I filed a complaint in 2019, it prompted an investigation. NHTSA Action Number: PE19013 I had not heard back from NHTSA or GM so I searched the NHTSA website and found that an agreement was made to close the investigation, in part because GM has instituted a cost reduction program for the repair/replacement of the PSS in the su…
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I filed a complaint in 2019, it prompted an investigation. NHTSA Action Number: PE19013 I had not heard back from NHTSA or GM so I searched the NHTSA website and found that an agreement was made to close the investigation, in part because GM has instituted a cost reduction program for the repair/replacement of the PSS in the subject vehicles. Based on this cost reduction program as well as: 1) a comparatively low warranty rate; 2) no reported injuries, deaths or asymmetric deployments; and 3) the age of the vehicles; ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation." When I attempted to have my vehicle repaired, the dealership didn't know what I was talking about. I contacted GM headquarters to inquire about the cost reduction program and I was told that they would look into it and get back with me. They denied me, they outright lied to NHTSA to close the investigation. My car still has an airbag problem and I am asking NHTSA to take enforcement action. Since they lied, I believe a fitting remedy would be for GM to pay 100% of the repair. After all, it's the very same thing that happened with the Chevrolet Malibu that prompted a recall. Thank you, Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NHTSA ODI #11460155
Mileage unknown · Dec 17, 2021
Air Bags
The dashboard airbag warning light comes on, and the dashboard says "Service Airbag". The car chimes, and it (the message and light) usually goes away within 10 seconds. If it stays, when I push down on the passenger seat and then let go the message will go away, and the airbag light will go off. This condition happens when ther…
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The dashboard airbag warning light comes on, and the dashboard says "Service Airbag". The car chimes, and it (the message and light) usually goes away within 10 seconds. If it stays, when I push down on the passenger seat and then let go the message will go away, and the airbag light will go off. This condition happens when there is a passenger and when there is not a passenger and is an intermittent fault. More and more reports of this issue are becoming more common. History codes in the Passenger Presence System point to the passenger seat sensor. In order to solve the issue, you have to replace the sensor in the seat. The sensor replacement requires a tech to remove the seat, open it, change the part and then reinstall it. This service charges ~$1,200 at my dealership. This is a safety issue that has been well-documented in a large number of official reports, and reports online. This is also something that GM knows about and is refusing to fix on affected vehicles.
NHTSA ODI #11444178
150,000 miles · Nov 1, 2021
Air Bags
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the air bag message “Service Air Bag” and the air bag warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the passenger’s side seat air bag sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. T…
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The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the air bag message “Service Air Bag” and the air bag warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the passenger’s side seat air bag sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they could not assist as his VIN was not included in a recall related to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
NHTSA ODI #11438937
Mileage unknown · Sep 1, 2021
Air Bags
Seat airbag sensor malfunctioning: Looked up issue on forum and found reference to NHTSA Action Number PE19013.
NHTSA ODI #11431301
Mileage unknown · Aug 20, 2021
Air Bags
If nobody is in the passenger seat it gives a warning to check the airbag. If someone is in the seat there is no issue. I’ve seen others report this online and it appears to be a $1,200 defect. People won’t pay to repair this so it becomes a safety issue.
NHTSA ODI #11429928
Mileage unknown · Jul 26, 2021
Air Bags
The dashboard airbag warning light comes on, car chimes, and front passenger air bag status changes between on/off intermittently when there is someone sitting in the front passenger seat. I'm afraid the airbag system is faulty and won't deploy when needed. This is an ongoing problem.
NHTSA ODI #11426520
Mileage unknown · Jul 1, 2021
Air Bags
Passenger Pressence Module Failure resulting in faulty passenger side airbag failure and a failed state inspection. Repair quoted as $1100 plus tax
NHTSA ODI #11423056
Mileage unknown · Jun 13, 2021
Air Bags
The air bag service light would come on if the passenger leave the car in parking mode, the light will clear itself after some time. Search online and found it's a very common problem in 2012/2013 chevy volt because of a faulty sensor under the seat, I think GM should do a recall for this since it's a design/manufacture fault.
NHTSA ODI #11420778
70,000 miles · May 4, 2021
Air Bags
WHENEVER ANY WEIGHT IS APPLIED TO THE PASSENGER SEAT, A SERVICE AIRBAGS ERROR COMES UP AND THE RED AIRBAG SIGNAL ILLUMINATES SIGNALING THAT THE AIBAG IS TURNED OFF FOR PASSENGERS. THERE IS NO INFORMATION ON HOW TO TURN IT BACK ON
NHTSA ODI #11415091
67,000 miles · Apr 23, 2021
Air BagsSeats
THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR FAILS WAS FAILING. THE CHECK AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WOULD COME ON WHILE DRIVING WITH A PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE. THIS WOULD DISABLE THE AIRBAG (WHEN THE CHECK AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT INDICATING THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS ENABLED SWITCHES TO OFF.) THIS IS A DANGEROUS FAILURE. IF THE CAR KNOWS TH…
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THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR FAILS WAS FAILING. THE CHECK AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WOULD COME ON WHILE DRIVING WITH A PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE. THIS WOULD DISABLE THE AIRBAG (WHEN THE CHECK AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT INDICATING THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS ENABLED SWITCHES TO OFF.) THIS IS A DANGEROUS FAILURE. IF THE CAR KNOWS THAT THE SENSOR HAS FAILED THEN THE 'SAFE' CONDITION SHOULD BE TO DEPLOY THE AIRBAGS OR THE 'SEAT OCCUPIED' CONDITION SHOULD BE 'LATCHED TRUE' UNTIL THE VEHICLE STOPS. (A PASSENGER CANNOT SUDDENLY DISAPPEAR WHEN THE CAR IS MOVING AT 35 OR 40 MPH). THIS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY IN 2020 AND 2021. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE - WAS TOLD THAT THE ISSUE WAS RESOLVED. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS THE ISSUE STARTED AGAIN. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER APRIL-2021 AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Camero, Sonic, and Volt vehicles. The driver-side air bag inflator may explode during deployment due to a manufacturing defect.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver-side air bag module, free of charge. On some 2013 Volt vehicles, the steering wheel will be replaced as well, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 23, 2023. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N232413120.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Chevrolet Volt vehicles. An update to the Hybrid Powertrain Control Module 2 (HPCM2) may have disabled the cell balancing function causing a low-voltage condition.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the voltage drops, the vehicle may lose propulsion, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the HPCM2, free of charge. The recall began July 24, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18215.
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the engine runs for an extended period of time in an enclosed space, there may be a build up of carbon monoxide, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the engine management software to limit the time that the stationary vehicle can be left in the ON position, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14617.
Additional source detail variants (2)
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.
Consequence: If the engine runs for an extended period of time in an enclosed space, there may be a build up of carbon monoxide, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the engine management software to limit the time that the stationary vehicle can be left in the ON position, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14617.
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline
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.
Consequence: If the engine runs for an extended period of time in an enclosed space, there may be a build up of carbon monoxide, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the engine management software to limit the time that the stationary vehicle can be left in the ON position, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14617.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2
DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
PE19013 · Passenger Sensing System
Opened Sep 17, 2019 · Closed Jul 2, 2021
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger
In September 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-013 to assess the potential safety related effects of a malfunction of the Passenger Sensing System (PSS) in 2012-2013 Model Year (MY) Chevrolet Volt vehicles. Consumers reported that due to a malfunction of the PSS, the air bag system malfunction indicator light (MIL) was activated. Many of the complaints noted the malfunction occurred after the warranty period expired and mentioned high repair costs as a major deterrent to the repair of the vehicle.The PSS sensor mat is embedded in the front passenger seat cushion and is intended to detect child seats and small statured occupants who could be harmed by deployment of the frontal passenger air bag. The PSS may develop a malfunction due to bunching of the sensor mat in the seat trench. The bunching of the sensor mat could cause the mat to repeatedly fold in the same location. Over time, the repeated folding can cause an increased resistance in the sensor mat. An increased resistance in the PSS sensor mat is detected as a fault in the air bag system diagnostic. If this fault is detected, a diagnostic trouble code will be stored in the air bag control unit and the air bag MIL will illuminate.Further, if the fault is detected, the passenger frontal and knee air bags will be suppressed in a crash of sufficient severity to warrant a commanded deployment regardless of the nature of size of the occupant of the front passenger seat.The report counts shown above include only those reports that specifically address the issue covered by this investigation, failure of the PSS sensor mat. Reports alleging only that the air bag light is on with no cause stated, or where a different cause was otherwise identified, were excluded as the air bag light could be illuminated for system faults other than a PSS malfunction.The subject vehicles have been in service for approximately ten (10) years. An analysis of General Motors (GM) warranty data for the subject vehicles, including a comparison with other agency and manufacturer data pertaining to similar occupant detection system failure investigations, indicates the subject vehicles experience a comparatively low complaint rate for this issue given the number of years the vehicles have been in service.GM has instituted a cost reduction program for the repair/replacement of the PSS in the subject vehicles. Based on this cost reduction program as well as:1) a comparatively low warranty rate; 2) no reported injuries, deaths or asymmetric deployments; and 3) the age of the vehicles; ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.nhtsa.gov under the following ODI identification numbers in a separate attachment.
2013 Chevrolet Volt Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year
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