2018 Chevrolet Volt transmission and drivetrain problems
85 of the 225 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Volt name the transmission and drivetrain (NHTSA’s “Power Train” heading — the transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading). Filed under the same heading: 96 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA complaint database0 of the 85 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2018: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 11 · 2021: 15 · 2022: 17 · 2023: 15 · 2024: 11 · 2025: 7 · 2026: 5
Half of the 20 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the transmission and drivetrain problem between 15,000 and 30,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
225 complaints in all about the 2018 Chevrolet Volt, 5 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Power Train” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Chevrolet Volt transmission and drivetrain problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the transmission and drivetrain. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while the gear shifter was in PARK, the shift to park warning light illuminated and the vehicle failed to turn off or change gears. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the gear shifter assembly mechanism failed and needed to be replaced.
I have the shift to park error come on sporadically when the car is in park. Clicking the shift trigger a few times usually fixes it. Car won't fully turn off when the message is displayed
"shift to park" displays on the screen even though the car is already in park. Electric motor will not shut off. And now the shifter doesn't work at all. When put into drive or reverse there is no power to the wheels. The vehicle is stationary when this happens because I was parking the car
When I try to turn the car off, it says I must shift to park, even though the car is already in park. As a result, I can't turn the car off and I can't leave it because there is no way to lock the doors when in this state
When attempting to turn off car after driving and after shifting the car into park, a message appears on the screen to shift the car to park. Even though the car is already in park the message remains, and the car won't turn off, or will only turn off after repeated attempts at shifting the car out of and back into park
What is on file about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications96 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P1AEF P1101 P1AEE P1AF0 P1AF2 P1E00 P1E22 P0A0C
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2018 Chevrolet Volt names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2018 Chevrolet Volt
Source: the same files- electrical problems 88 complaints
- engine problems 52 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre transmission and drivetrain problems common on the 2018 Chevrolet Volt?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 85 owner complaints naming the transmission and drivetrain on this model year (38% of everything owners filed about it), and 96 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the transmission and drivetrain on the 2018 Chevrolet Volt?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 2 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do transmission and drivetrain problems show up on the 2018 Chevrolet Volt?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 24,000 miles; half of them between 15,000 and 30,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Power Train" heading cover?
The transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.