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2013 Chevrolet Volt problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2013 Chevrolet Volt has been recalled for and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 3safety recalls
- 308owner complaints
- 8crash reports
- 2fire reports
- 9injuries reported
308 complaints, against an average of 216 for the other 7 Chevrolet Volt model years.
Every Chevrolet Volt model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2013 Chevrolet Volt?
The components named most often in the 308 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2013 Chevrolet Volt owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 308 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
Has the 2013 Chevrolet Volt been recalled?
3 U.S. safety recalls. Repairs are free at a franchised dealer; some are done over the air.
Air Bags: Frontal: Driver Side: Inflator Module 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.
Hybrid Propulsion System 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.
Risk: If the voltage drops, the vehicle may lose propulsion, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: 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.
Electrical System: Ignition 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
What do 2013 Chevrolet Volt owners report?
12 of the 308 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
Fully charged. Goes from electric to generator/gas propulsion and abruptly slowes about 1/2 speed. Very dangerous.
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
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…
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…
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!
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.
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.
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 contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light and low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where a diagnostic test result was undisclosed; however, the contact was informed that the vehicle needed an ASC high-voltage battery to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired after the ASC battery was replaced. The contact stated that the propulsion system warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure…
Sudden loss of power. Driving on freeway. Speed decreased by 25 mph. Just about avoided a rear end accident. Have seen that 2016 onwards Volts have experienced this malfunction. Request that it be noted that this is a 2013 model with less than 60,000 miles. Have already had the latest programming done by Chevy.
My 2013 Volt will not charge or start. This happened suddenly. It has been working fine.
Leaking water when it rains under the drivers side floor board.
2013 Chevrolet Volt: questions owners ask
Is the 2013 Chevrolet Volt reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 308 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Chevrolet Volt; the most common categories were air bags (161, 52.3%), electrical system (63, 20.5%), fuel/propulsion system (53, 17.2%). There are 3 safety recalls. 8 complaints mention a crash, 2 mention a fire, 9 injuries were reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Chevrolet Volt?
Across 308 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are air bags (52.3% of complaints), electrical system (20.5% of complaints), fuel/propulsion system (17.2% of complaints), engine (12% of complaints), seats (10.1% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2013 Chevrolet Volt have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2013 Chevrolet Volt; the most recent (campaign 23V516000, 2023-07-27) concerns Air Bags: Frontal: Driver Side: Inflator Module. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why is the airbag light on in my 2013 Chevrolet Volt?
98 of the 308 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 Chevrolet Volt (31.8%) describe airbag warning lights or airbag faults. A related recall exists: campaign 23V516000 (air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module). The fix: Dealers will replace the driver-side air bag module, free of charge. One owner wrote: "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." (NHTSA complaint 11720796, February 2026). Recall repairs are free at a dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why does my 2013 Chevrolet Volt stall, lose power or shut off while driving?
17 of the 308 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 Chevrolet Volt (5.5%) describe the engine stalling, losing power or shutting off while driving. One owner wrote: "Sudden loss of power. Driving on freeway. Speed decreased by 25 mph. Just about avoided a rear end accident. Have seen that 2016 onwards Volts have experienced this malfunction. Request that it be noted that this is a 2013 model with less than 60,000 miles." (NHTSA complaint 11584744, April 2024). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Check your own Volt
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2013 only.