2012 CHEVROLET VOLT Complaints

VEHICLE DISPLAYING SERVICE AIRBAG WARNING. WAS TOLD BY DEALER THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY UNLESS A $1000 PART IS ORDERED AND INSTALLED. THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY DEVICE AND SHOULD BE COVERED AS A SAFETY RECALL. THIS WARNING APPEARS UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE AND REMAINS ON. THE DEALER STATED THE PASSENGER SENSING MODULE SHORTED OUT INTERNALLY. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 124K MILES ON IT.

THIS ISSUE APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO AN OPEN INVESTIGATION (PE19013). AIRBAG WARNING DISPLAYED AFTER PASSENGER HAS EXITED THE VEHICLE ('SERVICE AIRBAG'). APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY FAULTY PASSENGER PRESENCE SENSOR. FAULT CLEARED WHEN VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF/ON. DEALER (PARADISE CHEVROLET, VENTURA, CA) ADVISED THAT PASSENGER PRESENCE AND AIRBAG SYSTEMS HAVE AN 'INTERNAL FAULT' (B0074, B0081) WHICH DEALER SERVICE REP STATED MAY CAUSE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG NOT TO DEPLOY CORRECTLY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. QUOTED REPAIR COST OF $499 FOR SENSOR AND 3 HOURS LABOR (@$150/HR).

BREAKS FAILED WHILE DRIVING 25-30 MPH ON WINDY MOUNTAIN ROAD . THERE WAS NO WARNING , CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE DOWNHILL GRADUALLY . AFTER ABOUT 0.3 MILES I WAS ABLE TO FINALLY PUSH EMERGENCY BREAKS (IT'S A BUTTON AND DIDN'T WORK AT FIRST ) GET TO MORE FLAT ROAD AND STOPED THE CAR BY DRIVING ON GRAVEL AND DRY BRUSH . VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOST ITS POWER ABOUT 2-3 MINUTES LATER . EMERGENCY LIGHTS DIDN'T WORK . CHP ASSISTED US AS CAR WAS ABANDONED IN THE MIDDLE OF MOUNTAIN ROAD , BLOCKING THE WHOLE LINE . GM HAS NOT OFFERED ANY EXPLANATION YET .

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED DUE TO A FAILED SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. HAD TO REPLACE WITH A USED SEAT.

VOLT LOSES POWER WHEN SWITCHING FROM ELECTRIC TO GAS MOTOR. HAS NO OCCURRED TWO TIMES, BOTH RESULTING IN A TOW BILL. TE VOLT DEPLETES THE ONBOARD BATTERY CHARGE AND IS THEN SUPPOSED TO SWITCH OVE TO THE NITERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. INSTEAD, AT THE TIME OF TRANSITION THE VEHICLE LOSES ALL PROPULSION POWER, POWER STEERING, ETC. THE CAR COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP AND WILL NOT MOVE. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON A MULTIPLE-LANE FREEWAY AND IS VERY DANGEROUS TRYING TO MANEUVER A VEHICLE THAT HAS NO POWER TO DRIVETRAIN OR STEERING.

AIRBAG LIGHT COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY TOOK CAR TO CHEVROLET DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A BAD SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND THE COST WOULD BE 900 DOLLARS FOR PART AND LABOR.

AFTER A FRONT SEAT PASSENGER HAS EXITED THE VEHICLE, A WARNING MESSAGE APPEARS STATING SERVICE AIRBAG. THIS WILL APPEAR IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PERSONA HAS EXITED AND, IN SOME CASES, FOLLOWING THE RESTART OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT A PASSENGER. PUSHING DOWN HARD ON A CERTAIN SECTION OF THE SEAT WILL OFTEN MAKE THE WARNING MESSAGE DISAPPEAR, BUT THIS IS HAPPENING WITH REGULAR FREQUENCY. DEALER QUOTING COST TO REPAIR IS BETWEEN $900-$1100 DOLLARS. I BELIVE THIS IS PART OF INVESTIGATION PE19013.

THE SERVICE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE SEAT OR NOT. IF SOMEONE IS IN THE SEAT WHEN THIS HAPPEN THE AIRBAG IS NOT ARMED SO IT WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER, IT WAS PURCHASED IN OCTOBER 2011 AND HAS OVER 90,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE AIRBAG WON'T DEPLOY DURING AN ACCIDENT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET VOLT. WHILE THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING 35 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT BLACK AND BECAME INOPERABLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

RANDOMLY WHEN DRIVING IT WILL SAY SERVICE AIRBAG AND THEN THE LIGHT FOR THE PASSENGER AIRBAG TURNS ON SHOWING THAT IT WILL NOT DEPLOY.