MODELYEARINDEX

Which Chevrolet Volt years to avoid

Across 9 scored model years, the 2017, 2018 and 2013 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Chevrolet Volt Full report
F
Grade 2011–2019
2017 vs model median 6.8×
Model median3× median
Electrical 108
Drivetrain 104
Fuel System 39
Avoid

2017 · 2018

Best

2011 · 2015

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2011
0.27× 14 A
2012
1.62× 87 D
2013
1.69× 91 D
2014
0.76× 45 B
2015
0.49× 30 A
2016
1.00× 67 B
2017
6.82× 423 F
2018
2.10× 127 D
2019
0.62× 32 B

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2017 F 423 reports · median 32,000 mi

  1. Electrical 108

    While driving the vehicle on a freeway a light came on stating all systems would shut down and all systems did shut down immediately. There was hardly time enough to pull over to the side of the road. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Drivetrain 104

    Wife was driving to work when car (with ~2500 miles on it) just shut off, luckily on a side street after crossing a busy highway. I drove to meet her and called onstar. It was in the "shift to park" mode. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Fuel System 39

    The vehicle center display does not work reliably. Most concerning to safety is the fact that this renders the reverse camera inoperable. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

8 crash · 11 fire · 11 injuries

2018 D 127 reports · median 23,200 mi

  1. Drivetrain 39

    I was driving my car on freeway at 65 MPH and suddenly car displayed warning on dash board to shift the car in park position. Car immediately lost power from engine. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Electrical 31

    When attempting to power off vehicle after shifting to park, an error message is displayed on console, "shift to park", and the vehicle will not power off. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Engine 14

    While driving the vehicle at around 60 MPH, the 'check engine' light came on and a message saying 'shift to park' appears on the dashboard. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

6 crash · 2 injuries

The best year for the Volt

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2011 is the best-scoring Volt model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 90.9 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2011 0.27× 14 A
2015 0.49× 30 A
2014 0.76× 45 B

Recalls

8 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
18V576000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER 2018, 2019 210,628
15V145000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION 2011–2013 50,236
18V673000 SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER 2018, 2019 15,800
18V397000 HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM 2013 4,606
23V516000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2013 767
17V621000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL 2016 16
15V442000 STEERING 2015 10
13V271000 ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 2012 4

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2017 were reported at a median of 32,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Chevrolet Volt years should you avoid?
2017, 2018, 2013 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Chevrolet Volt model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Chevrolet Volt?
2011 is the best-scoring Chevrolet Volt model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 90.9 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Volt have?
8 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Chevrolet Volt model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2017 Volt
Complaints in window
423
Severity-weighted
631
Model median (weighted)
92
vs model median
6.82×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
0
Open investigations
0
Score 25 F