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2011 Chevrolet Volt Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 49 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, most often about the electrical (47% of complaints, typically around 64,000 miles). It is 7th of 9 Volt model years by number of complaints and has 1 recall.
Most common 2011 Chevrolet Volt problems
Electrical
23 complaints · 47%Half of these problems showed up before 64,000 miles. Parts named most often: instrument cluster/panel.
While driving on the morning of may 30, 2019, the driver side instrument cluster went blank. I pulled off the road to initiate a full shutdown of the vehicle. Upon startup, the display came back on for 5 seconds, then went totally blank again. The instrument cluster never came back on. Dealer analysis revealed a short…
Since the spring of 2020, "service air bag" warning comes on intermittently, related to passenger seat airbag. Warning generally comes on at startup, if it appears. No fluids have been spilled on the seat, and no visible damage to the seat. I am the second owner, purchased from friend, car has always been garaged and…
Air bags
8 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles.
Service airbag light comes on at startup. Its the passenger side air bag sensor in seat, sounds like its the pressure plate to activate air bag is bad. Sounds like a common thing with the Volt?
'service airbag' chime and light coming on, routinely, even with or with anybody in the passenger seat. I have not taken the car to a dealer yet since I have been reading forum input about this issue and seeing huge cost to repair. Car has only 81k miles and has never been flooded or had water on the seat(passenger).
Fuel system
6 complaints · 12%My 2011 Volt frequently shows "propulsion power reduced" after the battery has been depleted and on restart. This affects performance, acceleration and thus safety for several minutes until the system rebalances itself. This condition began back in 2015 several years ago but is first noted in dealer's records at…
Propulsion power reduced warning happening often. Car was brought in for diagnosis and I was told there was a sw reflash required. It continues to occur after this reflash. It is a major safety issue when this occurs while entering a highway and I cannot get up to highway speeds. It will eventually clear, maybe after…
Engine
4 complaints · 8%My 2011 Volt frequently shows "propulsion power reduced" after the battery has been depleted and on restart. This affects performance, acceleration and thus safety for several minutes until the system rebalances itself. This condition began back in 2015 several years ago but is first noted in dealer's records at…
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an abnormal whining sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but…
Steering
3 complaints · 6%The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH and attempting to merge onto the side of the road, he drove over the rumble strips causing the vehicle to vibrate and the power steering to stop working. The contact mentioned that the steering wheel became very hard to maneuver and the…
Transmission
3 complaints · 6%The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle decelerated without any warnings. The contact stated that the failure occurred several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the…
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Volt. While driving various speeds, the b-bearing joint disintegrated in the transmission and caused the vehicle to make loud noises. The dealer replaced the original plastic b-bearing joint with a metal one. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was…
Brakes
3 complaints · 6%
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2011 Chevrolet Volt recalls
Electrical: ignition
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
Summary
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 pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 kg or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after march 1, 2021.on january 27, 2023, NHTSA opened defect petition (dp) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt
Post-crash EV fire hazard
Summary
The subject vehicles, which employ emerging technology, are range-extended electric vehicles that utilize a high voltage (hv) battery to provide energy for propulsion. The hv battery is lithium-ion based technology that has a nominal full charge of 390 vdc, a 16 kwh capacity, and a control system that incorporates liquid (antifreeze) cooling and various electronic devices (control modules, sensors, wiring, etc) to monitor and manage the hv battery. The hv battery, portions of the cooling system, and the control system are contained within a common enclosure.during an ncap oblique side pole impact test conducted by NHTSA in may 2011, the pole struck and deformed the sill plate under the drive
Questions about the 2011 Chevrolet Volt
- What are the most common problems with the 2011 Chevrolet Volt?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: electrical (23 complaints, typically around 64,000 miles); air bags (8 complaints, typically around 80,000 miles); fuel system (6 complaints).
- How many recalls does the 2011 Chevrolet Volt have?
- 1 recall listed by NHTSA, the latest from March 13, 2015 (electrical). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2011 a bad year for the Chevrolet Volt?
- It is 7th of 9 Volt model years by number of complaints, with 49 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.