2017 CHEVROLET VOLT Complaints

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A FREEWAY A LIGHT CAME ON STATING ALL SYSTEMS WOULD SHUT DOWN AND ALL SYSTEMS DID SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY. THERE WAS HARDLY TIME ENOUGH TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. EVEN THE ONSTAR SYSTEM WAS INOPERABLE TO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE. THE DOOR FOB WOULD NOT WORK TO OPEN THE CAR DOORS. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP. THE TOW COMPANY WAS UNABLE TO PLACE THE CAR IN NEUTRAL SO SKATES WERE USED TO PLACE THE VEHICLE ON A FLATBED TOW TRUCK. THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP, SINGH, RIVERSIDE, CA THAT RECEIVED THE TOW VEHICLE STATED THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO 3 DEFECTIVE FUSES THAT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE BATTERY SYSTEM OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE FUSES WERE PRODUCED OVERSEAS AND THAT THERE WERE NO PARTS AVAILABLE FOR THE CAR AND NO ESTIMATED DATE WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT GMC HAD SENT OUT A FLYER RELATING TO THIS PROBLEM AND THAT IT WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM. AFTER 3 WEEKS I WAS TOLD THE CAR WAS REPAIRED AND I PICKED IT UP. THREE DAYS AFTER PICKING UP THE CAR I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THE CAR WAS TOWED BACK TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP. A GMC FIELD TECHNICIAN WAS DISPATCHED TO THE DEALERSHIP TO RUN DIAGNOSTICS ON THE CAR. GMC IS IN THE PROCESS OF RE-PURCHASING THE VEHICLE FROM ME UNDER THE CALIFORNIA LEMON LAW. THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR OF THIS PROBLEM FOR 7 WEEKS.

WIFE WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN CAR (WITH ~2500 MILES ON IT) JUST SHUT OFF, LUCKILY ON A SIDE STREET AFTER CROSSING A BUSY HIGHWAY. I DROVE TO MEET HER AND CALLED ONSTAR. IT WAS IN THE "SHIFT TO PARK" MODE. THEY CONNECTED ME WITH THE VOLT SUPPORT TEAM. THEY DETERMINED IT HAD SOMEHOW GOT INTO SERVICE MODE AND THEY TALKED ME THOUGH GETTING IT OUT OF THAT. I DECIDED TO TAKE THE CAR DIRECTLY TO THE DEALER. IT SEEMED FINE FOR A FEW MILES BUT IT STARTED DISPLAYING REDUCED PROPULSION POWER AND DIED AGAIN ABOUT 100YDS AWAY FROM THE DEALER, AFTER I HAD JUST PULLED ONTO A BUSY HIGHWAY. I TRIED THE TECHNIQUE TO GET IT OUT OF SERVICE MODE, BUT IT DID NOT WORK THIS TIME AND HAD TO CALL FOR A TOW (AND POLICE DETAIL SO I WOULDN'T GET REAR-ENDED). THE DEALER REPAIRED THE CAR AND SAID THE PROBLEM WAS A SHORT IN THE BATTERY COOLING SYSTEM/PUMP.

HEADREST JUTS OUT TOO FAR FORWARD. THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM ON ALL NEWER CARS. MY WIFE CAN NOT SIT STRAIGHT UP IN THE SEAT WITH HER BACK AGAINST THE SEATBACK WITHOUT HAVING THE HEADREST PUSHING HER HEAD DOWNWARD. WE TRIED TO MOVE THE HEADREST UP AND DOWN WITH NO RESOLVE. SHE IS ABOUT 5 FOOT 7 INCHES WITH VERY GOOD POSTURE. THE HEADREST SEEM TO PUT HERE HEAD IN AN UNNATURAL POSITION.

I WAS DRIVING MY 2 MONTH OLD CAR WITH ~2300 MILES ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AT ~ 65 MPH WHEN SUDDENLY THE CAR LOSES POWER AND THE PANEL READS "SHIFT TO PARK". LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE CAR (STEERING WAS STILL IN TACT) WITH THE REMAINING SPEED TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. HOWEVER, HAD THE HIGHWAY BEEN BUSIER OR IF I HAD BEEN ON THE FAR LEFT LANE, I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE IT AND WOULD HAVE CREATED A DANGEROUS SITUATION ON THE HIGHWAY. ON THE VOLT FORUM, OTHERS HAVE ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS. THE REPAIR, THOUGH COVERED, TOOK 3+ WEEKS AT THE DEALERSHIP. FROM DEALER PRINTOUT "INTERNAL TRANSMISSION PRIME NOTOR(SIC) INTERNAL FAILURE P03AF DRIVE MOTOR REMOVE AND REPLACE WITH SRTA SRTA UNIT".

I WAS APPROACHING A SUDDEN RED LIGHT AND APPLIED MY BRAKES HARD BUT NOT TOO HARD (I DID NOT SUDDENLY SLAM THE BRAKES). THE BRAKES APPLIED AS EXPECTED AT FIRST BUT THE BRAKES LET UP SOME AND MY VEHICLE FAILED TO DECELERATE FOR ABOUT HALF A SECOND BEFORE THE BRAKES APPLIED AGAIN AND DECELERATED TO A STOP. I WAS NOT ABLE TO DEPRESS THE PEDAL FURTHER WHEN IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE BRAKES WERE NOT DECELERATING.

2017 CHEVROLET VOLT EXTREME ENGINE HAZARD: ON 22-MAR-2016 I PURCHASED A 2017 CHEVROLET VOLT PREMIER, ALL SAFETY OPTIONS. DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT 65 MPH, STRAIGHT DRIVING, RELATIVELY LIGHT TRAFFIC, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON YELLOW AND STEADY (EMISSIONS SYSTEM SERVICE WARNING) BUT THE CAR UNCONTROLLABLY DECELERATED. THE FREEWAY HAD NO SHOULDER DUE TO CONSTRUCTION. THE CAR SMELLED OF BURNING ELECTRICAL INSULATION CONFIRMED BY THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER. THE CAR, WITH LESS THAN 150 TOTAL MILES, IN CLEAR WEATHER, AT TWILIGHT, 76 DEGREES, CALIFORNIA AT SEA LEVEL, STRAIGHTAWAY, HAD A SUDDEN AND NEAR TOTAL LOSS OF ALL PROPULSION. THIS CAUSED A LACK OF CONTROL (OBVIOUSLY) IN THE FORWARD DIRECTION, CAUSING AN EXTREME HAZARD ON THE FREEWAY. I AM AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER: MAKE NO MISTAKE, THIS WAS A SERIOUS MANUFACTURE'S ERROR. I CHECKED, NO PARKING BRAKE, THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE GEAR, I HAD BOTH ELECTRIC RANGE AND OVER 7/8 TANK OF GAS SHOWING A GAS RANGE OF 360 MILES - AND I HAD JUST DRIVEN 60 MILES. THERE WAS NO BRAKE SMELL, AS I DID NOT NEED TO APPLY THE BRAKE BECAUSE THE ENGINE GAVE NO PROPULSION. MY HAND WAS OFF THE REGEN SWITCH. THE CAR HAD A MAJOR MALFUNCTION CAUSING AN EXTREME HAZARD, AND BASED ON THE SMELL, POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD.