This preliminary informational (PI) bulletin provides information to dealership personnel that may be helpful when addressing underbody component corrosion with customers.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2019 Chevrolet Volt powertrain problems
severe 16 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $2,500 · see powertrain across all vehicles →
Complaints
16
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$2,500
1crash
When does it fail?
Of the 16 powertrain complaints filed for the 2019 Chevrolet Volt, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 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
No new NHTSA powertrain complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 7 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 powertrain 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 service bulletin provides information on some vehicles that may rock or move slightly forward or rearward while in Park at start up after cold soak. This condition may be accompanied by a clunk noise. This is a slight movement that is more often seen visually, rather than felt, when viewed from the outside and using the auto-start feature, if equipped.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities. The damage is being caused either in the removal process by the technician, or inadequate packaging or shipping. This bulletin advises the dealers to be more careful not to damage the transmissions during removal and to package the core properly for return.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This service bulletin provides information on Driveline Clunk Noise and what is acceptable and what is considered normal operation.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This bulletin provides information on the harmful effects of water or ethylene glycol in transmission fluid.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners report two major powertrain issues. The first is sudden, unpredictable loss of propulsion at highway speeds with messages like "Propulsion Power Reduced to 0" or "Powertrain Lost." One owner lost all power and power steering at 45 mph in the rain, resulting in a crash with no codes stored afterward. Another experienced the same failure at 70 mph on the highway; that one produced codes P0AC4 and P0C0E (Drive Motor Power Inverter B). Dealers have sometimes diagnosed a faulty charging module or recommended full transmission replacement, but in at least one case, GM refused repair under warranty claiming replacement parts aren't available. Owners say dealers often cannot replicate the problem and find no diagnostic codes.
The second issue is a false "Shift to Park" warning that prevents the vehicle from turning off even when it's already in park. One owner found this matches GM Technical Service Bulletin 19-NA-206, which covers the exact symptom and includes a part number (84733196 N-Harness). Another owner paid $446.79 for this repair but dealers and GM initially denied warranty coverage. Owners report this problem is common enough to be pinned on Volt forums and affects other model years. The issue makes it unsafe to leave the vehicle unattended due to rollout risk.
Some owners also report EV battery drain with no-start conditions or intermittent propulsion loss on startup that spontaneously resolves without a fix.
Same Chevrolet Volt powertrain reports on nearby years: 2016 · 2017 · 2018
Failure modes owners describe
Sudden Propulsion/Power Loss While Driving
Vehicle loses all power, propulsion, or significant power reduction while in motion, with messages like 'Powertrain Lost,' 'Propulsion Power Reduced to 0,' or 'Engine Not Available.' In some cases, power steering and assisted brakes are also lost. Owners report this occurs without warning and with no prior symptoms. One incident resulted in a single-vehicle crash in rainy conditions.
When: At various speeds (45 mph to 70 mph); some on startup; mileage 38,523 reported in one case
Symptoms owners cite: Complete loss of propulsion or sudden deceleration from highway speeds; Warning messages: 'Powertrain Lost,' 'Propulsion Power Reduced to 0,' 'Engine Not Available,' 'Service Soon'; Power steering loss; Loss of assisted brakes; Vehicle unable to accelerate or becomes immobilized; Check Engine Light illumination
Codes mentioned: P0AC4, P0C0E
Repairs/costs cited: One owner reported dealership diagnosed a faulty part in the electric engine charging module and planned replacement. Another dealership recommended entire transmission replacement with assembly. Some dealers found no diagnostic codes and could not replicate or repair the issue. Under-warranty vehicles have been denied repair due to lack of replacement parts availability.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: One owner cited that a faulty charging module part would be replaced. GM stated inability to repair due to lack of replacement parts despite vehicle being under warranty. GM has not responded to buyback requests per federal law per owner allegation. No recall or TSB cited for propulsion loss issue.
Shift-to-Park False Warning and Inability to Turn Off Vehicle
Vehicle displays 'Shift to Park' or 'Action Required: Shift to Park' message even when transmission is already in park. This prevents the vehicle from turning off, leaving it running and energized. The problem is intermittent in most cases but recurring and sometimes worsening. Owners report this makes it unsafe to leave the vehicle unattended due to rollout risk. One owner linked the issue to GM TSB 19-NA-206.
When: Starting July 2022 in one case; November 2024 in another; varies across fleet; mileage 35,000 reported in one case
Symptoms owners cite: False 'Shift to Park' message displayed while vehicle is in park; Vehicle will not turn off despite being in park and pressing On/Off switch; Vehicle remains running and energized after driver exits; Gear shifter sometimes requires shifting out of and back into park multiple times to register properly; Shift lever becomes stiff or stuck when putting car into park
Repairs/costs cited: One dealership (Huston Chevrolet) replaced part 84733196 N-Harness on 8/3/2022 for $446.79. Owners report this repair is listed in TSB 19-NA-206. Some owners have not yet taken vehicle to dealer; one is afraid to drive it until repaired.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM TSB 19-NA-206 exists and describes this exact symptom and the N-Harness part replacement. However, GM and dealers initially denied warranty coverage despite TSB language stating repairs are covered under Voltec (Electric and Hybrid Vehicle) Warranty. Owner report states GM said notification letter should have been sent to specific vehicles. Multiple owners reference this being a common, known issue discussed on Volt forums and covered by multiple TSBs from GM.
Battery Drain and No-Start Condition
EV battery drains and vehicle will not start using the gas motor. In one case, propulsion system was lost on startup and could not be diagnosed; the vehicle spontaneously recovered after a few days.
When: December 2023 in one case; intermittent startup issues in another
Symptoms owners cite: EV battery completely drained despite fuel tank being full; Vehicle will not start on gas motor; Propulsion system lost on startup; 12V battery confirmed to have full charge but vehicle will not start
Codes mentioned: Propulsion system DTC (unspecified)
Repairs/costs cited: One dealer fixed the issue (method not described by owner). Another case involved tow truck confirming 12V battery had full charge; dealership saw same propulsion system DTC but could not identify the problem. Vehicle worked normally again after a few days without repair.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No recall or TSB cited for this issue in the narratives.
Synthesized from 16 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 12 most recent
Brand new car suddenly stalled while driving - still had about 10 EV miles left and a full tank of gas when it happened, traveling straight at around 45mph. Messages displayed on dash telling me "propulsion power reduced to 0" and "shift to park", giving me about 30 seconds to pull over before it completely stopped. Restarted car several times, but "initializing wait to shift" and "propulsion…
Had shift to park appear and car would not shut off. If you play with it it might shut off but will not allow it to restart. Gm is aware of this and has put multiple tsb's out to fix it and now they have a new one. It affects all gen 2 volts and other models. It can strand you if it happens. This should be a recall no one wants to be stranded in the dark anywhere.
When shifted into park, persistent error message that car was not in park. Unable to shut off the car despite numerous manipulations of shift. Few similar preceeding incidents were resolved by shift to drive then back to park. Goes to dealer tomorrow. Car running endlessly is dangerous. What if I could not stay with the car, or the car was on the local ferry. No one has inspected it yet. First…
Vehicle lost propulsion and all power mid turn at approximately 45mph. Powe steering and assisted brakes were gone. Conditions were rainy, resulting in single car crash. Car did not restart. No codes present. Occurred again after repairs at 70mph on highway. Codes P0AC4 and P0C0E indicating Drive Motor Power Inverter B. Despite being under warranty, GM cannot repair, and has no replacement parts.…
2018 Chevrolet volt. Consumer writes in regards to transmission failure. *ld the consumer stated while driving the freeway, the vehicle experienced sudden loss of acceleration. The dealer was made aware of the failure. *js
When shifting to park, the vehicle reports that it is NOT in park. This prevents turning off the vehicle. It is difficult to confirm that the vehicle is indeed in the park mode. This is happening more and more frequently and we will contact the dealer for service. I have not called the dealer about this yet.
Intermittent shift to park message when in park. Unable to turn off vehicle.
Shift car issues. The car would not shut off because it doesn’t recognize that the gear is in parking.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while the vehicle was shifted to park(P), the message to “Shift to Park” remained displayed. The contact was unable to turn off the vehicle. The contact stated that for approximately 10 minutes, the gear shifter was shifted out of and back into park to be able to turn off the vehicle. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not…
Intermittently, the car would not turn off, starting in about July, 2022. After shifting the car into park and pressing the On/Off switch, the car displayed a message like "Action required. Shift to park". It was impossible to know if the car really was not in park, and would roll into someone, and it was certainly unsafe to walk away and leave the car "on". A Chevy forum showed that this…
Had powertrain trouble with your 2019 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 powertrain problem on the 2019 Chevrolet Volt?
It's a meaningful issue. 16 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $2,500.
At what mileage does the powertrain typically fail?
Based on the 16 complaints filed, powertrain issues most often appear around 13,974 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 $2,500 for powertrain 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 powertrain?
No active recalls currently cover powertrain 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/2019/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.