2015 Chevrolet Volt — Known Issues & Recalls

Your car's brake system warning light came on while parked, and your brakes failed when you tried to reverse shortly after—you nearly hit another vehicle. The dealer diagnosed a faulty brake pressure modulator valve (BPMV) that needs replacement. This same component has been recalled on earlier Volt models for the same failure.

Your brake pedal went all the way to the floor and is now very hard to press. This suggests a loss of brake fluid pressure or a problem with the brake system that needs immediate attention. You should have a mechanic inspect your brake lines, master cylinder, and brake fluid level before driving the vehicle.

Your rear brake pads separated into two pieces during a safety inspection at 84,500 miles. The friction material peeled away from the metal backing plate, likely due to adhesive failure. Because your Volt relies heavily on regenerative electric braking, the hydraulic brake pads see minimal use and may be more susceptible to this adhesive breakdown. The fix will involve replacing both rear brake pads with new OEM or aftermarket pads.

Your 2015 Chevy Volt experiences random power loss, reduced propulsion warnings, and sudden shutdowns while driving with no warning. These electrical and engine issues create a serious safety risk since your car can lose power unexpectedly on the road. GM has refused to service the vehicle because they no longer manufacture or support the required parts, leaving you with no manufacturer remedy available.

Your car's engine appears to be shutting off unexpectedly while you're driving, even though the car continues moving and shows no other signs of trouble. A monitoring device detected the engine turning off at a location where you never stopped, suggesting the engine may be cutting out briefly and restarting on its own. This could indicate an electrical or fuel system issue causing intermittent power loss while the vehicle is in motion. A mechanic will need to diagnose whether the problem is in the ignition system, fuel delivery, or engine control electronics.

While driving at 50 mph, your vehicle's screen and all displays suddenly went black, then came back on with the check engine light illuminated. Your gas pedal stopped responding completely, forcing you to coast safely to the roadside. After turning the vehicle off and back on, everything returned to normal and the check engine light disappeared. This issue likely involves a temporary electrical or engine control system malfunction that may require diagnostic scanning to identify the root cause.

While driving, your vehicle randomly displays a loss of propulsion warning and suddenly loses acceleration power, which has nearly caused accidents on the highway. Your car also unexpectedly switches between electric and gas mode, causing it to jolt abruptly. The issue appears to be an electrical or fuel system malfunction that's affecting how power is delivered to your wheels.

Your 2015 Volt won't charge even after you replaced the charge receptacle yourself. You've experienced loss of propulsion errors while driving, and the P1EE6 error code suggests the battery control module (BECM) may need replacement or reprogramming. The dealer wants to charge $200/hour for diagnosis, though there's a known safety bulletin for 2016-2019 models that may be relevant. Fixing this will likely require the dealer to test the BECM and possibly replace and reprogram it.

Your passenger seat's presence sensor is malfunctioning, which triggers a check airbag warning light and prevents the passenger front and knee airbags from deploying in a crash. The problem occurs when the sensor mat bunches up in the seat and repeatedly folds in the same spot, gradually increasing resistance until the airbag system detects a fault. Fixing this will likely require replacing the passenger seat sensor mat or the entire seat assembly.

Your car's service airbag warning keeps appearing on the dashboard. The dealer identified this as a problem with the passenger presence module and sensor, which detects whether someone is sitting in the front passenger seat. This fault could prevent the passenger airbag from deploying properly in a crash. The fix will likely involve replacing or reprogramming the passenger presence detection sensor.

Your airbag warning light is turning on and off while you're accelerating or braking hard. The dealer replaced your seat belt pretensioner twice but the problem came back, and they've now identified that the wiring harness connecting the airbag system needs to be replaced to fix it. This repair involves replacing the electrical wiring that controls your airbag system.

While driving on the highway, your instrument cluster—the digital display that shows your speed, fuel level, battery level, warning lights, and other important information—suddenly went blank and turned off. This is a serious safety concern because you lose visibility of your speed, whether your lights and turn signals are on, and any warning messages. The issue likely involves an electrical connection or component failure in the instrument cluster.

Your airbag system is displaying a service alert on your dashboard. This warning indicates the airbag system needs to be inspected and potentially repaired by a technician. The fix will likely involve diagnostic scanning to identify the specific airbag fault and replacing any faulty sensors or wiring as needed.

Your 2015 Volt is displaying a "SERVICE AIRBAG" warning light on the dashboard. This appears to be a recurring issue with this model year that General Motors has not addressed through a recall. The dealership is quoting over $800 to repair it, which suggests a manufacturing defect rather than normal wear. The repair will likely involve diagnosing and replacing faulty airbag system components.

While driving 75 mph on the freeway with cruise control, your Volt suddenly shut down completely — the engine, electrical system, and everything on the dashboard went dark for about 2 seconds before restarting with a "Service Theft Deterent" warning. During the shutdown, you lost power steering and braking, forcing you to coast to the shoulder. Additionally, your Volt has been unable to charge the battery at home or work for several weeks despite a new battery being installed a week ago, and a check engine light is now on.

You're seeing cracks in the sidewalls of all four tires about 2 inches above the tire bead, even though you've only put 19,000 miles on them and have been rotating them regularly and maintaining proper tire pressure. Both the tire manufacturer and seller denied your warranty claim, claiming improper usage without explaining what that means. If a tire sidewall fails unexpectedly while driving, it could be a serious safety issue.

Your car suddenly lost power while driving and displayed a 'Propulsion Power Reduced' warning message. The battery wouldn't accept a charge, though you could restart the car and drive it to the dealer at reduced power. The dealer replaced the Body Control Module, but the same problem returned the next day—it was finally resolved after a second repair attempt.

While driving at 55 mph, you downshifted to Low gear for engine braking, then tried to shift back to Drive but accidentally went into Neutral instead. When you pressed the accelerator in Neutral, the car didn't accelerate as expected. Even after shifting to Drive and confirming visually, the accelerator still didn't work until you cycled through Neutral and back to Drive again. The issue appears to be a computer glitch preventing the transmission from engaging properly after an accidental Neutral selection.

When it rains or your car gets wet, water runs down from the upper right corner of the passenger side into the floorboard, soaking the carpet and the electrical components underneath. The sealant under the hood and cowl appears to be faulty, allowing water to leak into the cabin whether the car is parked or driving. Since wet electrical components could potentially cause a fire hazard, this needs attention. The fix will likely involve resealing or replacing the faulty weather seals under the hood and cowl area to prevent water intrusion.

When outdoor temperature drops to 37°F or below, your car's air conditioning compressor automatically shuts off, causing all your windows—including the windshield—to fog up significantly and reduce your visibility. Once the temperature rises to 38°F or higher, the A/C compressor turns back on and the windows clear immediately. This defrosting issue may require service to the climate control system or its temperature sensor.