2014 Chevrolet Volt

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CHEVROLET VOLT. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH IN BATTERY MODE, THE BATTERY EMPTIED AND THE VEHICLE SWITCHED TO GAS MODE. THE VEHICLE EMITTED A LOUD NOISE AND LOST ACCELERATION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ON STAR SYSTEM ACTIVATED AND INDICATED A SYSTEM FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE ONTO THE ROAD SHOULDER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO BEDARD BROS (391 SOUTH STATE ROAD, CHESIRE, MA 01225, (413) 743-0014) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (PART NUMBER: 12670036) FAILED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE AND REPROGRAMMED THE VEHICLE IMMOBILIZER. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,509.

WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE BATTERY SYSTEM TURNED OFF LOSING THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. THE ENGINE DID NOT TURN ON WHEN THE BATTERY DRAINS TO ZERO. THE BATTERY WAS FULLY CHARGED AT ABOUT 95% WITH ABOUT 40 MILES OF RANGE REMAINING. THE GAS TANK WAS 3/4 FULL. HAD TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP IN TRAFFIC, PLACE THE CAR INTO PARK, TURN OFF THE CAR COMPLETELY THEN BEGIN RESTARTING IT FOR ALL FUNCTIONALITY TO RETURN.

3-7-18 WE HAVE A 2014 VOLT WHICH IS CHARGED WITH OUR CHARGING STATION. MY HUSBAND WAS IN THE VEHICLE AND I REACHED WITH MY LEFT HAND TO POP THE CHARGER LID OPEN AND WITH MY RIGHT REACHED FOR THE CHARGER HOSE. MY LEFT HAND FINGER GOT TRAPPED IN THE HINGE OF THE DRIVER DOOR UNKNOWINGLY MY HUSBAND SLAMMED THE DOOR AND CRUSHED MY FINGER WITH SEVERE LACERATIONS. I WAS CARED FOR BY THE FIRE DEPART AND WAS TOLD TO IMMEDIATELY GO TO EMERGENCY BECAUSE OF THE SEVERE INJURY ,NEEDING STITCHES ETC THE USER BOOKLET HAS NO WARNING OF THIS NATURE. THE CHARGER LID XIS 1.5 INCHES FROM THE DRIVER DOOR HINGE. I WROTE TO GMAC AND WAS DENIED ANY CLAIMS TO MY INJURY. I ASKED IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO TAKE MY GRIEVANCE TO THE DEIGN ENGINEER AND WAS IGNORED. I ASKED IF THE CHARGER LID COULD BE ALTERED TO OPEN FROM LEFT TO RIGHT MAKING IT EASIER TO REACH WITH THE HOSE BUT WAS IGNORED. WE ARE A RETIRED COUPLE AND DO THINGS TOGETHER. I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD GO THROUGH THE PAIN AND SUFFERING THAAT LEFT MY FINGER ATTACHED BUT DEFORMED.

WHEN USING THE TURN SIGNAL WITH THE RADIO BARELY ON I CANNOT HEAR THE TURN SIGNAL INDICATOR AT ALL. THE TURN SIGNAL SOUND IS EXTREMELY LOW. TODAY I LEFT IT ON ACCIDENT AND A VEHICLE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME ASSUMING I WAS TURNING, HOWEVER I WAS NOT. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A FATAL ACCIDENT IF HE DID PULL OUT, THE VEHICLE STOPPED JUST INCHES BEFORE BEING IN THE ROAD. IF THE BLINKER INDICATOR IS THROUGH THE VEHICLE AUDIO SYSTEM, IT NEEDS TO BE INCREASED. I HAVE LEFT MY BLINKER ON MULTIPLE TIMES >10.

DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW FAILED TO RETURN TO CLOSED POSITION UPON DEMAND, RESULTING IN DISTRACTED AND UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION AT MINIMUM ROAD SPEED. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND AT SPEED. THIS OCCURRED IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN JUNE. HAD THIS OCCURRED IN CHICAGO IN JANUARY, THIS MAY HAVE PRESENTED AN ADDITIONAL HAZARD FOR VEHICLE OCCUPANTS. ALLEGED CAUSE OF FAILURE IS A WINDOW REGULATOR WITH A REPAIR COST OF $500. THIS DEFECT APPEARS TO BE COMMON BASED ON A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH.

ON JUNE 4, 2018 I WAS DRIVING WITH 4 MILES LEFT OF ELECTRICITY POWER, ONCE I RAN OUT OF ELECTRICITY IT SWITCHED OVER TO THE GASOLINE TANK WHICH WAS HALF FULL. ONCE THIS SWITCH OCCURED I RECEIVED THE MESSAGE ON THE DASHBOARD THAT READ "PROPULSION POWER REDUCED" AND "ENGINE NOT AVAILABLE, SERVICE SOON". I WAS DRVING ON A REGULAR FLAT STREET (NO STEEP HILLS) FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES THEN WENT INTO FREEWAY. ONCE IN THE FREEWAY MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY GIVING ME JUST ENOUGHT TIME TO PULL OVER TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER LANE. I WAS VERY LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PULL ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT WHICH IN PART WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WAS ALREADY ON THE RIGHT LANE, BUT IF I HAD BEEN ON THE LEFT LANE I CAN GUARANTEE I WOULD NOT HAVE MADE IT SAFELY TO THE SHOULDER LANE. PRIOR TO THIS I HAVE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO OTHER ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. ON MARCH 26, 2018 I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WERE IT WAS PURCHASED FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND FOR A COMPLETE CHECK AND ALL RESULTS WERE NORMAL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CHEVROLET VOLT. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE DOOR AJAR SENSOR INDICATOR ILLUMINATED BECAUSE THE REAR LIFTGATE DOOR WOULD NOT REMAIN LATCHED AND SECURED. IN ADDITION, THE REAR LIFTGATE DOOR WAS HARD TO OPEN AT TIMES AND WOULD COME DOWN VERY HARD WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE. THE CONTACT'S SON SUSTAINED A FRACTURED RIGHT THUMB WHEN THE DOOR SLAMMED DOWN ONTO THE THUMB. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT RECEIVED. THE LOCAL DEALER (CABLE DAHMER CHEVROLET IN ST. LOUIS, MO) AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. *TT

ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2017, I WAS BACKING UP FROM A STARBUCKS PARKING LOT WHEN I HIT MY BRAKES HARD TO AVOID ANOTHER CAR (ALSO BACKING UP). THE CAR WAS IN REVERSE GEAR AT THE TIME I APPLIED THE BRAKES FULL FORCE. FORTUNATELY, WE DID NOT HIT EACH OTHER AND I DROVE ON AND EXITED THE PARKING LOT. AT THE FIRST INTERSECTION I NOTICED MY BRAKE AND STABILITRACK WARNING-INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON. I WAS ON A SURFACE STREET WITH LIGHT TRAFFIC AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE, AS I DID, THE CAR SWERVED AND WOULD NOT BRAKE PROPERLY NOR COME TO A FULL STOP EVEN WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS FULLY DEPRESSED. PUMPING THE BREAK I WAS ABLE TO MANAGE WITH INTERMITTENT BRAKING ABILITY AND DRIVE THE CAR TO MY HOME (WHICH IS ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE STARBUCKS). I OPENED THE HOOD TO CHECK THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR AND SAW THAT IT WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY EMPTY. I COULD SEE FLUID DRIPPING AND POOLING UNDER THE ENGINE OF THE CAR. I CONTACTED THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP AND TOWED THE CAR TO THEM FOR SERVICING THE NEXT MORNING. AT THE DEALERSHIP, I EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND FILED A REPORT ON GM'S ONLINE REPORTING SYSTEM. THE MANAGER CAME BACK AFTER INSPECTING THE CAR AND TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE BRAKING SYSTEM BUT COULD NOT GIVE ME A COMPLETE ASSESSMENT OTHER THAN THE MASTER CYLINDER AND BRAKE LINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO THE WORK ORDER BUT AFTER TESTING THEY FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE BRAKE PRESSURE MODERATOR VALUE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. 14-DAYS FROM THE TIME I TOWED THE CAR IN THE FINAL REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED.