The best and worst Chevrolet Volt years, by the numbers
Short answer: among Chevrolet Volts old enough to judge (2011–2019), the 2014–2015 have the fewest owner complaints per 10,000 sold. The 2012–2013 and 2017–2018 have the most.
We counted every owner complaint filed with the federal government (NHTSA) for each model year and divided by how many were sold that year, so a year that sold more doesn’t look worse just for being popular. Years newer than 2019 are shown but not ranked — they haven’t been on the road long enough. How this is calculated.
Years with the most complaints
2012 Chevrolet Volt · 100.5 per 10,000 sold (1.5× this model’s typical year)
Most-reported: Airbags, seatbelts and restraints, typically around 95,000 miles; then body control and other modules.
2013 Chevrolet Volt · 133.4 per 10,000 sold (1.9× this model’s typical year)
Most-reported: Airbags, seatbelts and restraints, typically around 76,000 miles; then body control and other modules.
2017 Chevrolet Volt · 342.0 per 10,000 sold (4.9× this model’s typical year)
Most-reported: Body control and other modules, typically around 30,250 miles; then diesel aftertreatment: dpf, egr, def and scr.
2018 Chevrolet Volt · 121.3 per 10,000 sold (1.8× this model’s typical year)
Most-reported: Body control and other modules, typically around 27,000 miles; then transmission control module and sensors.
Years with the fewest complaints
2014 Chevrolet Volt · 49.5 per 10,000 sold (0.7× this model’s typical year)
Most-reported, even so: Airbags, seatbelts and restraints, typically around 64,497 miles.
2015 Chevrolet Volt · 28.6 per 10,000 sold (0.4× this model’s typical year)
Most-reported, even so: Body control and other modules, typically around 95,500 miles.
Every year: complaints per 10,000 sold
Typical Chevrolet Volt year: 69.2 per 10,000 sold.
Complaints are counted once each, even when an owner lists several parts. Sales are US units sold in the calendar year, a close stand-in for the model year.
Common questions
What is the worst year for the Chevrolet Volt?
Among Chevrolet Volts old enough to judge (2011–2019), the 2017 has the most owner complaints per 10,000 sold: 342.0, about 4.9× a typical Chevrolet Volt year. The 2012–2013 and 2018 also stand out.
What is the best year for the Chevrolet Volt?
The 2015 has the fewest owner complaints per 10,000 sold among Chevrolet Volts from 2011–2019: 28.6, against 69.2 for a typical year. The 2014 is also well below typical.
What goes wrong on the 2017 Chevrolet Volt?
The most-reported problem on the 2017 Chevrolet Volt is body control and other modules, typically around 30,250 miles.
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Source: NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; US sales from public industry figures. Complaints are self-reported and not independently verified. This is not an inspection and not a recommendation to buy or avoid any vehicle.