2018 Chevrolet Volt — Known Issues & Recalls

Your car's power suddenly dropped to 5 mph while driving in heavy city traffic, creating a safety risk. The dealership confirmed the Battery Energy Control Module is faulty and needs replacement, but GM refused coverage because this component was already replaced once in 2021 under a recall program. Even after a software update, the problem returned with warning lights for reduced propulsion and a check engine light.

Your Chevy Volt is experiencing repeated warnings that propulsion power is being reduced, along with check engine lights that show no diagnostic codes. After these warnings appear, your car loses acceleration and becomes undrivable, forcing you to either pull over or drive home slowly on side streets. The electric battery range has also dropped significantly to just 17 miles per charge. Fixing this will likely require diagnostic testing to identify the root cause in the propulsion system and possibly software updates or battery/electrical component replacement.

Your car loses power when driving at high speeds, and the check engine light comes on along with a low propulsion warning message on the dashboard. Additionally, your car's battery isn't charging properly. This issue may require diagnostic testing to identify electrical or battery system faults, and possibly replacement of the battery management system or charging components.

Your emissions pipe may rub against the A/C hose connector and become damaged, even after a dealership repair. This was the subject of a 2020 GM recall, but the original fix apparently didn't prevent the problem from recurring—your check engine light came back on due to the same issue. The fix likely involves repositioning or protecting the emissions pipe so it no longer contacts the A/C hose.

Your 2018 Chevrolet Volt won't start properly and won't charge when plugged in. A check engine light stays on even after your dealer reset the battery/electrical control module (BECM), and you're seeing a "Reduced Power" message on the dashboard. Your dealer identified that the BECM itself needs to be replaced to fix the issue. The repair involves replacing the battery electrical control module (BECM) that manages your vehicle's electrical and charging systems.

Your car's shift lever may not properly register when moved to Park, preventing you from shutting down the engine. You might need to repeatedly move the selector in and out of Park before the car recognizes it's parked, and in some cases the engine could run for extended periods while you're away. This issue appears to be related to a faulty micro switch in the shift mechanism, which could lead to battery drain and leave you stranded. The repair will likely involve replacing the shift lever micro switch assembly.

When you put your car in Park and try to turn it off by pressing the ignition button, the dashboard displays an error message saying "Shift to Park" even though the car is already in Park. This prevents you from turning off the engine. The vehicle's computer isn't recognizing that the transmission is actually in Park. The fix will likely involve diagnosing the park position sensor or the transmission shift linkage to ensure the car properly detects when it's in Park.

During a 200-mile trip, your engine entered reduced power mode about 150 miles in. When you switched back to engine power after using battery, the engine went into complete failure mode. You were able to coast off the highway using remaining battery power before the car lost all propulsion. The dealer found that your EGR valve and cooler had failed and replaced them at a cost of $4,000, which was not covered under the emissions warranty. The fix involved replacing the failed EGR valve and cooler assembly.

Your EGR valve became clogged, which caused a servo to blow the F3 fuse and shut down your engine while you were driving on a busy road. Just before the engine cut off, you noticed the car jolting, but there were no warning lights or error codes. The engine would only restart for less than a minute at a time until the battery drained. Chevrolet confirmed the clogged EGR valve was the cause, and the fix will involve cleaning or replacing the EGR valve and replacing the blown fuse.

Your car still reports emissions leak fault codes even after the dealer completed a recall repair for a fuel vapor leak. You discovered through your own inspection that the dealer installed the emissions repair parts in the wrong location compared to GM's service specifications, meaning the repair was either not performed or performed incorrectly. The dealer refused to re-inspect their work without charging you a fee, and has not responded to your attempts to contact them about the problem.

Your car displayed a "Propulsion Power Reduced" warning and Check Engine Light, then lost power while driving. The dealer diagnosed a faulty Battery Energy Control Module and high-voltage system fault, requiring replacement of the entire high-voltage battery pack. The replacement part has been on indefinite backorder for months, leaving your vehicle unable to operate. This repair will require the dealer to replace your vehicle's high-voltage battery pack, which is a major component in your Volt's hybrid system.

Your Volt is having trouble switching between its battery and gas engine, causing it to lurch when stopping at lights. The dashboard shows the battery is empty even when it's fully charged, and you're seeing warning messages like "propulsion power reduced," "not able to charge," and "shift to park." The check engine light is also on. This likely requires a diagnostic scan to identify whether the problem is with the battery management system, the charging system, or the engine control module.

Your Volt's transmission sometimes doesn't recognize when you've shifted into Park, even though the gear selector is positioned there. When this happens, the dashboard shows "Shift to Park" and the vehicle won't turn off until you move the shifter multiple times. In at least one case, the vehicle rolled backward despite being in Park, creating a collision risk. The fix will likely involve diagnosing and repairing the shift position sensor or transmission control module that detects the Park position.

Your Volt's battery module stopped working, and you saw an 'Engine Unavailable - Service Soon' message when you tried to start it, leaving you unable to drive the car. You also noticed your tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) warning light turned on. The dealer and manufacturer weren't able to diagnose or repair the issue, and your vehicle isn't covered by any recall.

Your car's EGR valve is drawing too much electrical current and blowing a fuse that controls multiple engine systems, causing a 'Reduced propulsion' warning and eventual engine overheating. When this happens, the engine shuts down completely and your car loses all power. Additionally, your EV battery has failed components and you've been waiting months for replacement parts, which means you can't rely on electric-only driving. The combination of these two issues leaves your car unable to operate reliably.

Your 2018 Chevy Volt experienced a critical failure of the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) that caused the vehicle to lose power and enter limp mode while being driven. Most seriously, the brakes failed to respond properly even when fully engaged, causing the car to continue moving forward at a red light—a dangerous safety situation that was only resolved when the driver manually steered the vehicle into a parking lot to stop. This BECM defect is a known issue affecting 2016-2018 Chevy Volts, but your vehicle was denied coverage under the manufacturer's service bulletin despite having the same faulty part number as recalled vehicles. Replacing the faulty BECM battery control module will likely be necessary to restore proper braking and power management.

Your front brake calipers are sticking and staying engaged with the brake pads against the rotors, causing excessive heat buildup. This creates a fire risk when your car is parked in a garage. The problem persists even after the calipers have been disassembled, cleaned, and lubricated. The fix will likely involve replacing the brake calipers rather than just servicing them.

Your car's check engine light (code P0442) came back after a recall repair in 2020 that only added a buffer between two fuel lines instead of replacing the faulty part. The same problem is occurring in the same location, and the dealership is now charging $2,384 to fix it—even though this appears to be the same manufacturer defect covered by the original recall. You believe Chevrolet should cover the repair cost since it's a recurring manufacturer issue they already attempted to address.

While driving, your car is unexpectedly shifting into Park and reducing engine power on its own. This could leave you stranded or unable to maintain speed while on the road. The issue involves both the electrical and fuel/propulsion systems working together incorrectly. A technician will need to diagnose the transmission control module and engine management system to identify what's triggering these automatic shutdowns.

Your dashboard keeps showing a "Shift to Park" warning even though your shifter is already in the Park position. You're unable to fully turn off the vehicle until you manually shift to Drive and back to Park multiple times. This suggests an issue with the shift position sensor or electrical connection that monitors where your shifter actually is.