2018 Chevrolet Volt Safety Report
2018 Chevrolet Volt Safety Report
Safety Decision Cockpit for the 2018 Chevrolet Volt
This page is the hub for deciding what to inspect next on the 2018 Chevrolet Volt. It connects recall campaigns, owner complaint patterns, service bulletins, sibling model years, component issue hubs, and the model buying guide so a shopper or owner can move from a single report into the wider safety graph.
| Signal | Value | What to inspect next |
|---|---|---|
| Recall burden | Moderate (2) | Review campaign numbers, affected components, and dealer remedies below. |
| Owner complaints | High (209) | Scan complaint narratives for recurring symptoms, mileage, crashes, fires, injuries, and dates. |
| Crash and fire reports | 4 | Treat any crash, fire, injury, or fatality-linked pattern as a priority pre-purchase inspection item. |
| Primary component hub | Power Train | Compare power train issues across vehicles. |
| Cleaner nearby model year | 2019 | Compare against the 2019 Chevrolet Volt with 34 complaints and 2 recalls. |
| Riskier nearby model year | 2017 | Check the 2017 Chevrolet Volt before buying across this generation. |
Chevrolet Volt Year-by-Year Comparison
The safest purchase decision usually comes from comparing neighboring model years, not reading a single page in isolation. The table below uses only validated Chevrolet Volt years already present in the cleaned NHTSA dataset, so each comparison links to a real vehicle safety report rather than a generated combination.
| Model Year | Complaints | Recalls | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Chevrolet Volt | 34 | 2 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2017 Chevrolet Volt | 685 | 0 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2016 Chevrolet Volt | 166 | 1 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2015 Chevrolet Volt | 43 | 1 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
2018 Chevrolet Volt Complaint Theme Map
Complaint counts become more useful when they are grouped into inspection themes. For the 2018 Chevrolet Volt, these are the component areas with the clearest NHTSA complaint signals. Use each link to jump from this single vehicle into broader component hubs and make-specific issue pages.
Power Train
35 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Power Train issues Chevrolet onlyElectrical System
22 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Electrical System issues Chevrolet onlyFuel/Propulsion System
21 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Fuel/Propulsion System issues Chevrolet onlyUnknown Or Other
17 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Unknown Or Other issues Chevrolet onlyEngine
12 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Engine issues Chevrolet onlyPower Train,Electrical System
10 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Power Train,Electrical System issues Chevrolet onlyAI Safety Analysis for the 2018 Chevrolet Volt
Reliability Score
The 2018 Chevrolet Volt receives a reliability score of 5 out of 100 based on analysis of NHTSA complaint data, recall history, crash reports, and safety ratings. This indicates below-average reliability. Significant issues have been reported by owners and should be carefully evaluated before purchase.
NHTSA Safety Ratings for the 2018 Chevrolet Volt
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) evaluates vehicles through controlled crash tests and assigns star ratings from 1 to 5, with 5 being the safest.
Known Issues for the 2018 Chevrolet Volt
The following issues have been identified from NHTSA complaint data and owner reports for the 2018 Chevrolet Volt:
| Issue | Severity | Frequency | Typical Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Module Failure The battery module can become inoperable, leading to engine failure to start. This issue has been reported and addressed through recalls. |
High | Rare | 30k-60k miles |
| Propulsion Power Reduction The vehicle may display a 'Propulsion Power Reduced' warning, which can affect driving performance. Regular updates and maintenance are recommended. |
Medium | Rare | 30k-60k miles |
| Egr Valve And F3 Fuse Issues The EGR valve clogging can cause the F3 fuse to blow, disabling the engine. This issue can occur suddenly and requires immediate attention. |
Low | Rare | 30k-60k miles |
| Shift To Park Malfunction The dashboard may display 'Shift to Park' even when the shifter is in the park position, making it difficult to turn off the vehicle. |
Medium | Rare | 30k-60k miles |
Common Problems Reported by Owners
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the following components account for the majority of reported issues with the 2018 Chevrolet Volt:
Issues with the battery module can lead to engine failure to start.
The vehicle may display a 'Propulsion Power Reduced' warning, affecting driving performance.
Caliper issues can affect the vehicle's stopping ability.
Clogging can cause the F3 fuse to blow, disabling the engine.
Recall Details for the 2018 Chevrolet Volt
The following 2 recalls have been issued for the 2018 Chevrolet Volt by NHTSA:
Summary: 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....
Consequence: If the child seat is not properly secured in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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.
Summary: 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.
Consequence: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA Complaint Summaries for the 2018 Chevrolet Volt
Below are complaint narratives filed by owners of the 2018 Chevrolet Volt with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 1 complaint involved crashes.
The vehicle losses power on high speed, check engine comes on, low propulsion massage displays. Vehicle does not charge. Issues similar to the investigation DCS6812.
It was the XXX recall for the DTC P0442/check engine light code. The dealership said that the recall had been satisfied in 6/2020 by putting a buffer in to separate the 2 lines but not replacing the part. Now the exact same code DTC P0442/check engine light in the exact spot that occurred for the original recall. The dealership originally quoted $5,093, then after me complaining that it is the sam...
My 2018 Chevrolet Volt frequently fails to recognize when the vehicle is shifted into Park. The dashboard displays “Shift to Park” even though the gear selector is already in Park. When this occurs, the vehicle will not power off, requiring multiple attempts to move the shifter before shutdown is possible. This creates a safety risk because the vehicle may be left powered on unintentionally and m...
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that the battery module became inoperable. While attempting to start the vehicle, the message "Engine Unavailable - Service Soon” was displayed. The contact was unable to use the vehicle. The contact stated that the TPMS warning light was illuminated. The contact associated the failure with Technical Service Bulletin: 18-NA-261. The contac...
On June 27, 2025, while driving, the vehicle displayed a "Propulsion Power Reduced" warning message and a Check Engine Light illuminated. I immediately experienced a loss of power. I brought the vehicle to an authorized Chevrolet dealer the same day. On July 1, 2025, the dealer diagnosed the failure as a faulty Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) and high-voltage system fault (Code P1E00), requi...
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over as intended. Additionally, the vehicle would not charge when connected to a charger. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the BECM was reset. The vehicle was repaired; however, the check engine warning light rema...
Why in operation the car goes into Shift to Park and Also getting a Propulsion Power Reduce
Component: Battery Energy Control Module, available from dealership ATM Daughter's safety compromised when vehicle power decreased quickly to 5mph in the middle of fast heavy city traffic. The problem has been confirmed by Chevrolet dealership service department The vehicle has not been inspected by other than dealership service center. I contacted GM, and was told that the component was replaced ...
My wife and I were on a 200 mile trip and the engine failed about 150 miles into the trip. Was driving and the instrument panel indicated that the engine was in reduced power mode. I switched over to battery power but had only approximately 10 miles of range left so after a couple of miles I switched back to engine power and was almost immediately informed by the instrument panel that the engine w...
The EGR valve clogged, causing a a servo to blow the F3 fuse, disabling the engine while driving. This occured suddenly while driving on a busy road with no shoulders. I managed to coast into a parking lot not too far away but I had no charge left in my battery. I could only get the engine to start back up for less than a minute at a time. I got my car inspected by Chevrolet and they confirmed t...
Chevy had done an update for the Propulsion Power being reduced. In 2024, I had to do another update when the check engine light came on. After that the electric battery power decreased, I am only getting 17 miles per charge. August 2025, the check engine light came on again. I had it check and no codes came up. While driving home on the freeway, the Propulsion Power being reduced warning came up....
The car can't decide if it wants to use the battery or the engine. It shows zero charge even though it is full. It lurches at stop lights as it tries to decide whether to use battery or engine. It says "propulsion power reduced". "Not able to charge". "Shift to park". Check engine light is on.
Dashboard displays “Shift to Park” message even when the shifter is in the park position for the past month. I am unable to turn off the vehicle completely until I Shift to drive then back to park multiple times.
The dealer reported having repaired an emissions recall for a fuel vapor leak, however the repair was ineffective and the vehicle still reports the leak as a fault code "slow" and "fast" emissions leak. The dealer refused to recheck their work without payment. Recently I came into possesion of a borescope camera and was able to photograph the dealer's "repair". The photos clearly show the parts ...
In 2020, GM issued a recall (#N192273600) for emissions pipes on the Chevy Volt that could be compromised by rubbing against the A/C hose connector. I took my vehicle to my local dealership (Chesrown Chevrolet) to have this issue remedied, that same year. This year, my check engine light came on and this same dealership informed me that the cause was this same issue (i.e. a compromised emissions...
Electrically actuated EGR valve fails, it draws too much current and blows the F03 fuse (Labeled “No Walk Home”) which has 4 other components on it, this causes “Reduced propulsion” message, soon after the engine overheats due to one or more of the 3 other components that lost power, and the “Engine not available” message appears and the vehicle loses all motive power. This syndrome is well docume...
When shift lever is moved to Park, the car often does not recognize it is in Park and can't be shut down. It takes a lot of time of moving the selector in and out of Park to finally get the car to recognize it is in Park. During an occasion when the car would not go into Park, the car ran for hours while the driver was at work. This seems to be a known issue (micro switch) with this model. This is...
On [XXX], our 2018 Chevy Volt experienced a critical BECM (Battery Energy Control Module) failure while being driven by our [XXX] daughter. The failure caused the vehicle to enter limp mode, resulting in a severe loss of power and the inability to shift properly. Most alarmingly, the brakes failed to function correctly—despite being fully engaged, the car continued to move forward at a red light,...
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.
When the vehicle is running, and the gear is moved to park, and I attempt to turn off the car by pressing the ignition button, an error shows on the dash display and the message is "Shift to Park". Even though the car is in park, the vehicle doesn't know it. I then cannot turn off my car.
Showing 20 of 209 complaints. Additional complaints are available via the NHTSA database.
NHTSA Defect Investigations for the 2018 Chevrolet Volt
NHTSA defect investigations are higher-signal than ordinary complaints because they indicate the agency opened a formal review of a potential safety defect. Some investigations later connect to recall campaigns; others close without a recall after review.
Component: Electrical System
Opened 2023-11-29 · Closed 2025-03-03
On November 29, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE23022 to investigate allegations of a loss of motive power, including a stall, reduced power state, and/or a no start condition due to the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) in model year (MY) 2016-2019 Chevrolet Volt passenger car vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The BECM is located within the high voltage electric vehicle (EV) battery pack and monitors the temperature, current, and voltage of the high volt...
Component: Electrical System:Propulsion System
Opened 2023-01-27 · Closed 2023-08-07
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-spe...
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2018 Chevrolet Volt
Has the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT been recalled?
Yes, the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT has 2 recalls on record with NHTSA. Each recall addresses a specific safety defect identified by the manufacturer or NHTSA.
How many complaints does the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT have?
The 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT has 209 complaints filed with NHTSA. Of these, 4 involved crashes. 1 injuries and 0 deaths have been reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT?
The 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT received an overall NHTSA safety rating of excellent (5/5). Frontal crash: 5/5. Side crash: 5/5. Rollover: 5/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT?
The most commonly reported problems with the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT involve power train (35 complaints), electrical system (22 complaints), fuel/propulsion system (21 complaints). Other affected components include unknown or other, engine, power train,electrical system.
How many crash reports does the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT have?
There are 4 crash reports associated with the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT out of 209 total complaints (1.9% of complaints involved crashes).
How many fire reports does the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT have?
There are no fire reports for the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT in the NHTSA database.
Are there any deaths reported for the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT?
No deaths have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT.
How many injuries are reported for the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT?
1 injury has been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT. These are self-reported by vehicle owners as part of their safety complaints.
Should I buy a 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT is research thoroughly before purchasing. It has 209 complaints, 2 recalls, and a excellent (5/5) safety rating. Always have a pre-purchase inspection done by a qualified mechanic.
What components fail most on the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT?
The components with the most failures on the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT are: 1. POWER TRAIN (35 complaints), 2. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (22 complaints), 3. FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM (21 complaints), 4. UNKNOWN OR OTHER (17 complaints), 5. ENGINE (12 complaints). POWER TRAIN is the single most-reported problem area with 35 complaints.
What should I know before buying a 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT?
Regular maintenance and prompt attention to recalls are crucial for the safety and reliability of your 2018 Chevrolet Volt. The 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT has 209 NHTSA complaints and 2 recalls on record. NHTSA rates it excellent (5/5).
How reliable is the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT?
The 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT receives a reliability score of 5/100, indicating below-average reliability. This is based on 209 owner complaints, 2 recalls, and 4 crash/fire reports in the NHTSA database. Key known issues include Battery Module Failure and Propulsion Power Reduction.
What are the known issues with the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT?
Known issues with the 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT include: Battery Module Failure, Propulsion Power Reduction, EGR Valve and F3 Fuse Issues, Shift to Park Malfunction. These are based on patterns found across 209 NHTSA complaints. 2 of these patterns resulted in formal recalls.
Why does the car go into Shift to Park and also get a Propulsion Power Reduce?
This can be due to issues with the battery module or propulsion system. Regular updates and maintenance are recommended.
What are the common issues with the 2018 Chevrolet Volt?
Common issues include propulsion power reduction, battery module failure, and service brake caliper problems.
How can I prevent propulsion power reduction in my 2018 Chevrolet Volt?
Regular updates and maintenance, especially addressing recalls, can help prevent propulsion power reduction issues.
Buyer Advice
Our recommendation: Regular maintenance and prompt attention to recalls are crucial for the safety and reliability of your 2018 Chevrolet Volt.
NHTSA Data Summary for 2018 Chevrolet Volt
This safety report is based on a comprehensive analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the 2018 Chevrolet Volt. The data includes 209 consumer complaints filed by vehicle owners, 2 manufacturer-initiated safety recalls, 4 reported crashes, 1 reported injuries, and safety rating assessments associated with this vehicle.
The NHTSA has assigned the 2018 Chevrolet Volt an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars, with a frontal crash rating of 5 stars, a side crash rating of 5 stars, and a rollover rating of 5 stars. These ratings are determined through controlled crash testing conducted by the NHTSA.
All data presented in this report is sourced from public NHTSA databases. Our AI analysis identifies patterns across complaint narratives, correlates them with recall history, and produces the safety assessment above. This analysis is updated as new complaints and recalls are filed with the NHTSA.
Consumers are encouraged to report vehicle safety problems to the NHTSA at nhtsa.gov. If your vehicle is subject to a recall, contact your dealer to schedule the free repair.
Disclaimer: This analysis is AI-generated from NHTSA public data and does not constitute professional automotive or safety advice. Always verify recall status at NHTSA.gov and consult a qualified mechanic.
Analysis last updated: 2026-05-14