Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 34 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Chevrolet Volt, and it carries 2 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 11 | 32% |
| Electrical system | 5 | 15% |
| Unknown or other | 5 | 15% |
| Power train | 1 | 3% |
| Seats | 1 | 3% |
| Power train | 1 | 3% |
| Steering | 1 | 3% |
| Power train | 1 | 3% |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 3% |
| Service brakes | 1 | 3% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while the vehicle was shifted to park(P), the message to “Shift to Park” remained displayed. The contact was unable to turn off the vehicle. The contact sta
NHTSA complaint: Power train
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the bat
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
When shifted into park, persistent error message that car was not in park. Unable to shut off the car despite numerous manipulations of shift. Few similar preceeding incidents were resolved by shift to drive then back to
NHTSA complaint: Power train
Driver seat frame has a loud squeak during normal operation of vehicle. Driver seat is a critical safety item, and my concern is that the seat frame has a manufacturing defect.
NHTSA complaint: Seats
Two incidents related to the powertrain. 1) In December, 2023, the EV battery was drained and the car would not start based on the gas motor. The dealer fixed it in our recollection. 2) On [XXX], I was driving the car o
NHTSA complaint: Power train
Mileage: 38523 Engine Not Available Service Soon Propulsion Power Is Reduced Fuel Range Low: 3/4 Tank full of gas [XXX] - I was driving Northbound on [XXX] South of Castlewood in Northern California. I was driving 70 mph
NHTSA complaint: Power train
While driving home one evening, the power steering suddenly failed. A warning message displayed to service the power steering. It became very difficult to steer the car. I had to pull extremely hard on the wheel to be ab
NHTSA complaint: Steering
Vehicle lost propulsion and all power mid turn at approximately 45mph. Powe steering and assisted brakes were gone. Conditions were rainy, resulting in single car crash. Car did not restart. No codes present. Occurred ag
NHTSA complaint: Power train
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2019 Chevrolet Volt. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insuf
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac cus
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Cadillac CT6, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Volt, and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. Certain second-row or third-row rear seatbelts retractor assemblies may not automatically lock when the seatbelt is fully pulled out of the retractor, possibly pre
Risk: If the child seat is not properly secured in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seatbelt retractors and replace them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 7, 2018. Owners may contact Cadillac customer se
| Reliability raw | 86 | excellent |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 81 | excellent |
| Maintenance | 79 | good |
| Depreciation | 57 | average |
| Performance | 39 | below average |
| Efficiency | 64 | average |
| Safety | 100 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other compact cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 34 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and power train is the most reported area with 11 of them (32%). There are 2 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 86/100 (excellent) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 81/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2019 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 75/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.