The 2013 Chevrolet Volt has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 55,609 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 448 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS23V5160002023-07-27767 affected
Defect
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.
Consequence
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
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…
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.
Consequence
If the voltage drops, the vehicle may lose propulsion, increasing the risk of crash.
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.
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…
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.
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.
Complaints by component
AIR BAGS
160
1crashes1injuries
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
53
2crashes1fires2injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
52
1crashes2injuries
ENGINE
37
1crashes2injuries
SEATS
31
POWER TRAIN
24
2crashes2injuries
SERVICE BRAKES
19
4crashes1injuries
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
15
1crashes1injuries
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
6
1injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM
5
Total complaints448
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Fully charged. Goes from electric to generator/gas propulsion and abruptly slowes about 1/2 speed. Very dangerous.”
“Fully charged. Goes from electric to generator/gas propulsion and abruptly slowes about 1/2 speed. Very dangerous.”
“Fully charged. Goes from electric to generator/gas propulsion and abruptly slowes about 1/2 speed. Very dangerous.”
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationDP22005 Opened 2023-01-27 · closed 2023-08-07
Pedestrian alert sounds
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…
InvestigationPE19013 Opened 2019-09-17 · closed 2021-07-02
Passenger Sensing System
In September 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-013 to assess the potential safety related effects of a malfunction of the Passenger Sensing System (PSS) in 2012-2013 Model Year (MY) Chevrolet Volt vehicles. Consumers reported that due to a malfunction of the PSS, the air bag system…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2013 Chevrolet Volt as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.