2016 Chevrolet Volt: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
169 NHTSA owner complaints · 1 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2017 Volt, which has 695 complaints and a score of 47 against 93 complaints and a score of 94 for the 2014; the years to buy are 2014, 2015 and 2019, and 2013 and 2018 are CAUTION verdicts. The first-generation car (2011 to 2015) settles after a 2013 with 308 complaints, and the second generation from 2016 has one bad year in an otherwise clean run. Read the full note on the model page. 2016 specifically: a year the record favours — 169 complaints, score 82/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Chevrolet Volt, Bolt EV and Nissan Leaf: the years to avoid, including 2016 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 169 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 16.9
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
My 2016 Chevy Volt started experiencing the "Propulsion Power is Reduced" issues associated with a faulty BCEM unit. I brought my vehicle in for service at a Chevy dealer and they confirmed that the BCEM needed to be replaced. This is a known issue resulting in special coverage under N232432680. Chevy is not honoring the special coverage for my vehicle despite my vehicle being less that 15 years old and having few…
I have a 2016 Chevy volt. It had to be towed to a Chevy dealership because it will not drive. The BECM module has failed, as is apparently the case with so many volt owners. GM, as a result of lawsuits about this car, extended the warrantee to fix the issue, but my vin number is not included in the case. The gar is a brick, and there is no way to fix it now. GM doen't even replace these batteries any more, and m…
Vehicle displayed reduced propulsion and shift to park while driving on highway then suddenly stopped. Dealer said battery failed after a year of diagnosing issue. Issue may be BECM which has extended warranty service but dealer not addressing the issue of car stalling but instead other costly minor issues leaving the vehicle a safety concern. Replacing battery with a bad BECM would lead to exact same issue
Recalls: 1 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 17V621000 | Air Bags:Frontal | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado, and 2016 Chevrolet Volt vehicles. The driver's frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 42 MPGe · estimated annual energy cost $1,450 · EPA range 53 mi
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Electrical System77 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Fuel/Propulsion System63 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Power Train51 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Engine48 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other20 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Vehicle Speed Control6 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
Other Chevrolet Volt years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Chevrolet Volt?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (77 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2016 Chevrolet Volt a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 82/100, computed from 169 NHTSA complaints and 1 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2016 Chevrolet Volt's most common problem?
77 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2016 Chevrolet Volt sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $540–$1,310 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2016 Chevrolet Volt cost to run per year?
About $3,840 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $19,202 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2016 Chevrolet Volt have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for the 2016 Chevrolet Volt, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 05/10/2017. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other compact suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2016 Chevrolet Volt really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 169 complaints, 1 recalls on record
- 169 NHTSA complaints on record (16.9/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (16.9/yr)
- 1 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems