

Potentially affected: 50,236 vehicles

Repair completion: 89.79% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign 14617 · Owners notified April 15, 2015 · Vehicles built May 1, 2012 – June 26, 2013 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

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.

Manufacturer remedy

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.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

2013 Chevrolet Volt 4 DR FWD

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Frontal Crash

Driver: 5, Passenger: 4

Side Crash

Driver: 5, Passenger: 5

Side Pole

Rollover

9% rollover risk

Safety Technology

Electronic Stability Control Forward Collision Warning (Optional) Lane Departure Warning (Optional)

2 investigations

308 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Chevrolet Volt.

Electrical System; Engine; Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #11734728

Incident: April 27, 2026 · Filed: April 30, 2026

Fully charged. Goes from electric to generator/gas propulsion and abruptly slowes about 1/2 speed. Very dangerous.

Electrical System; Air Bags; Seats

ODI #11720796

Incident: October 13, 2025 · Filed: February 26, 2026

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 while it’s glitching in the off mode and could cause death. Multiple people have had this problem with the volts and there is even a thing you can by to completely bypass the airbag going off which shows how common the problem is if there is a solution to eliminate it in an unsafe/not factory manner

Electrical System; Engine; Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #11715715

Incident: February 3, 2026 · Filed: February 4, 2026

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 drive. My safety and that was others was at risk because the acceleration dropped quickly and I was on a busy freeway at the time when the Alert happened causing further hesitation. Upon stopping I could not get the vehicle to take a charge nor would it start up until a mechanic arrived and was able to confirm the problem.

Engine and Engine Cooling; Electrical System

ODI #11705337

Incident: December 13, 2025 · Filed: December 16, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The Check Engine warning light was flashing, and the messages "No Propulsion Power" and "No Power To Engine" were displayed. The contact stated that two individuals pulled over and assisted the contact in pushing the vehicle to the side of the road to prevent a crash. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who made the contact aware of an unknown NHTSA Campaign Number; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact requested vehicle rental assistance, but the dealer was unable to provide assistance. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance in initiating a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 141,323.

Air Bags

ODI #11695594

Incident: July 6, 2025 · Filed: October 25, 2025

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!

Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #11695294

Incident: September 10, 2025 · Filed: October 23, 2025

Propulsion power reduced error has happened many times but the recall lookup shows that there are no active recalls on our car. There was a recall on this problem in 2018 so I think it may have been done my the last owner but it is still having this problem.

Seat Belts

ODI #11690373

2 injuries

Incident: September 26, 2025 · Filed: September 29, 2025

The drivers side front seatbelt pretensioner assembly contains a braided steel cable. The cable, through normal use, has become damaged to the point that individual wires have broken free from the crimped connector. The damaged wires of the cable have penetrated through the plastic sheath covering the cable causing a needle sharp poking hazard when reaching one’s hand toward the seat back adjustment lever. My wife had a minor laceration to her finger and I was also poked when trying to identify the cause. Upon further inspection I found that approximately 80 percent of the diameter of the pretensioner cable had broken free from the crimped connector. In the event of a collision, the cable would likely break free from the seatbelt, possibly causing serious injury to the driver. I tried to obtain a replacement part through the GM dealer parts network, but the part is listed as discontinued and unavailable. This leaves the vehicle unsafe in the event of an accident. The damaged components are available for inspection. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone but myself. There were no warning lamps or symptoms of the problem prior the the injury. I am the original owner of the vehicle and it has never been involved in a collision. The vehicle has been properly maintained and is used only for personal transportation.

Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #11687358

Incident: September 13, 2025 · Filed: September 15, 2025

Fuel leaking from fuel tank at filler inlet. Defect in fuel tank assembly. Large puddle of gasoline formed under car after refueling causing buildup of fumes in closed garage. Vehicle has not been inspected by anyone other than owner. There were no warning lamps prior to failure.

Air Bags; Seats

ODI #11676789

Incident: November 1, 2024 · Filed: July 28, 2025

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 happen stationary, and lasts for anywhere from 5 seconds to a minute (more commonly shorter). The issue appears some weeks more than others, usually activating most days a week but sometimes have a week or two where it does not happen.

Hybrid Propulsion System; Electrical System

ODI #11651727

Incident: March 24, 2025 · Filed: March 31, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving approximately 76-77 MPH, the vehicle experienced reduced power. The message "Low Propulsion" was displayed, and the engine revved significantly. The contact moved over to the far-right lane to pull over to the side of the road as needed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring temporarily. The contact had researched the failure online and became aware that the release of the accelerator pedal while the failure was occurring could temporarily correct the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

Other Chevrolet Volt model years

Check your 2013 Chevrolet Volt VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Chevrolet Volt at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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