2013 CHEVROLET VOLT Complaints

CONTINUOUSLY RECEIVE A "SERVICE AIRBAG SYSTEM" WARNING. BEGAN HAPPENING FOR NO APPARENT REASON. WARNING STAYS ON ALL THE TIME (AS SOON AS VEHICLE IS STARTED). DEALERSHIP INVESTIGATED AND DETERMINED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT SENSOR FOR THE AIRBAG MUST BE REPLACED, AT A HIGH COST (~$800). WITHOUT THIS REPAIR, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT (SENSOR DOES NOT INDICATE THAT SOMEONE IS SEATED ON PASSENGER SIDE, SO ONLY DRIVER'S SIDE MAY DEPLOY).

(CHEVY VOLT 2013) A WARNING MESSAGE "SERVICE AIRBAGS" INTERMITTENTLY SHOWS. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN ACCIDENTS. IT APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON ISSUES AMONG CHEVY VOLT OWNERS (INCLUDING 2 PEOPLE IN MY FAMILY WHO OWN THE SAME CAR MODEL) THE WARNING SHOWS WHILE DRIVING AND DISAPPEARS AFTER A FEW SECONDS.

I HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR 2 YEARS AND HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY ISSUES WITH THE BATTERY OR PROPULSION CONTROL SYSTEM. I GOT A RECALL NOTICE TO FIX "LOSS OF PROPULSION DUE TO LOW CELL VOLTAGE". THE SERVICE TEAM WAS VERY NICE, I SAT IN THEIR WAITING ROOM FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS. THEY SAID IT WAS DONE SO I THEN WENT TO WORK FOR A COUPLE HOURS. WHEN DRIVING HOME I GET TO THE POINT WHERE THE INITIAL ELECTRICAL BATTERY IS DEPLETED AND THEN IT TURNS ON THE GAS GENERATOR. I IMMEDIATELY GET AN ALERT "LOSS OF PROPULSION" AND THE CAR STOPS ACCELERATING AND DRIVES VERY DIFFERENT. LOW ACCELERATION, AC TURNS OFF. I MAKE IT HOME AND THEN THE CHARGING SYSTEM SAYS IT IS NOT WORKING. I TRY TO TURN THE CAR BACK ON AND IT DOESN'T LET ME PUT IT IN GEAR. I CALLED ON STAR AND THEY SCHEDULED A TOW TRUCK TO COME AND HAVE IT TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES.

INSIDE REAR BRAKE PAD MATERIAL SEPARATED FROM THE STEEL BACKING RESULTING IN DAMAGED BRAKE ROTORS AND ERRATIC BRAKING. ALL OTHER BRAKE PADS IN SATISFACTORY CONDITION. THESE WERE THE OEM BRAKES AND ROTORS.

WHILE STARTING VEHICLE FOR COMMUTE BACK HOME, THE ON BOARD DIAGNOSTIC WARNING POPES UP SAYING THAT PROFUSION PEER WAS REDUCED. THE GASOLINE ENGINE THEN TURNED ON EVEN THOUGH BATTERY WAS APPROXIMATELY 75% CHARGED. WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD DIFFICULTY WITH ACCELERATION AS WELL AS DECELERATION; AS A RESULT, I ELECTED TO TAKE THE SIDE STREETS INSTEAD OF THE INTERSTATE

I LIVE IN AND DRIVE MY CAR AROUND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. MY BATTERY COOLANT RADIATOR WAS HIT BY A SMALL ROCK AND LEAKED. THIS PREVENTED CHARGING, CAUSED A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON, AND COOLANT TO POOL UNDERNEATH MY CAR. I TOWED IT TO A NEARBY CHEVY DEALERSHIP TO GET THE RADIATOR REPLACED. RADIATOR DAMAGE TO VOLTS IS NOT UNCOMMON. CHEVROLET KNOWS THIS IS AN ISSUE AND HAS ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN COVERING SOME (BUT NOT ALL) VOLTS DUE TO THEIR LOW, VULNERABLE, AND RELATIVELY UNPROTECTED DESIGN OF THE RADIATOR. I BELIEVE CHEVROLET SHOULD REMEDY THE PROBLEM WITH STRONGER RADIATOR SHIELDS AND PROTECTORS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET VOLT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO KEN GARFF CHEVROLET (801-692-6158, LOCATED AT 548 E 1000 S, AMERICAN FORK, UT 84003) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000.

THE CHECK AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG GO ON AND OFF REPEATEDLY EVEN IF A PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT. THE PASSENGER PRESENCE SYSTEM HAS FAILED AT 70,000 MILES. IT HAPPENS WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN MAKING IT UNSAFE TO HAVE A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT. I HAVE READ SEVERAL GM AND VOLT BLOGS AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2012 AND 2013 VOLT.

WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE MAIN HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY IS DEPLETED, I HAVE A SUDDEN REDUCTION IN SPEED AND ZERO ACCELERATION. I GET A DASHBOARD ALERT "PROPULSION POWER REDUCED". "REDUCED" IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT! THE GAS ENGINE TRIES TO KEEP UP WITH SPEED BY RAMPING UP THE RMPS. THE SUDDEN LOSS OF SPEED FORCES OTHER CARS TO AVOID ME AND I CANNOT INCREASE MY SPEED IF NEEDED. I EXPECT I WILL BE REAR ENDED OR LOSE CONTROL WHEN THIS HAPPENS AGAIN. ENGINE REVS EXTREMELY HIGH. I USUALLY PULL OVER AND TURN OFF VEHICLE- SOMETIMES A RESTARTS FIXES IT. I HAVE ALSO WAITED (5 MINS?) WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING AT HIGH RMPS HOPING THE BATTERY WOULD RECOVER, BUT NO. I ALSO FEAR THE GAS ENGINE WILL OVERHEAT. THE CAR CAN NO LONGER DRIVE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS SAFELY AFTER DEPLETION AND CANNOT ACCELERATE SUFFICIENTLY EVEN IN A 30MPH ZONE. THIS IS A CONTINUING ISSUE AND HAS HAPPENED FOR THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THE HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY IS BAD, BUT THE MAIN BATTERY CHARGES AND DRIVES FINE UNTIL IT IS DEPLETED. I NOW DON'T DRIVE FARTHER THAN WHAT THE EV BATTERY CAN ACHIEVE. (ALL OTHER CURRENT RECALL ISSUES, SOFTWARE UPDATES HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED)

2013 CHEVY VOLT STOPPED ACCELERATING AND RECEIVED A LOW PROPULSION WHILE DRIVING ON A STATE ROUTE IN OHIO. OUR SON WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF THIS WAS ON A HIGHWAY. THE VOLT WOULD NOT MOVE AND HE HAD TO TRY TO GLIDE OFF THE ROAD SINCE IT HAD NO POWER. HE PUSHED THE CAR OFF THE ROAD SO IT WOULD NOT BE HIT. IF THIS SITUATION WOULD HAVE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, OUR SON COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED TO OTHER VOLT OWNERS IF YOU LOOK THIS ISSUE UP ON THE INTERNET. WHY HASN'T GM FIXED THIS ISSUE SO PEOPLE ARE SAFE WHEN DRIVING THIS VEHICLE? WE BROUGHT OUR VOLT INTO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, THIS CAR IS NOW GOING ON 3 WEEKS AND WE STILL DO NOT HAVE OUR CAR BACK. THEY FIRST SAID IT WAS A SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL MODULE, AND REPLACED PARTS. NOW THEY ARE STATING THAT IT DID NOT WORK AND IT IS THE TRANSMISSION. I AM NOT SURE THEY KNOW WHAT IS REALLY WRONG WITH THIS VOLT. THEY ARE NOW ASKING US TO PAY $3661 TO HAVE THIS TRANSMISSION REPLACE AND GM WILL PAY 2000 OR IT WOULD BE 5661. THIS CAR IS NOT EVEN WORTH THAT MUCH AT THIS POINT HAS 83000 MILES ON IT AND THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD HAVE NEVER WENT OUT. GM TRIED TO SAY IT WAS THE SHORT, NOW THEY ARE SAYING IT WAS NOT A SHORT. I DO NOT CARE WHAT IT IS I JUST WANT A SAFE CAR FOR MY SON TO DRIVE. IT SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE BACK PEDALING TO TRY TO NOT PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT THEY (GM) SHOULD PAY FOR. ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS ISSUE IS NOT A NEW ISSUE FOR THE CHEVY VOLT. GM NEEDS TO STAND BY THEIR PRODUCTS AND FIX THIS VEHICLE.