Which year to buy
Bar height: serious owner complaints to NHTSA for that year, against this model's usual year.
2012GOOD BUYSerious complaints 0.9× usual Extended coverage
184 serious complaints of 245, the most about air bags (86) and fuel system (37); 0.9× this model's usual share of all serious complaints about 2012 vehicles. 2 recalls. NHTSA investigation PE19013: passenger sensing system.
What owners report
“Airbag Service Light comes on for unknown reason. This appears to be a very common problem amongst Chevy Volt owners (2012-2013). Why no recall for this serious safety issue?”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the air bags, Apr 2022
“My 2012 chevrolet volt shutdown while driving with a full tank of gas when the electric battery reached zero range. The car went into neutral on the freeway at 65mph and would not move under its own power. The car would not jump start or charge.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the fuel system, Jul 2019
Fixes and extended coverage
- Extended coverage The accelerator pedal can break at the stalk just below the housing due to the driver entering or exiting the vehicle with their foot resting on the accelerator pedal. 38170 - Special Coverage. (GCUS-9-2629, Aug 2016)
- Extended coverage Some vehicles may have increased friction in the steering system. 14232 - special coverage. (G-205009, Nov 2014)
- Extended coverage Some 2012-2014 model year (my) buick verano, 2011-2014 my chevrolet cruze and volt, 2010-2014 my chevrolet equinox and gmc terrain, and 2013-2014 my chevrolet malibu vehicles, equipped with electronic power steering (nj0/nj1), may have increased friction in the steering system. 14232a - special… (14232, Jun 2015)
- Repair program On certain 2010-2015 model year cadillac srx and 2011-2015 model year chevrolet volt vehicles, the manual liftgate gas strut may detach from the liftgate when the liftgate is closed and the piston rod could separate from the strut tube. Dealers are to replace the liftgate struts. (G-209156, Jan 2015)
- Repair program N172130462 02 - Customer Satisfaction Program - Certain 2012 - 2015 model year Chevrolet Volt vehicles and 2014 ? 2016 model year Cadillac ELR vehicles equipped with a high voltage battery, may have a condition where it could gradually lose the ability to maintain voltage. Dealers are to update… (N172130462, Sep 2019)
- Repair program This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have a Diagnostic Trouble Code B101D stored in Telematics Communication Interface Control Module. (PIT5236F, Aug 2015)
From the manufacturer's bulletins filed with NHTSA. A dealer can look up whether a car has had the work done or is still covered.
245 owner complaints · 2 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 37 mpg · NHTSA: 5 of 5 stars · 2012 trims and features
Verdicts computed from NHTSA owner complaints, defect investigations and recalls. NHTSA doesn't publish sales, so only big differences count. (How we judge.) Data checked 2026-10-06.
Trims and features
Engines: 1.4L 4-cyl · Drive: FWD
2012 Volt trims
| Premium | Standard |
|---|
base price, seating and driver-assistance equipment from NHTSA's vehicle database (vPIC), as Chevrolet reports it. Tech and comfort features (CarPlay, heated seats, sunroof) for Chevrolet aren't in our data yet. "—": not verified in our sources. "Varies": standard on some versions of the trim.
Year by year
| Year | Engines | Drive | Fuel economy | Crash rating | Recalls | Owner complaints | Most-reported problem | CarPlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1.5L 4-cyl | FWD | 42 mpg | 5 of 5 | 2 | 34 | Power train (16) | Yes |
| 2018 | 1.5L 4-cyl | FWD | 42 mpg | 5 of 5 | 2 | 225 | Electrical system (87) | Yes |
| 2017 | 1.5L 4-cyl | FWD | 42 mpg | 5 of 5 | 0 | 699 | Electrical system (311) | Yes |
| 2016 | 1.5L 4-cyl | FWD | 42 mpg | Not rated | 1 | 169 | Electrical system (77) | Yes |
| 2015 | 1.4L 4-cyl | FWD | 37 mpg | 5 of 5 | 1 | 44 | Electrical system (18) | No |
| 2014 | 1.4L 4-cyl | FWD | 37 mpg | 5 of 5 | 0 | 93 | Air bags (32) | No |
| 2013 | 1.4L 4-cyl | FWD | 37 mpg | 5 of 5 | 3 | 308 | Air bags (161) | No |
| 2012 | 1.4L 4-cyl | FWD | 37 mpg | 5 of 5 | 2 | 245 | Electrical system (86) | No |
| 2011 | 1.4L 4-cyl | FWD | 37 mpg | 5 of 5 | 1 | 49 | Electrical system (23) | No |
Owner complaints are unverified reports to NHTSA, counted as filed: older years have had longer to collect them and sales aren't adjusted for, so see Which year to buy for a fair comparison. Most-reported problem: the component named in the most complaints that year. Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Apple.
Which years have…
Apple lists CarPlay for: Volt 2016–2019 (Apple).
Every NHTSA-rated version: crash ratings, safety tech, recalls, complaints
| Year | Version | Stars | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Chevrolet Volt 5 HB FWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 2 | 34 |
| 2018 | Chevrolet Volt 5 HB FWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 2 | 225 |
| 2017 | Chevrolet Volt 5 HB FWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 0 | 699 |
| 2016 | Chevrolet Volt 4 DR FWD | Not Rated | Optional | Optional | 1 | 169 |
| 2015 | Chevrolet Volt 4 DR FWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 1 | 44 |
| 2014 | Chevrolet Volt 4 DR FWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 0 | 93 |
| 2013 | Chevrolet Volt 4 DR FWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 3 | 308 |
| 2012 | Chevrolet Volt 4 DR FWD(Later Release) | 5 | No | No | 0 | 5 |
| 2012 | Chevrolet Volt 4 DR FWD(Early Release- field upgrade) | 5 | No | No | 0 | 5 |
| 2012 | Chevrolet Volt 4 DR FWD(Early Release-no field upgrade) | 5 | No | No | 2 | 245 |
| 2011 | Chevrolet Volt 4 DR FWD | 5 | No | No | 1 | 49 |
Source: NHTSA.
Every EPA-rated version: engines and combined mpg
| Year | EPA model | Engines | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Volt | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 1.5 L | 42 |
| 2018 | Volt | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 1.5 L | 42 |
| 2017 | Volt | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 1.5 L | 42 |
| 2016 | Volt | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 1.5 L | 42 |
| 2015 | Volt | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 1.4 L | 37 |
| 2014 | Volt | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 1.4 L | 37 |
| 2013 | Volt | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 1.4 L | 37 |
| 2012 | Volt | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 1.4 L | 37 |
| 2011 | Volt | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 1.4 L | 37 |
Source: fueleconomy.gov.