2012 CHEVROLET VOLT Complaints

PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG SENSOR WARNING. NO DAMAGE, NO CAUSE, IT JUST CAME ON AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WANTS $800+ TO FIX IT. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE EFFECTING SERVERAL OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE. IT IS A DEFECT!

I WAS DRIVING THE CAR NORMALLY IN ELECTRIC MODE, AND PARKED IT WITH ONE MILE REMAINING OF ELECTRICITY. UPON RESTARTING THE CAR A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE GASOLINE ENGINE CAME ON AND WAS REVVING AT A VERY HIGH RATE. IN ADDITION, A POP-UP MESSAGE ON THE DASHBOARD READ 'PROPULSION POWER IS REDUCED.' THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV HIGH AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO ACHIEVE A SPEED OF ABOUT 30 MPH DURING MY TWO-MILE RIDE HOME. UPON PARKING THE CAR IN GARAGE AND CHARGING IT, THE PROBLEM DISAPPEARED. IT WAS 90 DEGREES OUTSIDE WHEN THIS HAPPENED.

THE ISSUE IS CAUSED BY A PREVIOUS SOFTWARE UPDATE TO THE VEHICLE INTERFACE CONTROL MODULE (VICM) WHICH WAS INSTALLED TO IMPROVE THE CAR, BUT WHICH MAY HAVE DISABLED THE CELL BALANCING FUNCTION, CAUSING THE VOLT TO ENTER A LOW-VOLTAGE CONDITION. THIS PUTS THE AFFECTED VOLTS INTO A SITUATION WHERE IT WOULD ENTER WHAT IS CALLED A LOW-POWER "LIMP-HOME" MODE, BEFORE SHUTTING DOWN COMPLETELY CAUSE THE VOLT TO SHUT DOWN IN TRAFFIC. DEALER STATES THAT NEEDS TO REPLACE BATTERY WHICH IT COST ABOUT 6000. CHEVROLET IS NOT RESPONDING FOR THE DEFECTIVE PROBLEM THAT CAUSED THE RECALL. LOW-VOLTAGE BATTERY CELL ISSUE OR PROPULSION REDUCE

OCCASIONALLY, RECEIVE A WARNING ON DASHBOARD THAT AIRBAGS REQUIRE SERVICE. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, THE PASSENGER PRESENCE SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE AND DISABLES ALL AIRBAGS (INCLUDING DRIVER-SIDE) IN THE VEHICLE. IN SEPTEMBER 2019, NHTSA LAUNCHED AN INVESTIGATION INTO SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND GM VEHICLES: HTTPS://GMAUTHORITY.COM/BLOG/2019/09/CHEVROLET-VOLT-UNDER-INVESTIGATION-FOR-AIRBAG-WARNING-LIGHTS/

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET VOLT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE REDUCED PROPULSION ERROR MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE ENGINE REVVED UP AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO BEATY CHEVROLET (9615 PARKSIDE DR, KNOXVILLE, TN 37922) WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE VOLTAGE ON THE BATTERY WAS LOW AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT SPOKE TO SERRA CHEVROLET CADILLAC BUICK GMC KIA (189 STONEBRIDGE BLVD, JACKSON, TN 38305) WHERE THE DEALER DISCUSSED TRADING IN THE VEHICLE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 162,000.

THE SERVICE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND THE DEALER SAID IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THAT A CELL PHONE SITTING ON THE SEAT CAN CAUSE THE LIGHT TO COME ON. IT SEEMS TO BE A FLAW IN THE DESIGN AND SOMETHING THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD FIX FOR FREE. *TR

AIR BAG SENSOR ERROR KEEPS GOING ON AND OFF IN DASHBOARD. TOOK VOLT IN AND SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAYS A FAULTY PASSENGER SIDE SENSOR LOCATED IN THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT. TO FIX OVER $1000 + LABOUR + TAX. WHEN ERROR IS ON, SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAYS PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS WILL NOT FUNCTION, MY VOLT IS UP TO CLOSE TO 100,000 MILES READ THAT OTHER 2012 VOLT OWNERS WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ERROR. AIR BAG ERROR STARTED AROUND FEB OF THIS YEAR AND HAS BEEN OFF AND ON SINCE THEN. LONGEST PERIOD IT WAS ON FOR, WAS ABOUT 3 DAYS SO THEN I TOOK CAR IN. BEFORE THAT THE ERROR WOULD APPEAR FOR AN HOUR OR 2 BEFORE DISAPPEARING

DRIVER SCREEN GOES COMPLETELY BLANK, LEAVING THE DRIVER WITH NO IDEA HOW MANY MILES UNTIL EMPTY, NO SPEEDOMETER, NO WARNING LIGHTS, OR ANY OTHER INFORMATION. *TR

SERVICE AIRBAG MESSAGE DUE TO FAULTY PRESSURE SENSOR IN FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. COST $800 TO REPLACE. *TR

LAST JUNE I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR NORMAL SERVICE AND RIGHT AS I WAS EXITING THE LOT, I GOT A "SERVICE AIRBAG' NOTIFICATION THAT WAS NOT ON THERE ANYTIME WITHIN THE 5 YEARS I'VE HAD THE CAR, NOR BEFORE I DROPPED IT OFF. I ASKED THE DEALER TO LOOK AT IT BECAUSE MAYBE A SENSOR OR WIRE WAS LOOSE AND THEY REFUSED WITHOUT ADDITIONAL PAYMENT. I RAISED SUCH A QUESTION THAT THE MANAGER OF THE DEALERSHIP SENT ME PAPERWORK STATING THAT THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM SOLD ME A SALVAGED CAR, HOWEVER THE VIN WAS ONE NUMBER OR LETTER OFF. THE DEALER WHERE I RECEIVED SERVICE FROM ALSO KEPT ASKING ME IF I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND I HAVE NOT BEEN; HOWEVER WITH MY CAR BEING A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED, MAYBE THERE WAS ONE PREVIOUSLY THAT WAS NOT REPORTED? SUFFICE IT TO SAY, A LAWYER WOULD BE PRICEY. ALL & ALL THE PAPERWORK I WAS SENT DID NOT MATCH THE VIN ON MY CAR AND I STARTED LOOKING IN FORUMS AND FOUND MANY OTHER PEOPLE WERE HAVING THE SAME "SERVICE AIRBAG" ISSUE OUT OF THE BLUE, WHICH LED ME TO WONDER WHY THIS HASN'T BEEN CLASSIFIED AS A RECALL.