The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received 61 complaints related to theChevrolet Volt Over Sudden Power Loss Battery Energy Control Module.
On Friday, the U.S. auto safety regulation announced an investigation on 73,000 Chevrolet plug-in hybrids over reports regarding abrupt power loss, failure to restart, and other related issues.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is opening an investigation into the models from year 2016 to 2019 due to 61 complaints associated with the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM).
Some complaints also reported that drivers received little warning before the car lost operating power or entered into reduced power mode.
NHTSA says this problem can increase safety concerns if vehicles cannot move with the surrounding traffic flow and if the stuck vehicle cannot restart.
Some owners have also complained to NHTSA about waiting months for replacement battery modules, and in some cases, they haven’t been able to obtain the replacement parts.
General Motors, the parent company of Chevrolet, is said to have sufficient replacement parts in its supply line.
One owner residing in Los Angeles talked about an unexpected loss of momentum while driving the Volt. The car can no longer drive or turn on, for that matter.
Another owner said they could not drive more than 35 mph on the highway and that the car stopped driving on electricity randomly.
Previously, the GM issued a technical service bulletin saying that the BECM must be replaced and reprogrammed if the vehicles fail to restart. However, according to NHTSA, the company hasn’t recalled the cars.
GM ended the production of Chevrolet Volt in early 2019.