2014 Chevrolet Volt

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CHEVROLET VOLT. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE PROPULSION POWER REDUCED WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE DECELERATED TO 35 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND THE BATTERY DIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MIAMI LAKES AUTO MALL (16600 NW 57TH AVE, MIAMI LAKES, FL 33014, (305) 455-3540) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SOFTWARE TO THE PROPULSION SYSTEM NEED TO BE UPDATED. THE SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS PERFORMED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,016.

CAR TELLS ME THAT THE AIRBAG NEEDS TO BE SERVICED EVERY TIME THE CAR TURNS ON AND CONTINUES TO ALERT ME AS I DRIVE, EVEN AFTER I ACKNOWLEDGE THE ERROR. APPARENTLY THE FRONT PASSENGER DETECTOR FOR TURNING ON THE AIRBAG MUST BE REPLACED. THE PREVIOUS OWNER SAYS HE'S DRIVEN WITH THIS PROBLEM FOR OVER A YEAR. OVER $600 TO REPLACE. FROM READING FORUMS ONLINE, I SEE THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM. THE PART SHOULD BE RECALLED.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 65 MILES PER HOUR. AS I BEGAN TO BRAKE BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC, 3 LIGHTS CAME ON THE VEHICLE. STABILITRAK FAILURE, ABS AND BRAKE ASSIST FAILURE. WHEN THE LIGHTS CAME ON, THERE WAS A LOSS OF BREAKING. I ALMOST CRASHED. HAD I BEEN CLOSER TO THE VEHICLES, I WOULD HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT. FORTUNATELY, I KEEP A DISTANCE FROM THE VEHICLES IN FRONT OF ME AT ALL TIMES. I CALLED GENERAL MOTORS AND THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY WOULD LOOK AT THE REPAIRS AND FIND OUT IF IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS RELATED TO THE VEHICLE'S SAFETY. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, I RECEIVED AN ESTIMATE FRO M JACKIE, THE TECHNICIAN AT MARK CHRISTOPHER AUTO CENTER 2131 E CONVENTION CENTER WAY, ONTARIO, CA 91764. STATED THAT THERE IS TWO SEPARATE ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. ONE ISSUE WAS THE STABILITRAK AND THE SECOND ISSUE HAD TO DO WITH THE ABS. EACH OF THE ITEMS WERE ESTIMATED DIFFERENTLY EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE RELATED. I ENDED UP COUGHING UP $290 FOR JUST AN INSPECTION OF BOTH ITEMS (NOT REPAIRING THEM). 160 WAS FOR THE CHECK ENGINE, STABILITRAK AND BRAKE ASSIST FALURE. THE SECOND CHARGE WAS TO LOOK AT THE ABS AT $130. I DISPUTED THE CHARGES BUT THEY STATED THAT THEY WERE VALID. WHEN I SPOKE TO THE TECHNICIAN ( JACKIE) SHE STATED THAT THE CAR WAS REPAIRED AND THE PROBLEM STEMMED DEBREE GOING IN TO THE I TOLD THEM THAT I HAD A CASE # WITH GM. JACKIE STATED THAT GM WOULD NOT HONOR THE REPAIR BECAUSE IT WAS THE SPEED SENSOR. SHE STATED THAT THE SENSOR WAS CLEANED AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE THE PROBLEM ANYMORE. IT IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND THAT SUCH A SIMPLE FIX DOES NOT HAVE A RE-CALL. THIS IS A SAFETY SENSITIVE ISSUE THAT HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIETY AS A WHOLE. IMAGINE A PERSON DRIVING AND THEY DO NOT KNOW THE SYSTEM IS MALFUNCTIONING. THIS CAN BE HARMFUL TO PEDESTRIANS WALKING IN THE STREETS. THE SYSTEM DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO BRAKE. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!

THE 120V CHARGING CORD THAT CAME WITH THE VOLT HAS CRACKED AND FRAYED, EXPOSING ELECTRICAL WIRES TO THE ELEMENTS AND CREATING A FIRE HAZARD. SEE PHOTO OF CORD CONDITION. THE CHARGER IS A NECESSARY ELEMENT TO USING AN ELECTRIC-HYBRID VEHICLE. WE ASKED THE CHEVY DEALER FROM WHOM WE BOUGHT THE VOLT (SEE BUSINESS CARD PHOTO) TO PROVIDE A REPLACEMENT CHARGER, AND THEY REFUSED TO. THIS EQUIPMENT IS AN UNACCEPTABLE FIRE HAZARD, AND ITS CONDITION SHOULD NOT HAVE RESULTED FROM NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR.

MY VOLT STEERING WHEEL STICKS IN THE CENTER POSITION AFTER DRIVING IN STRAIGHT LINE. IT THEN REQUIRES SOME FORCE TO "BREAK OUT". AFTER THIS BREAKOUT IT OPERATES NORMALLY. THIS IS CONCERNING WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. IT IS ALSO A KNOWN ISSUE AND GM ISSUED BULLETIN 14232A TO ADDRESS IT. HOWEVER MY DESPITE MY VEHICLE SUFFERING THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE CAMPAIGN, MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE CAMPAIGN. PLEASE UPDATE THE CAMPAIGN VINS TO INCLUDE MY VIN SO GM WILL REPAIR IT.

FRONT WINDOW DEFROSTER NOT WORKING RESULTING IN POOR FORWARD VISIBILITY WHILE OPERATING VEHICLE. WINDOW DEFROSTER NOT WORKING BECAUSE HEATING SYSTEM FAILED. NO HEAT WHILE OPERATING VEHICLE IN ELECTRIC ONLY MODE. FORCING VEHICLE TO OPERATE IN GASOLINE ENGINE MODE PROVIDES SOME HEAT, BUT IS NOT EFFECTIVE IN COLD CLIMATE CITY DRIVING DUE TO INFREQUENT ENGINE OPERATION. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO FORCE ENGINE TO OPERATE CONTINUOUSLY. BASED ON CHEVROLET VOLT OWNERS FORUMS THE ELECTRIC HEAT CEASING OPERATION IS A COMMON FAILURE IN THESE VEHICLES AND IS THE RESULT OF AN ELECTRIC HEAT / CIRCULATION PUMP COMPONENT FAILURE. THIS COMPONENT IS UNIQUE TO THIS TYPE OF PLUG IN HYBRID VEHICLE THAT DOES NOT PRODUCE ENOUGH ENGINE HEAT TO KEEP THE WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER WORKING. DEALER REPLACEMENT OF THE FAILED COMPONENT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE VOLTEC WARRANTY THOUGH THIS IS A UNIQUE COMPONENT REQUIRED AS PART OF THE VOLTEC PROPULSION SYSTEM TO PROVIDE ENOUGH HEAT FOR WINDOW DEFROSTING IN COLD CLIMATES. THE ELECTRIC HEATER / CIRCULATION PUMP COMPONENT FAILURE RATE SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR THESE VEHICLES AND DETERMINED WHETHER A SAFETY RECALL IS WARRANTED.

THE ELECTRIC HEATING SYSTEM FAILED ON MY VOLT WHICH DISABLED THE WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER, CREATING A DANGEROUS VISIBILITY SITUATION. THE VOLT HAS TWO HEATING SYSTEMS, THE TRADITIONAL WASTE HEAT FROM THE ENGINE'S COOLING SYSTEM AND AN ALL-ELECTRIC RESISTOR PACK. WHEN THE CAR RUNS IN ALL-ELECTRIC MODE, THE ENGINE DOES NOT ENGAGE AND THE TRADITIONAL HEATING SYSTEM IS INEFFECTIVE. THERE IS A MODE THAT WILL OPERATE THE ENGINE WHILE THE BATTERY STILL HAS A CHARGE, BUT THE CAR STILL RUNS PRIMARILY ON BATTERY POWER AND ONLY RUNS THE ENGINE TO MAINTAIN A CERTAIN CHARGE LEVEL. THERE IS NO BACKUP MODE TO FORCE THE ENGINE TO RUN IF THE ELECTRIC HEATER FAILS. I PARK OUTDOORS OVERNIGHT IN A PARKING LOT. THIS MORNING, DESPITE ENGAGING THE VEHICLE MODE THAT OPERATES THE ENGINE TO SUSTAIN THE BATTERY CHARGE LEVEL, THE ENGINE DID NOT OPERATE OFTEN ENOUGH TO GENERATE ENOUGH HEAT TO DEFROST/DEFOG THE WINDSHIELD UNTIL TRAVELLING NEARLY 2 MILES. YOU CAN'T SIT AND WAIT FOR THE ENGINE TO HEAT UP BECAUSE THE ENGINE STOPS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY.

I'M RECEIVING INTERMITTENT WARNINGS TO SERVICE THE AIRBAGS. THIS COMES AS A SURPRISE SINCE THIS IS FAIRLY SOLID STATE AND NOT SOMETHING THAT GETS DEPLETED SUCH AS OIL, BRAKES, OR TIRES. I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THE MANUFACTURERS ARE OF THE AIRBAGS BUT WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THEY ARE TAKATA. CHEVROLET SHOULD NOT BE DODGING RESPONSIBILITY WITH SAFETY EQUIPMENT.