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Chart based on 46 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2012 Chevrolet Volt
Engine not specified
63000 mi
Cooling fluid for high voltage battery system was low, causing the car to not charge at all.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1092845_gm-offers-free-fix-for-2012-13-chevrolet-volt-battery-coolant-issue
EVSE Charger malfunctioned and wouldn't charge the car. Chevy replaced under Voltec warranty.
26000 mi
US $250
O2 Sensor for gas engine failed...triggering check engine light.
27000 mi
Replaced exhaust camshaft actuator.
47000 mi
Battery coolant low causing a check engine light. Vehicle brought to dealer and sensitivity to low battery coolant level brought down with an ECM update. Refilled coolant and vehicle could then drive again on electric propulsion.
49000 mi
Charge port had water intrusion causing a ground issue for the vehicle. When plugged in, the EVSE would start and stop charging multiple times per minute until unplugged. A car wash caused the issue where water had caused water intrusion. The dealer replaced the entire charge port under the Voltec warranty.
59000 mi
Front radiator, which is for cooling the inverter and drive motor, had a stone hit one of the tubes of the radiator and it was leaking coolant. Radiator replaced under 8 year/100,000 mile Voltec warranty. There is a TSB issued for the problem and the dealer took care of it with no further questions.
61000 mi
2011 and 2012 Volts can have reduced propulsion power after shutting down and restarting in charge-sustaining (gas) mode. A software update was applied which changed the minimum state of charge for the vehicle so it does not go into reduced propulsion power mode. It unfortunately also reduces the total available electric range of the vehicle.
36580 mi
misfire on 3 cyl. They changed the engine head for a new one.
55620 mi
Propulsion battery heater broken. Had to replace module.
63000 mi
Received a check engine light, a message to service the HV charging system, and car would not charge. Dealer found an intermittent connection to the battery coolant level sensor after three trips.
70700 mi
US $120
Check engine light on. Had to do with plug in.
108000 mi
US $950
Hybrid battery would not charge. DTC showed bad sensor, pump, and reservoir for battery coolant.
116000 mi
Hybrid battery would not charge again. DTC showed bad sensor, pump, and reservoir for battery coolant.
32000 mi
Failed to charge high voltage battery. Service High Voltage Charging System warning. Service department repaied faulty splice (from factory) in wire harness for high voltage battery coolant level sensor and reprogrammed a module.
59920 mi
Charge cord stopped working and needed replacement
43000 mi
High charging system failed. Replacement of high voltage charging module.
51150 mi
C $100
Second replacement of EVSE that stopped working. Car charging fine, but EVSE not functioning. Cost was for deductible to diagnose problem. It didn't light up at all - pretty obvious problem, but cost me $100 nonetheless.
43762 mi
US $187
Repaired broken wiring at battery coolant jug level sensor. Had intermittent warning that high voltage charging system needed maintenance. Until this repair, all the dealer did was reset the codes, but the problem recurred every few months. Hopefully, this will be a permanent fix.
54000 mi
Coolant leak on drive motor - replaced radiator under warranty
77000 mi
US $500
Engine light on. Car performed fine. Could not trace cause of it for extended period. Eventually found wiring fault and corrected.
13075 mi
Strong emissions smell in the car..
Also strong oil burning smell in car.
Turned out to be a rotten exhaust replaced under warranty. Head gasket found to also be leaking and replaced under warranty. Replaced the full exhaust, muffler, pipes, cat, manifold, and gaskets, and still had smell..
96000 mi
US $54
Received a "service high voltage charging system" message. Took vehicle in and the coolant for the battery pack was low. This was covered by the battery warranty.
100000 mi
The charging cord stopped working and was replaced under warranty.
88000 mi
US $165
Hivoltage charging system had error message showing service immediately. Software updated at my expense. Disappointed as I felt this should have been covered by the existing drivetrain warranty.
98000 mi
US $320
Second high voltage charging system problem indicator. Cause was another software update needed by the high voltage system. Dealer claimed it would be covered if there was a hardware issue, but since there was no hardware issue, owner is responsible for payment. How can Chevy not claim this should be covered by Chevy drivetrain warranty.
99000 mi
Hi voltage charging system error message and unable to charge car. (3rd time). Finally the third dealer found it was not a software update as the prior 2 dealers but was instead due to a failed drive motor battery coolant level sensor. Replacement of the sensor (at no cost under warranty). Hopefully fixed issue but even more disappointed with the other 2 dealer visits that missed the problem and charged me for software updates.
101000 mi
US $215
Charger Assembly defective, unable to charge. Replaced high voltage assembly.
112000 mi
US $400
Transaxle motor mount
6000 mi
Check engine light illuminated. Car driveable. Dealer had car overnight. Found software issue. Possibly realted to very hot weather. Problem resolved. Dealer reported it to GM.
17000 mi
Trouble message re: charging system. Car was driveable but would not charge. Dealer found software issue and repaired under warranty.
42200 mi
Defective bearing connecting electric and gas motors
5000 mi
A leaking coolant valve.
9200 mi
Check engine light came on after plugging into public charging station. Dealer could not duplicate the problem. Check engine light was reset and problem has not happened again.
8700 mi
Car would not charge with either 240V or 110V chargers. Problem was with a cooling system for the battery.
16200 mi
US $95
Volt stopped being able to charge. A warranty software update was required to fix the problem. While I was there, I also rotated the tires, replaced the cabin air filter, and did an oil change.
14000 mi
High voltage battery coolant added.
2700 mi
Intermitent check engine light that has not returned. dealer believes to be a "growing pain" while the car adjusts to the local heat. The code was an engine intake air to hot code.
1000 mi
Replaced cracked bus connector. Cracked connector allowed intermittent pin contact causing engine computer to believe there was a problem with engine. Computer shut down engine to protect it.
3800 mi
CEL came on during road trip. Went to dealer next day but light was not lit. Tech said that the DTCs were random. Codes were cleared and he will look for them next time car returns for work. Codes were P0700, P0712, P1AF0, P1AF2 and P1E22.
2000 mi
"Customer Satisfaction Enhancement" performed on the car--related to the battery cooling system. No discernible problems before the action, no discernible differences since.
8000 mi
A light was on in the dashboard. They read the computer and said it was a "failed evaporative emissions pump". Item needed to be special ordered and is back ordered.
9000 mi
Replaced the Evaporative Emissions Pump
18000 mi
Got this notice, "Service High Voltage Charging System" After this the car wouldn't charge. This was caused by low traction battery coolant which the dealer topped off.
7300 mi
Multiple systemic failures starting with the AC and cascaded to other critical electrical systems including those that manage the power train.
8000 mi
Volt has been in the shop for over 60 days now for an issue with computer sensors and the battery electric motor system. So far, no resolution.
9200 mi
The dealership was unable to determine the true root cause. They ran sensor wires through different pathways in the engine compartment and the problem ceased to re-appear. Actual time to repair was 108 days.
19000 mi
Same issue as last year about this time. Catastrophic failure of the high voltage charge system. High capacity charge system reported a fault. Dealer flashed firmware of computer to latest version which they say will resolve the issues. So far, no further incident.
16500 mi
Thermostat stuck open. It was replaced
20460 mi
Check engine light blinking, misfire, cylinder head had to be replaced. Details : http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?116146-Cylinder-head-had-to-be-replaced
34720 mi
Coolant smells when cabin heating is "On" and gas engine begin to run. When engine coolant reach about 30°C, coolant odour smells inside the for about 1 minute. Dealer change a part but the problem is there anyway after the repair.
The car stopped accepting a charge. A component of the charging system was replaced, and the power inverter module was reprogramemd.
63200 mi
US $400
Battery cooling system radiator replaced. Damaged by road debris due to placement/lack of protection. Additional protective screen installed per bulletin. Dealer software required to fill/purge battery cooling system - DIY not possible.
See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how
frequently 2012 Chevrolet Volt problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.
