2015
New 2019
Used 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011

Chevrolet Volt Change Vehicle

The Volt is an electric car for drivers who don't want to be limited by battery range. It usually allows you to drive gas-free for 35 miles, however the exact number depends on weather and driving style. In our testing, it ranged from 20 to 50 miles. When the battery is depleted, a backup gasoline engine kicks in to keep the electric motor running. This allows you to keep driving for up to 315 more miles before refueling.
Alerts
There is 1 recall on this vehicle. Learn More.
2015
New 2019
Used 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011

Chevrolet Volt

Reliability
See All
Owner Satisfaction
See All
Crash and Rollover Tests
IIHS Front Moderate Overlap Good
IIHS Front Small Overlap, Driver Acceptable
IIHS Side Crash Good
NHTSA Frontal-Crash, Driver
NHTSA Frontal-Crash, Passenger
See All

Road Test Results

Performance
Acceleration Acceleration Acceleration tests are conducted on a smooth, flat pavement straightaway at the track. Time, speed, and distance measurements are taken with a precise GPS-based device that’s hooked to a data-logging computer.
0 to 60 mph 0 to 60 mph (sec.) The time in seconds that a vehicle takes to reach 60 mph from a standstill with the engine idling.
Transmission Transmission Transmission performance is determined by shifting smoothness, response, shifter action, and clutch actuation for manual transmissions.
Fuel Economy Fuel Economy We perform our own fuel-economy tests, independent of the government's often-quoted EPA figures and the manufacturers' claims. Using a precise fuel-flow measuring device spliced into the fuel line, we run two separate circuits to represent city and highway consumption.
CR's Overall Mileage CR's Overall Mileage CR's overall mileage is a composite of measured fuel usage on a prescribed city course and highway cruising; and CR's 150-mile test trip of mixed driving, if tested. In recent road tests, we've discontinued the 150-mile trip test.
CR's City Mileage CR's City Mileage Measured fuel usage on a prescribed city course.
CR's Highway Mileage CR's Highway Mileage Measured fuel usage on a prescribed highway cruising.
Annual Fuel Cost Annual Fuel Cost The cost and amount of fuel used in 12,000 miles and is calculated from CR's overall mileage.
Braking Braking The braking rating is a composite of wet and dry stopping distances and pedal feel. Braking distance is from 60 mph, with no wheels locked.
Emergency Handling Emergency Handling Several factors go into the rating, including the avoidance maneuver speed and confidence, as well as how the vehicle behaves when pushed to its limit,
Comfort / Convenience
Ride Ride Our expert judgment of how well the suspension isolates and absorbs road imperfections and how steady it keeps the body on various road surfaces.
Noise Noise Our expert judgment of the vehicle's interior noise level in everyday driving.
Front Seat Comfort Front Seat Comfort Our judgment of how comfortable the front seat is for drivers of various heights.
Rear Seat Comfort Rear Seat Comfort Our judgment of how comfortable the rear seat is for two passengers to sit across.
Interior Fit and Finish Interior Fit and Finish An expert evaluation of the interior quality and craftsmanship.
Trunk/Cargo Area Trunk/Cargo Area Our rating is based on the amount of luggage or cargo space that a vehicle has in the trunk or cargo area.

Owner Reports

Worse Better
Reliability History Reliability History The reliability charts are based on responses on hundreds of thousands of vehicles from our latest Annual Auto Survey. Consumer Reports subscribers reported on any serious problems they had with their vehicles during the past 12 months that they considered serious because of cost, failure, safety, or downtime, in any of the trouble spots included in the table below. The results are presented relative to the average model that year. Extra weight is given to the more serious areas such as major engine or transmission problems. Based on this data and further analysis, we predict reliability for the latest year. N/A indicates that we did not receive a large enough sample size to provide data for a specific year. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year.
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
NA
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Reliability Trouble Spots
Engine Major Engine Major Engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, timing chain or timing belt.
NA
Engine Minor Engine Minor Accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, oil leaks.
NA
Engine Cooling Engine Cooling Radiator, cooling fan, antifreeze leaks, water pump, thermostat, overheating.
NA
Transmission Major Transmission Major Transmission rebuild or replacement, torque converter, clutch replacement.
NA
View all Reliability
Owner Satisfaction Owner Satisfaction To learn about satisfaction, CR has collected survey data from our annual survey on more than half a million vehicles. Our subscribers provide great insights into their satisfaction by answering one simple question: If they had it to do all over again, would they definitely buy or lease the same model? In addition, respondents also rate their cars in six categories: driving experience, comfort, value, styling, audio, and climate systems. N/A indicates that we did not receive a large enough sample size to provide data for a specific year. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year.
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
NA
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Driving Experience Driving Experience Includes acceleration and handling
Comfort Comfort Includes seats, climate control, noise, and ride
Value Value Did you get what you wanted relative to the price you paid?
Styling Styling How it looks inside and out
View all Owner Satisfaction
Safety Equipment
ABS and ESC standard. Front side and head protection air bags standard.
Road Test

The Volt is an electric car for drivers who don't want to be limited by battery range. It usually allows you to drive gas-free for 35 miles, however the exact number depends on weather and driving style. In our testing, it ranged from 20 to 50 miles. When the battery is depleted, a backup gasoline engine kicks in to keep the electric motor running. This allows you to keep driving for up to 315 more miles before refueling. If you charge every night and your daily drive fits within the battery's range, you might never need to buy gasoline.

Running on electricity alone, the Volt cost about four cents per mile at national-average electric rates -- much less than required to fuel any gas-powered car. Actual cost will depend on your electric rates, which vary greatly from state to state. Driving on the highway also diminishes the battery's range. We got our longest electric-only drives on rural roads at around 45 mph. The Volt is amazingly inexpensive to run on short trips, but when the gas engine kicks in and trips reach around 70 miles, traditional hybrids catch up. That's partly because the gasoline engine requires premium fuel, which strikes us as out of step with what Volt buyers might expect.

Seating
2 front, 2 rear
Drive Wheels
Front
Warranty

In most cases, automotive warranties are based on the vehicle identification number (VIN), and the warranty will be valid regardless of ownership. The dealership can tell you exactly how much warranty is left.

Read more about extended warranties
Body Styles
4-door hatchback
Transmissions Available
  • 1-speed Direct
Engines Available
  • 1.4-liter 4 electric (150 hp)

Owner Reported Trouble Spots

The Reliability score is based on our latest subscriber survey of 2015 Chevrolet Volt owners. The owner comments describe problems respondents experienced with this vehicle.

In-car Electronics

CD or DVD players, radio, speakers, GPS, communication system (e.g., OnStar), display screen freezes or goes blank, phone pairing (e.g. Bluetooth), voice control commands, steering wheel controls, portable music device interface (e.g., iPod/MP3 player), backup or other camera/sensors.

What Owners Say

Display screen goes blank

"As your driving along the display just goes blank for several seconds and then seems to do a reboot and starts up and works normal. In my eight months owning vehicle this happened once a month at first but now happens two or three times a month"

Anonymous, AZ (2015 Chevrolet Volt None Plug-in Hybrid)

"Instrument cluster screen went blank but was easily fixed by Dealership free of charge by rebooting the IPC"

Evelyn M., ON (2015 Chevrolet Volt None Plug-in Hybrid)

"While driving, the screen has gone blank. Have not been satisfied with the dealers attempt to fix it"

Michael M., CA (2015 Chevrolet Volt None 1.4-L 4 Cyl plug-in hybrid)
External music device interface (e.g., smart phone, MP3 player)

"usually goes into indexing mode instead of starting to play when connecting a USB device"

Anonymous, CA (2015 Chevrolet Volt None Plug-in Hybrid)

"The device interface system just plainly sucks since it doesn't communicate well with the iPod. I have to use my iPhone now, but even it has trouble seeing it after plugging in, or starts songs alphabetically instead of the last one played. FAIL"

Peter M., FL (2015 Chevrolet Volt None Plug-in Hybrid)

"Radio was switching sources on its own with phone paired and apps running. Updated software for radio"

Anonymous, CA (2015 Chevrolet Volt None 1.4-L 4 Cyl plug-in hybrid)
Phone pairing (e.g., Bluetooth)

"Will often loose its pairing with the cell phone"

Michael M., CA (2015 Chevrolet Volt None 1.4-L 4 Cyl plug-in hybrid)
Load more

Body Integrity

Squeaks, rattles, wind noises, loose or cracked seals and/or weather-stripping, air and water leaks.

What Owners Say

Air or water leaks

"Minor leak above the driver side window"

Anonymous, MI (2015 Chevrolet Volt None Plug-in Hybrid)
Squeaks or rattles

"Sounds like something is loose inside the headliner. It moves whenever I turn or brake"

Anonymous, VA (2015 Chevrolet Volt None Plug-in Hybrid)
Wind noise

"It has a wind noise if driving on a windy day, however, a recall of the back latch may be the problem, the part is ordered"

Dennis B., MO (2015 Chevrolet Volt None Plug-in Hybrid)

Paint/Trim

Paint (fading, chalking, cracking, or peeling), loose interior and exterior trim or moldings, rust.

What Owners Say

Loose exterior trim or moldings

"Front bumper or body assembly keeps popping out about 3/8 inch at point it connects with right front quarter panel. Started right after purchase. No, car has never hit anything"

Anonymous, AZ (2015 Chevrolet Volt None Plug-in Hybrid)

"I had a loose front fender, or a gap in it at least, and it was fixed when the headlight was replaced, but now it has popped back out. (the headlight was found to not be working the first night I drove home from the dealer)"

Peter M., FL (2015 Chevrolet Volt None Plug-in Hybrid)

Climate System

Blower (fan) motor, A/C compressor, condenser, evaporator, heater system, automatic climate control, refrigerant leakage, electrical failure.

What Owners Say

Heater system

"Heater malfunctioned and was replaced"

Anonymous, CT (2015 Chevrolet Volt None 1.4-L 4 Cyl plug-in hybrid)

Power Equipment

Cruise control, clock, warning lights, body control module, keyless entry, wiper motor or washer, tire pressure monitor, interior or exterior lights, horn, gauges, 12V power plug, remote engine start, alarm or security system

What Owners Say

Hybrid/electric system and battery (excluding replacement)

"Received error message: Propulsion power limited/reduced. Took dealership two weeks to determine that they didn't have the right equipment to fix it and the car had to be sent to a larger dealership in Atlanta. Apparently the problem was related to"

Richard C., GA (2015 Chevrolet Volt None Plug-in Hybrid)

Electric System

Alternator, starter, hybrid battery and related systems, regular battery, battery cables, engine harness, coil, ignition switch, electronic ignition, distributor or rotor failure, spark plugs and wires failure.

What Owners Say

Tire pressure monitor

"Tire pressure monitor showed a low pressure after I inflated the tire. After rotation, the front tire is shown in the rear tire indicator, and vice-versa"

Donald Q., CT (2015 Chevrolet Volt None 1.4-L 4 Cyl plug-in hybrid)

Exhaust

Muffler, pipes, catalytic converter, exhaust manifold, leaks.

What Owners Say

Other/unsure

"Can't save radio stations except on first 2 of 6 pages of favorites. New car - will take to dealer to fix radio"

Scott L., CA (2015 Chevrolet Volt None Plug-in Hybrid)

Engine Minor

Accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, oil leaks.

Fuel System

Check engine light, sensors (includes O2 or oxygen sensor), emission control devices (includes EGR), engine computer, engine computer, fuel cap, fuel gauge/sender, fuel injection system, fuel pump, fuel leaks, stalling or hesitation.

Body Hardware

Power or manual windows, locks and latches, tailgate, hatch or trunk, doors or sliding doors, mirrors, seat controls, safety belts, sunroof, convertible top.

Engine Major

Engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, timing chain or timing belt.

Suspension

Shocks or struts, ball joints, tie rods, wheel bearings, alignment, steering linkage (includes rack and pinion), power steering (pumps and hoses, leaks), wheel balance, springs or torsion bars, bushings, electronic or air suspension.

Engine Cooling

Radiator, cooling fan, antifreeze leaks, water pump, thermostat, overheating.

Drive System

Driveshaft or axle, CV joint, differential, transfer case, 4WD/AWD components, driveline vibration, traction control, electronic stability control (ESC), electrical failure.

Brakes

Antilock system (ABS), parking brake, master cylinder, calipers, rotors, pulsation or vibration, squeaking, brake failure or wear.

Transmission Minor

Gear selector or linkage, leaks, transmission computer, transmission sensor or solenoid, clutch adjustment, rough shifting, slipping transmission.

Change Vehicle