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GM To Fix Chevy Volt Battery Energy Control Module Malfunction

GM has issued a Special Coverage bulletin relating to a fix for a condition in which 2016 to 2018 Chevy Volt PHEVs may have a malfunctioning battery energy control module or BECM, potentially leading to various problems with vehicle starting and power.

The General has now extended coverage of the costs for the repairs necessary to the Chevy Volt battery energy control module to 15 years or 150,000 miles from the time the vehicle was first put into service, under Special Coverage program number N232432680 according to the bulletin.

Side view of the Chevy Volt.

2016 through 2018 Chevy Volt units affected by the battery energy control module fault may experience several problems as a result. These can include reduced power, a failure of the vehicle to start, and/or inability of the vehicle to charge when plugged in. Vehicles should be checked in the GM Global Warranty Management system, under the Applicable Warranties section, to see if they have special coverage.

The available repair for this BECM malfunction consists of the dealership service personnel replacing the module entirely. Up to 8 quarts of coolant may need to be added to the Volt unit as well. The repair is available free of charge to the owner if it is carried out on March 6th, 2024 or a later date. Repairs carried out before March 6th which were paid for by the vehicle owner are usually eligible for cost reimbursement by GM.

The typical fix for this Chevy Volt issue requires a little more than 5 hours.

Rear three quarters view of the Chevy Volt.

As a reminder, motivation is supplied to the 2018 Chevrolet Volt by a plug-in hybrid, or extended-range EV, powertrain consisting of the 1.5L L3A I4 range-extending gasoline engine, a pair of electric motors and an 18.4 kWh lithium battery. The Environmental Protection Agency gave the hybrid a notable 42 MPG combined city/highway fuel economy rating for 2018, which at the time promised gasoline savings of $4,250 over five years in comparison to an equivalent ICE model.

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Comments

  1. Isaac

    Dang it! I still have my chevy volt bricked in my driveway. I purchased a Tesla instead!

    Reply
  2. JimInAuburn

    Pretty sure my 2018 Chevy Volt has an EV range of 53 miles not 42.

    Reply
    1. Ed

      Article explains the volt pretty poorly. That’s the actual MPG, the 52 or I think marketing put it a 60 for full EV range. I think today people don’t realize that this thing could run on just electricity for most commuters… Winter notwithstanding… Poor marketing, death of the small car production… and a serious luck of understanding by sadness staff… killed this cars sales and next generation. Its the obvious drivetrain setup most Americans would use .. all hail the RamCharger… somehow beating GM to market because most people thought the volt was a Prius Cruise…

      Reply
      1. If I owned the gen2 instead of gen1 it would do 99% of my driving in EV mode only. Thought my gen1 does pretty good at 85% of my driving.

        Reply
  3. scuder

    Can you or (or someone) please provide a link to the special coverage bulletin? I had this fixed out of warranty (101,000 miles!) and fought GM for months and they never paid.

    Reply
    1. Martin S

      Google search the number provided at the top of the article. N232432680
      There are several references and the document is readily available.

      Reply
  4. Tom Zhang

    I have a 2014 Volt.
    It has the same problem two years ago. I went to the dealership and they asked $1500+ for a fix that’s not guaranteed to work after the initial diagnosis. I did a lot of research beforehand and managed to lower it down to below $400. But still, GM should cover this free of charge.

    Reply
    1. You had the BECM problem on your 2014? How many miles? So far so good on my 2014 at 128k miles 85% battery driven.

      Reply
      1. Martin S

        BECM failures were a rarity on the Gen 1 Volts. See my reply to Tom. Completely different vehicle to the Gen 2, with BECM and sensing also revised.

        Reply
    2. Martin S

      Completely different vehicle and BECM on the Gen 1 Volts (2011 to 2015) to the Gen 2 Volt (2016-2019).

      The Gen 1 has a Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) that receives data from 4 Battery Interface Control Modules (BICMs) mounted on the battery sections – one each on sections 1 and 2 and two BICMs on section 3 at the rear. Those BECMs rarely failed.

      On Gen 2 Volts, there are no BICMs. The functions were incorporated internally to the BECM, which is more failure prone.

      Reply
  5. DCPinOR

    I had this repaired done under warranty last year. Glad to see that they are going to support other owners who might be out of warranty already.

    Reply
  6. Bob

    Probably a good indicator GM intends to bring something similar back to market. They don’t want the reputation as tarnished as it already is. The Volt was loved by so many niche owners but the actual car experience was just awful.

    Reply
    1. Guy Desjardins

      I have a 2017 and like most owners I love it. Nothing awful about it…

      Reply
      1. Martin S

        Agreed. It’s only the trolls and haters who frequently have zero experience that make those types of comments.

        The Volt in any model year was a great little vehicle.

        Reply
        1. Well I would say gen1 was solid but seems gen 2 1 or 2 specific years had a bit of these problems.

          Reply
  7. Ian

    Bob, you refer to “niche owners” that are unaware of the “actual car experience”? This makes no sense. My 2015 Volt, which I bought new, has been great!

    Reply
    1. Martin S

      Ian, yours is the consensus of a high percentage of Chevy Volt owners, whether Gen 1 or Gen 2. There’s nothing “niche” about them at all. They were a great vehicle and it’s honestly a shame that the model didn’t continue until about 2023 MY, before fading away.
      GM like other companies doesn’t have unlimited build space to produce vehicles, so has to rotate models in and out as needed. The Volt was assembled on the Hamtramck Flex line along with a couple of other models when I last visited, but the building was re-vamped to become the “Ground Zero” facility.

      Likewise, the Bolt which despite the LG battery assembly issue, has been a great vehicle in all model years and versions,. Moving on to allow technically more advanced models to be put into production, the Bolt was cut. It will be back due to popular demand for ’26 MY with major propulsion revisions.

      Reply
  8. Jean

    Got this repaired by dealer last year under warranty after the car “bricked” on the freeway. Now runs like a charm. Hooray for the Volt!

    Reply
  9. Tolli

    I had this fixed on my 2017 volt about a month and a half ago. Chevy covered it under warranty, but they charged me $250 to upgrade the firmware in the radio unit to work with Android auto, they said radio firmware updates are only covered in the first 3 years 36,000 miles. The plug-in hybrid concept is great, but for the winter months in Seattle I really only get about 30 miles on the battery before the gas engine kicks in.

    Reply
  10. Cardenas

    I just donated my 2016 volt to kars for kids . They towed it away last week. Chevy wanted $500 just to bring it to the shop. I laughed and went and purchased a Tesla

    Reply
    1. Lance

      Wait until you have an issue with the Tesla. I went back and bought a used volt after 170K on my tesla and they refused to cover issues under warranty.

      Reply
    2. Martin S

      Hopefully your Tesla ownership experience will be as warm and fuzzy as their marketing hype. Many owners relate a completely different experience.

      Technicians who leave dealerships to work at Tesla, frequently do not stay long and rush to get back to the real world.

      Reply
  11. John H

    If only they extended this same coverage to Shift to Park broken microswitch and a stuck EGR valve blowing the No Walk Home fuse. I’ve had both of those problems, ordered parts and fixed them myself. The EGR valve was very hard to source, and I ended up getting one from a warehouse that had it’s shelving collapse, slightly damaging the surface which mates to the engine block, which required a bit of filing/sanding.

    Reply
  12. Evo69

    Yep the 2nd Gen Volt BECM problem. Glad GM is finally addressing this issue.

    Reply
  13. Rob F

    I have a 2018 Volt and don’t really have a range issues, at least not in the summer, winter as expected sucks. I do have a winter interior heating issue. But my real issues is sometimes I can’t shut my car off, I put it in park and I sometimes have to jiggle the shifter before I can turn the power off. Apparently another know GM issues but not as a recall yet.

    Reply
  14. Lou

    I called GM about the GM Special Coverage bulletin N232432680. I have a 2017 GM Volt that died in 2021 and required the Battery ECM replacement at a cost of close to $3k. I was told by GM the ‘special’ bulletin is for only certain specified Volt Vin numbers. Someone in their wisdom at GM made a decision to exclude and limit this warranty coverage . GM is losing my loyalty when this game is played.

    Reply
  15. SS

    The Propulsion power reduced message came up on my dash about a week ago in my 2018 Volt. It wouldn’t drive out of the parking lot and I had to start/stop the car about 6 times before it reset somehow and be able to drive home. I took it to the dealership last week and they checked the VIN in the system and said it’s not showing any warranty coverage. This special bulletin is not being extended to all vehicles but I have registered my complaint/incident with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The reply message said they would look into it. I also called Chevy.com customer support and reported the same issue. The rep just said the VIN number does not have this coverage yet but that I did everything I could to get it to “attach” the case if GM is forced by the NHTSA to comply and provide the replacement or reimbursement.

    Would the article author or owners who have actually gone through the replacement or reimbursement process please update this post to include how owners experiencing this issue can receive the special program coverage if their VIN is not registering in dealership systems? I saw the technical bulletin being posted elsewhere on the web but it is just advice for dealerships, not a mandate to take action for owners. Thank you!

    Reply
  16. KR

    How do I get reimbursed if I already paid to have the BECM replaced last year? The Special Coverage Bulletin says GM will reimburse but it does not say the process for applying to be reimbursed. Please explain.

    Reply
  17. Scott

    From a post on GM-volt, they were told this is only for certain VINs?!? “so I called GM about the GM Special Coverage bulletin N232432680. I have a 2017 GM Volt that died in 2021 and required the Battery ECM replacement at a cost of close to $3k. I was told by GM the ‘special’ bulletin is for only certain specified Volt Vin numbers.”

    Reply
  18. Aaron

    Scot, I just got off the phone with GM and they told me the same thing. Only special VIN numbers. Mine, of course, was not of the “special” ones. Whatever that means.

    Reply
  19. John H

    I guess I’m lucky, the warranty shows up in the MyChevy app web-link to the Web site. I haven’t had any issues so far, but I feel for people who needed this replaced, and had to pay for it. I did have to replace the shifter and the EGR valve at my expense.

    Reply
    1. Aaron

      When I enter my VIN on the GM website the “Voltec Component Limited Warranty”
      Is still listed as under warranty for me.
      But I had to pay for my BECM last year when I had it replaced.
      I think the dealership screwed up
      Everything that I’ve seen indicates that the BECM is included in the Voltec Component, right?
      Anyone else getting the run-around from GM on this?

      Reply
  20. Scott

    I paid for the Shift-to-Park problem but then worked thru the Voltec warranty and was cut a check. Coverage was change to a V and it was all clarified.
    | R Car D2 GLC || Document ID: 4305945
    8460670 Transmission Control Replacement
    LABOR CODE: 8460670
    Effective Date: Sep 1, 2019
    Coverage Code: H
    Coverage Code: V
    WARRANTY CODE: None

    Reply
  21. C. Finch

    2017 Chevy Volt owner here. Had to have my BECM replaced in Feb 2023. At the time, process was a bit of a nightmare. The part was on backorder for 3 weeks as my car sat in shop. Then took two follow up visits (within a few days) to fully rectify the issue:

    Visit # 1 Parts and Labor: BECM ($2,098), Shift-to-Park ($382), Propulsion Reduced –> 12 volt battery replacement ($331),Hazardous Parts Disposal ($53) = Total $2,866
    Visit # 2: Parts and Labor: ERG Valve Replacement ($983) = Total $983
    Visit # 3 : Exhaust Gas Recirculation Cooler Replacement (“goodwill” = $0)

    From what I have read, BECM + Shift-to-Park are definitely related… and it seems like the ERG is as well.

    When this Special Warranty was announced I contacted my dealer, then GM, back to my dealer for a Warranty Reimbursement. This is in process.

    My read (and my dealers take) is that GM might only over the BECM ($2083) portion even though the other components were part of the repair.

    Reply
  22. C. Finch

    I will also note I bought the car used in July 2019. That winter, on the first 20 degree day was the first time I got a check engine light – which went away the next day. From that point forward, it seemed as though the light would briefly appear when temps got that low. Which happened a couple times per winter – but then it would clear. I had assumed this was related to engine running in lower temps. Thought it was fixed by emissions related recall in April 2020.

    The final failure of BECM was related to cold snap in Jan 2023. My understanding was that it was related to poor soldering in BECM

    Reply
  23. Richard

    Just finding out with my 2017 Chevy Volt that this doesn’t work if your car is California CARB compliant / designated as a PZEV built for sale in California. Chevy is leaving everyone who has those Volts out in the cold unless they live in a few specific states that have adopted the CARB standards retroactive to the model years affected – everywhere else they just go “Sorry, your VIN isn’t covered and you don’t have a PZEV warranty in this state.”

    What *great* customer service. I am never buying a Chevy again.

    Reply
    1. scottf200

      a) Is that because a CARB state already had that longer warranty? 15 years or 150,000 miles
      b) Does this mean that you are not covered if you live in any of these CARB states but that you are covered if you live in other states? California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington

      Reply
      1. Richard

        The impression I get from my talks with Chevy is that CARB cars are only covered in specific CARB states, because those are the only ones that require Chevy to provide coverage. Non-CARB cars are covered under the Service Bulletin. CARB cars in non-CARB states are just out of luck, because only non-CARB VINs are covered.

        Reply
  24. George

    My volt 2016 has becm problem. Milage is about 80 000. I’m interested if my car under special coverage program . Now my car situated outside of USA. Please let me know.

    Reply
    1. Richard

      Unfortunately I don’t know. The information I have from GM is that the coverage is determined by VIN. You may have to speak to a dealership in your area or call customer service.

      Reply
    2. K. Richardson

      Download the MyChevrolet app and click on Vehicle Status and then click on Check for Recall. Under that area there will be information about warranties. The new BECM Special Coverage warranty appears there for my Volt. All work related to this must be done by a GM dealership though, so being out of the country may be problematic even if it is covered.

      Reply
  25. Casey

    I filed a warranty claim through my dealer. My dealer told me GM would be reimbursing the replacement of the BECM.

    Today, GM Letter arrived in the main about the “Special Coverage Bulletin”. The letter including info about BECM, steps to take, and a form to make a warranty reimbursement claim.

    Reply
  26. George

    Does anyone can answer on my question ?

    Reply
  27. Sollyg

    I just had mine replaced- $3k. Was told my 2017 volt wasn’t part of the correct VIN for the recall. If many Volts had a bad BECM, and mine did, and Chevy knew that many Volts had a bad BECM, how can they say mine was a good one when it failed?

    Reply
    1. KR

      It should not have cost that much anyway. It should have been between $1700-$2200. I’d have gone to a different dealership. I had to pay out of pocket for my BECM replacement but I was able to get reimbursed after the Special Coverage Warranty was extended. They sent me a letter and the coverage shows up in my app. Sorry this happened to you.

      Reply
    2. Richard

      They are deliberately excluding any vehicle they had to modify for the California emissions standard, even though the modification has nothing to do with the BECM failure.

      Reply
  28. Kathleen Faber

    I have a 2017 Volt for only 11 months before it would not start. I am being told that it requires a new high voltage battery. I am 6 weeks now without a care and am being told that it is not available until sometime in 2025. Someone please help me understand what part of this situation is ok???? It is not acceptable!!!!! GM offered me $2000 today as a solution. It is insulting to say the least. I paid $20,000 for the car.

    Reply
  29. Gamble

    So if I bought a volt in California that was originally leased in California does mine still go under the 150k warranty because I’m not seeing it anywhere else and I have the shift to park issue

    Reply

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