This Warranty Administration service bulletin provides Lithium-Ion battery Exchange Process and Transaction Submission information.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2015 Chevrolet Volt electrical problems
severe Owners of the 2015 Chevrolet Volt have filed 16 NHTSA complaints about the electrical at roughly $850 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See electrical across all vehicles →
Complaints
16
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$850
| Model year | electrical complaints |
|---|---|
| 2011 Volt | 23 |
| 2012 Volt | 79 |
| 2013 Volt | 54 |
| 2014 Volt | 26 |
| 2015 Volt (this page) | 16 |
| 2016 Volt | 53 |
| 2017 Volt | 222 |
| 2018 Volt | 53 |
| 2019 Volt | 8 |
1fire
When does it fail?
Of the 16 electrical complaints filed for the 2015 Chevrolet Volt, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 100,000-125,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Electrical accounts for 37% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 4 categories tracked.
No new NHTSA electrical complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 11 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering electrical on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
This Warranty Administration service bulletin provides Lithium-Ion battery Exchange Process and Transaction Submission information.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This service bulletin provides information on the proper Reflective High Temperature Heat and/or Insulating Tape to use for certain repairs, such as Wiring Harness Repairs.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗The intent of this service bulletin is to identify aftermarket ALDL or DLC interface devices as potential sources for causing multiple customer concerns that do not have other diagnostic methods to identify them.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming System (SPS) Error Codes E4398, E4399, E4401, E4403, M4404, M4413, M6954, M6955, E4414, E4423, E4491, E4492, or E6961 and resolution information.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
2015 Volt owners are reporting a cluster of serious electrical failures. The most concerning involves sudden propulsion loss while driving—the vehicle loses power, fails to respond to throttle, and sometimes goes silent for 20+ seconds with no emergency lights. This has happened to owners on highways at 75 mph and city roads at 50 mph, creating genuine hazard situations where oncoming traffic nearly hit stalled vehicles. Some owners got "Propulsion Power Reduced" warnings before losing power; others had no warning. BCM (body control module) replacement was attempted in at least one case but the problem returned within a day.
The instrument cluster and center display going black while driving is a recurring complaint—owners lose visibility of speed, fuel level, warnings, and navigation. One owner reported this happened three times, each time the display came back on its own the next day. This directly impacts safety because drivers can't see their speed or whether their lights are on.
Charging system failures plague multiple owners. Vehicles won't accept charge from home or work outlets even after battery or charging receptacle replacement. One owner's GM-supplied charger overheated and caught fire, spreading to the garage.
Additional failures include backup light and camera circuit shorts blamed on the driver's visor being on the same fuse (fuse blew immediately on replacement), wiring harness shorts causing check engine lights that recur after repair, and one case of a supplied charger catching fire. A few owners report window motors failing and airbag warning lights activating during acceleration or hard braking.
Same Chevrolet Volt electrical reports on nearby years: 2013 · 2014 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018
Failure modes owners describe
Propulsion power loss and sudden shutdown
Vehicle loses propulsion power while driving, sometimes displaying 'Propulsion Power Reduced' warning. Car shuts off or goes unresponsive for seconds before restarting. Owners report loss of steering and braking assist during events.
When: Occurs while driving at highway speeds (50-75 mph) and city driving; some incidents happen shortly after dealership service or within days of new battery installation
Symptoms owners cite: Propulsion Power Reduced warning on display; Complete loss of vehicle power and responsiveness; Long initialization screens (20+ seconds) with no power; Loss of steering and brake response; Emergency lights fail to activate during power loss; Gas pedal stops responding; Vehicle restarts normally after power cycling
Codes mentioned: P1EE6
Repairs/costs cited: BCM (Body Control Module) replacement attempted; issue recurred within one day in at least one case. Some vehicles still unresolved at dealership.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM issued HPCM2 software update; safety bulletin exists for 2016-2019 model years that owner believes should apply to 2015 models
Center information display and instrument cluster failure
Instrument cluster display, navigation screen, and center information display go black or stop functioning intermittently. Owners report loss of critical driving information and inability to see speed, fuel level, warnings, and navigation.
When: Occurs intermittently, sometimes working on restart the next day; affects vehicles across mileage range including 99k miles
Symptoms owners cite: Center information display stops working intermittently; Navigation display goes blank while driving; Instrument cluster display goes black; Loss of speed, fuel status, and engine status visibility; Loss of warning lights visibility; AC controls inoperative when center display down; Backup camera display inoperative
Repairs/costs cited: F4 fuse (10A) continuity tested good; fuse pull and reinstall did not resolve; multiple owners report same issue across generation 1 and 2 Volts suggesting chronic defect
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No manufacturer response documented; owners report Chevy has not addressed this long-standing issue
Backup camera and backup light circuit failure
Backup camera displays black screen and backup lights fail to activate. Owner identified short circuit in driver's side visor on same fuse circuit. Fuse replacement caused immediate blow, requiring visor replacement.
When: At 38,000 miles after vehicle sat in garage during vacation
Symptoms owners cite: Backup camera shows black screen; Backup lights fail to illuminate; Fuse blows immediately upon replacement
Repairs/costs cited: Visor replacement $80; diagnostics $350; identified as known defect in online owner communities
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No recall issued despite owner assertion this is a known defect and safety-critical feature
Charging system failure
Vehicle unable to accept charge from home or work charging. Charging receptacle replaced by owner without resolution. Charging issues persist across multiple months despite battery replacement.
When: Has not been able to charge since April of previous year; separate case shows charging failure after new battery installed
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle will not complete charging cycle; No breakers pop during charging attempts; No battery or charging warning messages displayed; Check engine light illuminated; Charging still fails after battery replacement
Codes mentioned: P1EE6
Repairs/costs cited: Charge receptacle replaced by owner; BECM (Battery Energy Control Module) may need replacement and reprogramming per owner research; dealer charges $200/hour diagnostic fee
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Safety bulletin exists for 2016-2019 model years that may apply to 2015 models
Onboard charger fire hazard
GM-supplied charging station overheats, then catches fire after being plugged in. Fire spreads to garage and damages belongings.
When: After device was unplugged due to overheating and replugged in evening, fire occurred 2-3 hours after being plugged back in
Symptoms owners cite: Charger overheats during initial charge; Charger remains warm after unplugging; Charger catches fire when plugged in a second time; Fire spreads to garage structure
Wiring harness shorts and check engine light
Wiring harness malfunction causes check engine light to illuminate repeatedly. Wiring harness connectors shorted out due to missing protection. Issue recurs immediately after repair.
When: At approximately 57,000 miles; failure recurred while leaving dealer after repair
Symptoms owners cite: Check engine indicator illuminates at various times; Wiring harness connectors short out
Repairs/costs cited: Wiring harness repaired but failure recurred within hours
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer was notified but did not assist
Airbag warning light and seat belt pretensioner issues
Airbag warning light activates intermittently during acceleration or hard braking. Diagnosis identified seat belt pretensioner needing replacement, and wiring harness needing replacement.
When: Timing not specified; mileage unknown
Symptoms owners cite: Airbag warning light activates intermittently; Warning occurs during acceleration; Warning occurs during hard braking
Repairs/costs cited: Seat belt pretensioner replaced twice; wiring harness replacement needed but not yet completed
Power loss detected by vehicle telemetry device
Vehicle telemetry device (Bouncie) detects engine shutoff events while vehicle remains in motion and shows no signs of distress. Owner confirms device works properly on other vehicles, suggesting actual power cycling events.
When: Recent occurrence; device testing conducted over two-week period
Symptoms owners cite: Telemetry device shows multiple engine-off events while driving; Vehicle shows no outward signs of struggle during events; Vehicle continues in full motion during detected power events
Front window motor failure
Front driver and passenger windows unable to roll up or down.
When: At approximately 100,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Front driver window inoperative; Front passenger window inoperative
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle not diagnosed or repaired
Synthesized from 16 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 7 most recent
I leased a 2015 Chevy volt, I used the supplied charging station to charge the vehicle. This device overheated earlier in the day, I decided to unplug it and try another outlet. I checked on it 20 minutes later and discovered it was still warm. I thought this was normal, considering it was charging a car. I plugged it in later in the evening. This charger supplied by Chevy then caught fire after…
While driving on the highway the instrument cluster went blank and turned off. This houses information like warnings, speed, fuel level, battery level, traction, navigation, odometer, light signals and other information. This is a huge safety issue while traveling down the road and losing your ability to look at the speed or if your blinkers or lights are on.
This car is connected to Bouncie a device that detects when a car turns on and off, the speed, if break or acceletor are stepped on forcefully and any trips. Recently the device is detecting the engine is turned off but the car is showing no signs of struggling and its in full motion. This is new, I've tested the device in another car for two weeks hoping it was the device but I had no issues…
I was driving on a road at roughly 50 mph when suddenly without warming, the screen and everything shut off and went black in the vehicle, and then immediately turned back on, this time with the engine light on. In the following seconds, the gas pedal completely stopped responding, and I had to coast to a stop at the side of the road. It was a dangerous spot on the road to have this happen. I was…
Car experienced sudden loss of power while driving. Warning appeared 'Propulsion Power Reduced.' Was able to continue driving short distance home and parked. Attempted to recharge battery but it would not accept charge. I was able to restart car again with "Propulsion Power Reduced' and drove to dealer. Diagnosis: Body Control Module (BCM) failed. Unit was replaced. Vehicle drove normally…
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet volt. The contact was unable to roll the front driver and passenger windows up or down. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The VIN was not available.
My 2015 Chevy Volt has been experiencing ongoing mechanical and electrical issues, including random power loss, reduced propulsion warnings, and sudden vehicle shutdowns with no prior indication. These problems pose a serious safety concern, as the car can lose power unexpectedly while driving. Despite these issues, GM has refused to service the vehicle or unlock necessary components because they…
Had electrical trouble with your 2015 Chevrolet Volt?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the electrical problem on the 2015 Chevrolet Volt?
It's a meaningful issue. 16 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $850.
At what mileage does the electrical typically fail?
Based on the 16 complaints filed, electrical issues most often appear around 68,917 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $850 for electrical repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to electrical?
No active recalls currently cover electrical issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2015/Chevrolet/Volt.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.