2012 CHEVROLET VOLT Complaints

OWNED CAR FOR 8 MONTHS. USING 110V OUTLET TO CHARGE ELECTRIC BATTERY. CHARGES FINE EVERY NIGHT. UNPLUGGED CHARGER TODAY. CHARGING CONNECTOR IS BLACK, SEMI MELTED. OUTLET IS BLACK AND CHARRED. APPEAR TO BE DAYS AWAY FROM A FIRE. I LIVE IN A NEW HOME (LESS THAN A YEAR OLD) VALUED AT OVER 500K. HUGE ELECTRIC CAR FAN, BUT BOTH WIFE AND I ARE NOW CONCERNED ABOUT FIRE IN HOUSE WITH YOUNG KIDS. *TR

THE POWER (PROPULSION) SYSTEM HAS DISAPPEARED FROM SCREEN WHILE DRIVING SWITCHING TO FUEL ONLY. SCREEN GOES BLANK AND ALL ELECTRIC MILES DISAPPEAR. NOTE THIS HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, SENDING SEVERAL ERROR CODES EACH TIME AND THE DEALER KEEPS IT FOR A WEEK OR MORE TO RESET ENGINE AND BATTERY ICON. CORPORATE OFFICE TECH'S HAVING PROBLEMS WITH ANSWERS, TOOK MY CONTROLS AND BATTERY BACK FOR TESTING AND REPLACED WITH NEW ONES. STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET VOLT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY DRIVING OVER A RUMBLE STRIP ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER HOWEVER, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHY THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,500.

DRIVER HAD RETURNED HOME, STOPPED CAR, DEPRESSED GEAR SHIFTER BUTTON TO PUT GEAR IN PARK, AND WAS ELECTROCUTED FROM THE POINT OF GEAR SHIFTER. THE VEHICLE WAS ALREADY SLATED TO BE "REPURCHASED" BY GM DUE TO OTHER ONGOING MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION ISSUES. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE DRIVER FOR USE WHILE THE NEW VEHICLE WAS BEING BUILT BY GM FOR DELIVERY TO THE DRIVER. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR ADDITIONAL MALFUNCTIONING REPAIRS, THE LAST TIME BEFORE INCIDENT (INCLUDING A MALFUNCTION WITH THE MAIN BATTERY COMPONENT THE DEALER DETERMINED) THE DEALER'S MECHANIC REPORTED FINDING A "STIFFNESS" OR MALFUNCTION WITH THE GEAR SHIFTER. THE DEALER ORDERED AND REPLACED A PART TO THE GEAR SHIFTER. THE DRIVER DROVE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT INCIDENT FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE ELECTROCUTION OCCURRED. GM WAS INFORMED OF THE INCIDENT IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS. GM INSTRUCTED DRIVER TO CALL 911 TO HAVE "FIRST RESPONDERS" DISCONNECT THE POWER IN VEHICLE. FIRE DEPT REFUSED TO CUT POWER CABLES IN VEHICLE, FOR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE SYSTEMS, AND FEAR OF THEIR SAFETY, SINCE THE DRIVER WAS NO LONGER IN DANGER INSIDE OF VEHICLE. LUCKILY, WHEN INCIDENT OCCURRED, DRIVER WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY REMOVE THEIR POINT OF CONTACT FROM GEAR SHIFTER BEFORE THE HAND AND ARM MUSCLES HAD INVOLUNTARILY CONTRACTED IN PLACE PERMANENTLY CLOSING THE CONTACT AND RESULTING IN FURTHER ELECTROCUTION. DRIVER SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT ELECTRICAL SHOCK INJURY TO HAND/ARM INCLUDING PAIN, SHOCK, SORENESS, NUMBNESS, AND TINGLING SENSATION. SINCE INCIDENT, GM IS ONLY WILLING TO TRANSFER DRIVER TO THEIR PRODUCT ALLOCATION DEPARTMENT WHICH ACTS IN A LEGAL CAPACITY AND ACCEPTS CLAIM REPORTS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. DRIVER'S IMMEDIATE CONCERN IS NOT TO SUE GM BUT TO INSURE ALL REASONABLE EFFORTS ARE MADE TO INFORM OTHER VOLT DEALERS OF INCIDENT AND HOPEFULLY PREVENT OTHER DRIVERS FROM BEING ELECTROCUTED. *TR.....UPDATED 01/30/13 *BF UPDATED 2/4/2013 *JS

WAS DRIVING VOLT AT LOW SPEED IN TRAFFIC. ATTEMPTED TO SWITCH MODES (NORMAL TO SPORT). THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY PRESSING A BUTTON ON THE DASHBOARD TWICE IN QUICK SUCCESSION. THE BUTTON IS LOCATED RIGHT NEXT TO THE START/STOP BUTTON. I ACCIDENTALLY PRESSED THE START/STOP BUTTON TWICE IN QUICK SUCCESSION, WHICH SHUTS THE CAR OFF. THE CAR SHUT OFF AND I WAS UNABLE TO RESTART IT UNTIL I CAME TO A FULL STOP, SHIFTED THE CAR TO PARK, AND PRESSED THE BRAKE. THE RESULTED IN A SMALL TRAFFIC BACKUP BEHIND ME. HOWEVER, THIS THE DESIGN AND PLACEMENT OF THESE BUTTONS IS VERY POOR. I BELIEVE THE START/STOP BUTTON HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO SHUTOFF THE CAR RELATIVELY EASILY IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT AND PUBLIC "SUDDEN ACCELERATION" PROBLEMS BY OTHER MANUFACTURERS. HOWEVER, ACCIDENTALLY SWITCHING OFF THE CAR IS ALSO AN UNDESIRABLE CONSEQUENCE. HAD THIS EVENT HAPPENED AT HIGHER SPEEDS (ON THE HIGHWAY) IT COULD BE QUITE DANGEROUS. *TR

8/24/12 POWER STEERING FAILED 2X. FIRST TIME FOR ABOUT 2MIN. SECOND TIME ON 8/26/12 FOR 15 TO 20 SECONDS ALMOST HIT A CAR IN NEXT LANE WHILE TURNING ON 8/24. *TR

THERE IS AN APPARENT DESIGN FLAW IN THE CHEVY VOLT RELATED TO AN INDIVIDUAL EXITING THE VEHICLE WITHOUT POWERING DOWN THE SYSTEMS WHICH COULD RESULT IN CO POISONING OR DEATH AND POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARDS IN THE RIGHT SITUATION. THE VOLT USES A KEY FOB SYSTEM AND PUSH BUTTON START. KEY FOBS ARE ALREADY PROVING TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE. WITH THE VOLT, THE SITUATION IS EXACERBATED. SINCE THE CAR IS VIRTUALLY SILENT, IT IS VERY EASY FOR A PERSON TO FORGET TO TURN OFF THE CAR, AND WHEN THEY EXIT, THE LACK OF ANY ENGINE NOISE WILL OFTEN NOT GIVE THEM THE CUES NECESSARY TO REALIZE THEIR MISTAKE. WHEN THE INDIVIDUAL LEAVES THE CAR POWERED ON, THE BATTERY WILL DRAIN. WHEN THE BATTERY IS SUFFICIENTLY DRAINED, AN ENGINE WILL TURN ON AND CHARGE THE BATTERIES. THIS IS SIGNIFICANT, BECAUSE THIS WILL LIKELY HAPPEN SOMETIME AFTER A PERSON HAS PARKED THEIR CAR. THE RESULT WILL BE A GARAGE FILLING WITH CO FUMES. THE VOLT WILL CONTINUE TO RUN THE ENGINE, IN CYCLES, UNTIL THERE IS NO MORE GAS IN THE TANK. WHILE THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN DEATHS ASSOCIATED WITH NON-ELECTRIC VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH KEY FOBS AND CO POISONING AS THE RESULT OF THE DRIVER FORGETTING TO TURN THE CAR, THIS IS GOING TO BE MUCH MORE COMMON IN ELECTRIC HYBRID VEHICLES. IN AN UNSCIENTIFIC POLL CONDUCTED ON GM-VOLT.COM, OF 100 RESPONDENTS, 30% ADMITTED TO FORGETTING TO TURN THEIR VEHICLE OFF. ONE USER ON THE SITE FORGOT TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF, AND ENTERED THE GARAGE SOMETIME LATER TO FIND IT FILLED WITH FUMES. THERE NEEDS TO BE PASSIVE (HORN SIGNALS UPON EXIT) OR ACTIVE (WELL ENGINEERED AUTO SHUTOFF) SYSTEMS PUT IN PLACE TO PREVENT A TRAGEDY. *TR

NO ACCIDENT: THE DEGREE OF DISTORTION IN REAR GLASS IS UNSAFE. OPTICS MAY NOT MEET AUTO GLASS AND OR FEDERAL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS. I HAVE WORKED IN THE GLASS INDUSTRY IN QUALITY CONTROL AND THIS GLASS WOULD NOT MEET COMPANY OR FEDERAL STANDARDS. WITH DISTORTION THIS BAD THE PARTICLE SIZE COULD BE AN ISSUE AS WELL. THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM. GM HAS AGREED TO REPLACE MY GLASS, HOWEVER I WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT OTHER REAR WINDOWS IN THAT SAME RUN TIME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET VOLT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR REVERSE LIGHT WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE BRIGHT ENOUGH TO DETERMINE HOW CLOSE THE VEHICLE WAS TO A WALL OR A PERSON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE CAUSED THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO AND INJURE TWO PEDESTRIANS WHILE REVERSING. THE DEALER MADE AN ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE THE FAILURE AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 128. UPDATED 02/13/12 *BF

I WAS SLOWING DOWN AT A MERGE POINT, WHEN VEHICLE "STALLED". I AND DEALER WORKER COULD NOT RESTART FOR 45 MINUTES, AT WHICH TIME IT FINALLY STARTED. DROVE TO DEALERSHIP, CHECKED OUT BRIEFLY, SEEMED OK. DROVE IT AGAIN LESS THAN A MILE, AND FOR 2ND TIME, AGAIN STALLED FOR APPROX. 45 MIN. CAR COULDN'T BE STARTED. FINALLY CAR RESPONDED AND DROVE 2ND TIME TO DEALER, WHERE IT WAS LEFT FOR ANALYSIS AND POSSIBLE REPAIR. CAR PURCHASED AUG. 30 2011, INCIDENT SEPT. 1, BEGINNING 7-8AM. CAR IS NOW IN DEALER'S HANDS FOR POSSIBLE REPAIR. CHEVROLET VOLT HYBRID EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION IF CAR STALLS IN MAJOR INTERSECTION OR AT HIGH SPEED ON HIGHWAY. DEFECTIVE COMPONENT BATTERY, ENGINE, COMPUTER?? *TR