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#BS-2012-CHEVOL-22D7

2012 Chevrolet Volt

Based on reports from 354 owners and 2 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
354
Crashes
11
Fires
2
Recalls
2
TSBs
1,844
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 354 complaints, 11 crashes, 2 fires, and 2 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

transmission whine

2 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
2

paint flaws

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

wobbling

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the AirbagsHIGH

84 owners reported airbags issues — failures commonly reported around 76K miles.

!Inspect the ElectricalMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

56
0–30K
45
30–60K
58
60–90K
60
90–120K
36
120–150K
14
150K+

Peak failure range: 90–120K miles (60 reports) • Median: 76K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Airbags (84 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Airbags84 (24%)
Electrical78 (22%)
Fuel System36 (10%)
Engine27 (8%)
Brakes23 (6%)
Drivetrain21 (6%)
Other17 (5%)
Seats14 (4%)

2012 Chevrolet Volt: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 24% of all reports filed for the 2012 Chevrolet Volt, with 84 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 76,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 76K-mile mark.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 22% of all reports filed for the 2012 Chevrolet Volt, with 78 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Fuel System Issues

Fuel System complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2012 Chevrolet Volt, with 36 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to fuel system-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2012 Chevrolet Volt, with 27 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

2
11
11
12
10
13
23
14
20
15
25
16
29
17
44
18
64
19
47
20
30
21
20
22
11
23
13
24
4
25
1
26

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2012 Chevrolet Volt. Recent trend: decreasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (2 recalls)

13V271000

SERVICE BRAKES

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Volt vehicles manufactured March 1, 2012, through April 17, 2012. Due to a brake pressure modulator valve problem, the vehicles do not relieve brake pressure from the front brakes during an anti-lock brake system (ABS), electronic stability control (ESC), or traction control event. One or both front brakes may lock up and not release. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) No. 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems"' and No. 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."

15V145000Apr 2015

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Volt vehicles manufactured August 25, 2010, to June 26, 2013. If the driver exits the vehicle without turning off the electrical system, the battery may drain low enough that the gasoline engine will automatically start itself to recharge the electric battery.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Chevrolet Volt is the 2017 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is electrical.

2012 Chevrolet Volt vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

354

Class avg

282

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other compact cars vehicles from 2012.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 354 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 2 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Chevrolet Volt Model Years

201920182017201620152014201320122011
View all Chevrolet Volt years →

2012 Chevrolet Volt: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2012 Chevrolet Volt?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2012 Chevrolet Volt is related to the airbags, with 84 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2012 Chevrolet Volt reliable?
The 2012 Chevrolet Volt has 354 complaints, 11 crash reports, and 2 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2012 Chevrolet Volt problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2012 Chevrolet Volt have any recalls?
Yes, the 2012 Chevrolet Volt has 2 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Chevrolet Volt problems start?
Based on 269 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 76,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 90–120K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 354 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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