2014 CHEVROLET VOLT Complaints

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.

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.