2013 Chevrolet Volt

THIS IS THE SECOND VOLT I OWNED IN A YEAR THAT EXHIBITED THIS ISSUE. UPON BRAKING AND PASSIVE DECELERATION THE CAR MAKES A LOUD AUDIBLE WHINING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE DEALER STATES IT IS A REGENERATIVE BRAKE BEARING FAILURE. THIS ISSUE IS RELATED TO THE BEARING CAGE FAILING CAUSING THE BEARING TO LOSE ITS INTEGRITY. HTTP://GM-VOLT.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?17877-LOUD-WHINING-DURING-REGEN. *TR

I LEASED A NEW 2013 VOLT ON FRIDAY AND DROVE IT TO WORK AND HOME ON MONDAY. THE BATTERY DISPLAY SHOWED IT WAS AT MINIMUM, ZERO MILES REMAINING. THE VOLT WAS RUNNING WITH THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. AS I PULLED OUT OF A PARKING LOT, "'PROPULSION POWER IS REDUCED"', "'ENGINE NOT AVAILABLE"', AND "SERVICE STABILITRAC" DISPLAYED ON THE DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER. AFTER GOING ABOUT 500 FEET, I STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AND THE VOLT STALLED. I TURNED ON THE FLASHERS AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTORE POWER BY PRESSING THE BRAKE AND THE POWER BUTTON. THE DISPLAYS LIT UP BUT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER CONTINUED TO DISPLAY "'INITIALIZING-WAIT TO SHIFT"'. I TURNED THE VOLT OFF BY PRESSING THE POWER BUTTON AGAIN AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTORE POWER SEVERAL TIMES WITH THE SAME RESULT. CARS BEHIND ME WERE ATTEMPTING TO PULL AROUND ON THE LEFT SIDE BUT WERE BLOCKED BY CARS TURNING ONTO THE TWO-LANE STREET. I PUSHED THE ON-STAR BUTTON AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE. SOON, A VOLT SPECIALIST CAME ON THE LINE AND SAID SHE SUSPECTED THE SECURITY SYSTEM OR THE 12V BATTERY. SHE HAD ME TURN EVERYTHING OFF AND WALK 200 FEET FROM THE CAR. WHEN I RETURNED AND TRIED TO START THE VOLT, IT STARTED BRIEFLY BUT SHUT DOWN. SHE SAID THE 12V BATTERY MIGHT BE LOW AND THEY WOULD HAVE THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER BRING BOOSTER CABLES TO CHARGE THE BATTERY. I HAD MANAGED TO PUSH THE VOLT TO THE CURB AND GOT SOME CABLES TO BOOST IT. THE VOLT INITIALIZED AND THE DISPLAYS LOOKED NORMAL. I DROVE TO THE NEXT INTERSECTION AND STOPPED FOR THE LIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED, IT STALLED AGAIN. I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE TO MY HOUSE ON BATTERY POWER BUT IT WOULD NOT GO UP THE SLOPE OF THE DRIVEWAY. I TRIED TO CHARGE IT BUT THE CHARGE CYCLE WOULD NOT START. THE NEXT MORNING, IT HAD "'PLUG IN TO CHARGE" LIGHT ON. I STARTED THE CHARGE CYCLE. IT GOES TO THE DEALER TONIGHT. *TR

I BOUGHT A 2013 VOLT 2 WEEKS AGO. WHILE AT THE CVS DRIVE THROUGH TODAY THE CAR STARTED TO BEEP WARNING LIGHTS WHEN OFF, BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR STARTED MOVING FORWARD. THE BRAKES COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING, NO PUMPING OR ANYTHING. I MADE IT INTO A PARKING SPACE TO AWAIT FOR A TOW TRUCK AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. WHEN I TURNED THE VEHICLE ON THE ERROR MESSAGES WERE GONE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT SOLID AGAIN. I STARTED TO MOVE THE CAR AND THE ERRORS CAME BACK AND BRAKES FAILED AGAIN. THE EXPERIENCE WAS OVERALL KINDA SCARY. I TOWED IT TO THE DEALER. 2 DAYS LATER I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER HAD FAILED AND MUST BE REPLACED. *TR

ANTILOCK FEATURE OF BRAKES WILL NOT ENGAGE ON ICE/SNOW UNLESS BRAKES ARE SLAMMED HARD. AT LEAST THREE TIMES, I HAVE SLID SLOWLY THROUGH AN ATTEMPTED STOP. IT HAS ALSO OCCURRED TWICE WHILE GENTLY BREAKING WHILE TRAVELING DOWNHILL. THE WHEELS LOCK UP AND VEHICLE GOES INTO A SLIDE. IT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN, BUT NOW I KNOW TO SLAM THE BRAKE PEDAL, AND THE ANTILOCK FEATURE WILL THEN OPERATE AND TERMINATE THE SKID AND STOP THE VEHICLE. *TR

AT ANY SPEED OVER 57MPH, IF YOU LEAVE THE STEERING WHEEL CENTERED (SUCH AS ON A LONG STRAIGHTAWAY) THE STEERING WHEEL WILL LOCK IN THAT CENTER POSITION. IT TAKES SIGNIFICANT FORCE TO PULL THE CAR OUT OF THAT CENTER LOCKED POSITION. CHEVROLET IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, BUT HAS SO FAR BEEN UN-WILLING TO FIX IT IN MY VEHICLE (THEY WILL NOT SEND THE PART TO THE DEALERSHIP). *TR

I WAS ON MY WAY HOME, IT WAS VERY DARK OUTSIDE ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY GOING 60-60MPH AND WANTED TO SWITCH OVER TO ELECTRIC "HOLD" MODE SO I COULD SAVE THE ELECTRIC BATTERY FOR CITY DRIVING. I GLANCED OVER AND HIT THE "DRIVE MODE" BUTTON THREE TIMES THINKING I WAS GOING TO SEND THE DRIVE MODE DOWN TO "HOLD". INSTEAD WHAT I DID WAS POWERED OFF THE CAR BY HITTING THE POWER BUTTON. (THE TWO BUTTONS ARE RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER AND BOTH REQUIRE MULTIPLE PRESSES TO WORK). SO THERE I WAS, THE CAR WENT BLACK INSIDE AND THE HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF OUTSIDE WHILE I WAS GOING 65MPG ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY (ONE LANE EACH DIRECTION). THANK GOD THERE WAS NOBODY AROUND OR CLOSE TO ME AND THANKFULLY THERE WAS JUST ENOUGH AMBIENT LIGHT FROM THE MOON TO SEE WHERE I WAS. I HIT THE POWER BUTTON TO TRY TURNING IT BACK ON, NOTHING. LUCKILY THE HAZARD SWITCH REMAINED LIT AND I WAS ABLE TO TURN MY HAZARDS ON. I HAD TO STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, PUT IT BACK INTO PARK AND HIT POWER. I REALIZE I HIT THE WRONG BUTTON BUT WHY SHOULD SUCH AN EASY MISTAKE ALMOST CAUSE A FATALITY. IF NOT FOR THE MOON I MIGHT HAVE DROVE OFF THE ROAD AND INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEY MOVE THE POWER BUTTON TO THE STEERING COLUMN, SIMILAR TO WHERE A KEY WOULD BE LOCATED. FOR GODS SAKE, DON'T PUT A MULTIPLE CLICK BUTTON NEXT TO ANOTHER MULTIPLE CLICK BUTTON THAT HAS SUCH SIGNIFICANCE IN THE OUTCOME OF YOUR LIFE. AND FOR GOD SAKES, DON'T TURN OFF THE HEADLIGHTS IF THE COMPUTER DETECTS I'M GOING 65 AND KNOWS VIA THE SENSOR THAT IT'S DARK OUTSIDE! THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS AT VARIOUS WEB SITES, INCLUDING.... HTTP://GM-VOLT.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?17249-POWER-BUTTON-TOO-CLOSE-TO-DRIVE-MODE-BUTTON! SOMEBODY IS GOING TO BE HAVE A FATALITY SOON IF THIS IS NOT FIXED. *TR

WHEN I WAS PURCHASING THE CAR, THE SALESMAN WAS DEMONSTRATING THE EMERGENCY TRUNK SAFETY RELEASE. WHEN HE PULLED ON IT, THE RELEASE DEVICE BROKE OFF. HE TOLD ME TO RETURN AFTER A FEW WEEKS TO GET A REPLACEMENT. I JUST SAW THE STORY ABOUT LEXUS HAVING SIMILAR ISSUES. IT'S EASY TO GET INTO THE MAIN CABIN FROM THE TRUNK IN THE VOLT, SO IT ISN'T A REAL SAFETY ISSUE, BUT IT SHOULD BE TRACKED SINCE I'M SURE CHEVROLET USES SIMILAR DEVICES IN THEIR OTHER CARS. *TR