2017 Chevrolet Volt: battery drain or dead battery

Filed Jul 10, 2025 · Electrical, Transmission · CA

Vehicle: 2017 Chevrolet Volt Purchased: March 2017, new from Quality Chevrolet, Escondido, CA I am reporting a persistent and worsening issue with the “Shift to Park” system in my 2017 Chevy Volt. The problem began approximately three months after purchase (mid-2017) and has continued to worsen over time. Initially, the issue occurred intermittently, but it now happens every time I attempt to turn off the vehicle. The vehicle fails to recognize that it is in Park, displaying a “Shift to Park” message on the dashboard even when the gear selector is correctly positioned. This prevents the car from shutting off properly and poses a safety and battery drain risk. I brought the vehicle to Quality Chevrolet for service on the following dates: June 2017 April 2018 August 2020 Despite these visits, the dealership failed to diagnose or resolve the issue. On July 9, 2025, I returned to the same dealership, and they finally diagnosed the problem as a faulty jumper harness and switch contact, quoting $586 plus tax for the repair. I requested a goodwill repair from GM, given that the issue began within the warranty period and has been ongoing for years, but my request was denied. This is a known and widespread issue affecting many GM vehicles, and I believe it represents a design or manufacturing defect that should be subject to a recall or broader investigation. I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate this issue further to ensure consumer safety and accountability.

Filed Apr 22, 2025 · Acceleration, Electrical · CA

I am submitting this complaint regarding a recurring and potentially hazardous issue in my Chevrolet Volt 2017.The vehicle frequently displays a “Shift to Park” warning message even when the gear shifter is correctly in the Park position. This malfunction prevents the car from shutting off properly, posing both safety and operational concerns. This issue is widely reported among Chevrolet Volt owners, and General Motors has acknowledged it in Technical Service Bulletin (TSB 19-NA-206). Despite this, no formal recall has been issued to ensure a permanent solution for affected drivers. My Volt currently has 138000miles, and although it is outside of the Voltec Warranty period, this is clearly a manufacturer defect—not a result of normal wear and tear. The problem affects the safe operation of the vehicle and may lead to battery drain, inability to power down the car, and driver confusion. I strongly urge the federal safety agency to investigate this issue and consider initiating a recall to protect drivers and ensure accountability. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Filed Jan 2, 2024 · Electrical, Engine · CA

My Chevy Volt has been having spotty pop-ups stating that "Propulsion Power is Reduced" for about a month, but I was not sure how reliable the pop-up was as there were plenty of days the pop-up would not come on when starting the car. On the day of my incident in October 2023, I once again received the "Propulsion Power is Reduced" pop-up when I started my car. While driving, I stopped at a stoplight, and my battery drained. When the battery is drained, I usually don't have anything to worry about, as the Volt is an EV hybrid, and I can use the gas until I can charge my vehicle again. But the Check Engine Light came on when the battery drained this time. When the light became green, I started to drive like normal, but I suddenly got a pop-up on the screen regarding the engine no longer working, and the car rapidly began to cruise while I was in the middle of the road. I was lucky enough to have space to pull over to the side, have a tow truck to get me, and not be in the middle of a busy street or highway. I scheduled an appointment with my local Chevy dealer for an inspection and figured something could be done to fix my vehicle. I was told my car was under warranty and what parts were needed to repair it. This was in October 2023, and I have been waiting for nearly 3 months for the EGR Valve required to repair my car after being told countless times that it is in backorder. I don't understand how a part can be in backorder for so long for a vehicle that is not being produced anymore. I was told I could drive my car in electric mode, but I do not want to risk the safety of others by having my battery suddenly become drained, as the EV Range the dashboard shows is never correct and rapidly drains.

Filed Dec 18, 2023 · Electrical · 20,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the Hybrid battery drained; however, the engine failed to activate as needed. Due to the failure, the vehicle stalled, and the contact coasted the vehicle to the shoulder of the highway. Due to the failure, the vehicle was initially towed to the residence then to the dealer. The vehicle was kept in dealer possession where repairs were made to the ECM (Electrical Control Module). Since the repair, the contact stated that the vehicle intermittently failed to start up while depressing the START/STOP button. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

Filed Jun 14, 2023 · Electrical · OR

After putting the vehicle in park and turning off the engine, the car gives a warning that the car is not in park. The main problem with the inability to shift into the park gear is that I anm unable to shut off my vehicle, which could potentially drain the battery. Consumers have been unable to exit, lock, and turn off their vehicles due to the shifting malfunction. The true issue at hand here is not that the vehicle is unable to physically shift into the park gear, but the vehicle is incapable of detecting the shift. Typically, when this malfunction occurs, the driver will receive a “Shift to Park” message on the driver information center, even if the gear selector is moved to park and the ignition is switched to the off position. The driver then must either restart the vehicle and try to repeat the shutting down process or toggle the shifter enough that the vehicle’s electrical system finally detects the shift change. While this strategy sometimes does the trick—it doesn’t always work, and drivers are stuck with a vehicle that will not shift into park.

Filed Oct 11, 2021 · Transmission · CA

Car does not sent park position when lever is pushed in park position. This results in car not being turned off and drains the battery.

Filed Aug 4, 2021 · Engine, Transmission · NV

I have owned the 2017 Volt since August of 2017. Late 2018 or early 2019 I started having an intermittent problem when I turned the car off. The screen showed an error message "Action required - Shift to park". The car was in park already. I would push the start button. Shift into gear and shift again into park. In the beginning that solved the problem. But the car did not fully shut down when the error message is displayed. If the door is opened, the signal that the engine is running beeps. I took it to the dealer service department . They kept the car for a day to diagnose the problem but did not get the error message. But as the problem was intermittent, it continued. I returned the car to the dealer and they said they made an adjustment that should resolve the problem. It didn't. The problem became constant and I could not shift into park. The car did not fully shut off and I couldn't lock it. I returned the car to the dealer and it was there for several days while they waited for a new shifter. It was on their EV charger full time so as to not drain the battery. The shifter was replaced in February 2019. I thought this was a random incident but found out it is not. In July 2021 the same problem returned. I called 2 dealers for an appointment and have to wait 3 weeks for an appointment. I looked online for solutions and to see if others had the same experience. I found many postings and comments with screenshots of the same error message and cars not turning off. It seems to be a defect affecting the Volt and other GM cars of the same age. I had an appointment at lunch 8/3/21 and after several tries to engage the parking gear, the car still would not turn off. I had to leave it running in the parking lot for 30 minutes and it would not lock. The car shut off normally when I returned to the office. This is not an issue of safety on the road, but the inability to turn off the car and lock it is a safety factor, especially for women.

Filed Jun 23, 2021 · Electrical · TN

Shifter is defective so that the car won't turn off, instead sticks on with "Shift to Park" warning. This makes it not possible to lock the car using the buttons, and drains the battery, resulting in stranded driver. Dealership said that they had never heard of it, but I see on the internet that is very, very, very, very, very common problem. Started after about 5,000 miles, has done is sporadically for last 4 years. Getting worse so that rarely turns off now, we just leave it on a charger all the time now.

Filed Aug 3, 2020 · Transmission · NC

My 2017 chevy volt is experiencing the apparently infamous 'shift to park' issue. Nearly every single time I pull into a parking spot, I put the car in park and press the power button to power down the vehicle. A message pops up on the display that says 'action required: shift to park.' I then have to depress the trigger mechanism on the gear shift and jiggle the whole shifter before the car registers it is in park and powers down properly. This is a well known problem among multiple chevy cars but they have not yet issued a recall. My car is just outside of the 'bumper to bumper' warranty, so it will cost a couple hundred dollars to fix an issue that is absolutely not my fault. While I am not aware of anyone having issues with shifting to anything other than park, it is very concerning that this mechanism is known to be faulty. If someone else were to drive my car and not realize they need to jiggle the shifter, they might leave my car on and drain the battery. Every single time I take this to get an oil change or other misc service, I have to show the technician how to get the car to turn off. This issue is potentially dangerous and well known. There should be a recall of the shift mechanism so that all of us can feel safe and reassured while driving.