Chevrolet
Chevrolet Volt years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2017 and 2018. Best years: 2019.
The 2017 and 2018 Chevrolet Volt draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 698 complaints (70 for each year on the road) and 2018 has 225 complaints (25 for each year on the road), against a median of 11 a year across the 6 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2017 is stalling (153 reports).
- 1,092complaints
- 3recall campaigns
- 3model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2017
Most reported: stalling (153 reports, median 37,000 miles) and shift to park warning (150 reports, median 36,500 miles).
2018
Most reported: shift to park warning (58 reports, median 25,000 miles) and stalling (56 reports, median 45,000 miles).
Best years
2019
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2017 alone holds 698 of the 1,092 complaints across the 3 model years with a page here (64%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Shift to park warning leads in 2 of the 3 model years and has the most reports overall, 250. Pooled across the years, half of the 134 owners who gave a mileage for shift to park warning were under about 35,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 3% of Chevrolet Volt complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2017, 21 of its 698 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- None of the 3 model years where owners report shift to park warning has a recall on the same system.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2024 at 238 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 119. So far in 2026, 60 more have come in.
Photo: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2014 (89), 2015 (43), 2019 (34).
Year by year
2018 Chevrolet Volt avoid
225 owner complaints, 25 for each year on the road (2.3 times the model median). Most reported: shift to park warning (58 reports, median 25,000 miles), stalling (56 reports, median 45,000 miles) and infotainment (38 reports, median 69,471 miles). 4 reports involved a crash and 1 person was hurt. 2 recalls, including 18V-673 on the seat belts and 18V-576 on the brakes.
2017 Chevrolet Volt avoid
698 owner complaints, 70 for each year on the road (6.3 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (153 reports, median 37,000 miles), shift to park warning (150 reports, median 36,500 miles) and misfire (129 reports, median 71,675 miles). 8 reports involved a crash and 11 people were hurt. No recalls.
2016 Chevrolet Volt
169 owner complaints, 15 for each year on the road (1.4 times the model median). Most reported: shift to park warning (42 reports, median 42,090 miles), stalling (33 reports, median 91,000 miles) and dead battery (33 reports, median 87,000 miles). 2 reports involved a crash and 1 person was hurt. 1 recall: 17V-621 on the airbags.
Questions
What Chevrolet Volt years should you avoid?
The 2017 and 2018 Chevrolet Volt draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 698 complaints (70 for each year on the road) and 2018 has 225 complaints (25 for each year on the road), against a median of 11 a year across the 6 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2017 is stalling (153 reports).
What are the best years for the Chevrolet Volt?
The 2019 draws the fewest complaints for its age: 34, or 4 for each year on the road. Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Chevrolet Volt?
Shift to park warning, with 250 reports across the 3 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2016 and 2018.
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Volt have?
3 recall campaigns cover the Chevrolet Volt model years 2016 to 2018 on this site.
How many Chevrolet Volt complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
3% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2017 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for shift to park warning on the Chevrolet Volt?
No. None of the 3 model years where owners report it has one on the same system.