2014 CHEVROLET VOLT Complaints

MY CAR STALLED ON THE FREEWAY RAMP WITH ENGINE WARNING REPORTED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE ISSUE WAS IDENTIFIED TO BE DUE TO ENGINE PROPULSION AND TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND THEY WOULD HAVE FACTORY TECHNICIAN REPLACE/REBUILD ALL RELATED COMPONENTS AS A PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE/REPAIR. LATER THEY SAID THAT THEY FOUND THAT THE REPLACED PART HAD AGAIN FAILED DURING OVERNIGHT TEST AND THEY WERE REPAIRING THE CAR AGAIN. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE CAR STALLING IN THE FREEWAY AND THE COMPONENT SEEMS TO FAIL EASILY AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE REPAIR THAT FAILED AGAIN IN THE DEALERS SHOP FLOOR. THIS ISSUE WITH VOLT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED BEFORE LIVES ARE LOST DUE TO IMPROPER DESIGN/COMPONENT.

2014 CHEVROLET VOLT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ELECTRIC DRIVE MALFUNCTION. *SMD THE CONSUMER RECEIVED TWO ERROR MESSAGES ON THE DASHBOARD THAT READ PROPULSION POWER IS REDUCED AND ENGINE NOT AVAILABLE, SERVICE SOON. THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHIN MINUTES. THE CONSUMER TRIED TO RE-START THE VEHICLE, BUT IT STALLED AGAIN WITHIN SECONDS. *JB

BEGINNING AT APPROXIMATELY 11,000 MILES AND ON RELATIVELY STRAIGHT SECTIONS OF HIGHWAY ABOVE 50MPH, THE STEERING DEVELOPS A MECHANICAL LOCK OR CATCHING SENSATION THAT TAKES APPROXIMATELY 5LBS OF FORCE TO OVERCOME AND MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO MAKE FINE CHANGES TO THE STEERING TO MAINTAIN STRAIGHT DRIVING. AFTER THE LOCKING IS OVERCOME, THERE IS THEN AN INCREASED DEGREE OF PLAY IN THE STEERING (A FEW DEGREES OF TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL RESULTS IN NO CORRESPONDING TURN IN THE FRONT WHEELS) THAT LEAVES ME WITH THE SENSATION THAT I AM NOT IN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IT IS MORE OF AN ANNOYANCE, BUT IT IS VERY FATIGUING AND DISTRACTING ON LONGER DRIVES TO BE CONSTANTLY GRAPPLING WITH THE STEERING SYSTEM FOR CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. INTERESTINGLY, I DISCOVERED EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM ON A RENTED CHEVROLET CRUZE IN DECEMBER. SINCE THE VOLT AND CRUZE SHARE MANY COMPONENTS, I WONDER IF THIS IS AN ENDEMIC PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CHEVROLET VOLT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, HE INADVERTENTLY TOUCHED THE IGNITION SWITCH. ALSO, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE OPERATING BUTTONS WERE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 700. UPDATED 9/9/14*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE DRIVE MODE BUTTON WAS NEAR THE IGNITION POWER BUTTON. WHEN HE WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE DRIVING, HE REACHED OVER TO CHANGE THE DRIVE MODE, HE ACCIDENTALLY PUSHED THE POWER BUTTON. THE VEHICLE DID NOT SHUT OFF, BECAUSE HIS FOOT WAS NOT ON THE BRAKE. NOW, IF HE HIS FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, AND THE POWER BUTTON WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT, INSTEAD OF DRIVE MODE, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT OFF AND COULD NOT BE RE-STARTED BY PUSHING THE BUTTON AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE TO BE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND PUSH THE POWER AGAIN TO RE-START IT. UPDATED 10/21/14

WARNING LIGHTS FOR BRAKES, ABS, AND STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM ILLUMINATED ON START UP AND BACKING OUT OF THE VEHICLE FROM A PARKING SPACE. THE BRAKES WERE MUSHY BUT WOULD STILL STOP THE CAR BUT WITH MUCH GREATER EFFORT. THE VOLT APPARENTLY HAS A MECHANICAL FAIL SAFE BRAKING MECHANISM (OTHER THAN THE PARKING BRAKE) IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM EVEN IF THE HYDRAULIC PRESSURE FAILS. CONTACT WITH ON STAR INDICATED A DTC OF C1121 - LEFT FRONT HYDRAULIC SYSTEM LEAKING. THERE WAS NO EXTERNAL EVIDENCE OF BRAKE FLUID LEAKING ON THE VEHICLE AND THE MASTER CYLINDER RESERVOIR WAS AT THE MAXIMUM LEVEL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY REPLACING THE MASTER CYLINDER SINCE THE BRAKE PRESSURE COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED OVER 159 PSIG. WHILE RECOGNIZING THAT ANY VEHICLE PART CAN FAIL AT ANYTIME, FAILURE OF A BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE SHOULD BE RARE. THIS SUBMISSION WAS ONLY TO HELP IDENTIFY IF THE MASTER CYLINDER IN THE 2014 VOLT IS FAILING AT MORE THAN NORMAL RATES. *TR

INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE COMING TO A STOP AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL ON CITY STREETS. REACHED APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AS I APPROACHED HE INTERSECTION, WHEN BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, AND NORMAL BRAKING FAILED. PRESSING THE PEDAL AS HARD AS I COULD, WAS ABLE TO GET CAR TO A STOP IN 2 CAR LENGTHS, BUT OVERRAN THE LIMIT LINE. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO PEDESTRIANS OR OTHER VEHICLES IN FRONT OF ME. NO INJURIES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSTICS. CAR REPORTED "LEAKING BRAKE CIRCUIT" VIA REMOTE MANUFACTURER DIAGNOSTICS. INTERNAL DISPLAYS INDICATE "BRAKE ASSIST FAILURE", "ABS FAILURE" AND "STABILITRAK SERVICE REQUIRED". *TR

I RECEIVED THE CHEVY VOLT 2/20/14 AT AROUND 10:45 AM. MY PARTNER AND I HAD A VERY IMPORTANT MEETING AT 12:30 P.M. IN JERSEY CITY, NJ SO WE LEFT DIRECTLY FROM THE DEALERSHIP IN THE BRAND NEW VOLT, 7 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. AT APPROXIMATELY 12:00 P.M. THE CAR ALARMED WITH TWO MESSAGES: 1. ENGINE NOT AVAILABLE AND 2. PROPULSION POWER REDUCED. THE ALARMS/ENGINE FAILURE CAME AT THE MOST INOPPORTUNE TIME---WHILE ON THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE AND NO AVAILABLE SHOULDER. WITH SEMI-TRUCKS BEARING DOWN ON US, WE LUCKILY MADE IT TO A CONSTRUCTION PULL OFF AREA AND CALLED ON STAR. ON STAR INFORMED US THE TURNPIKE IS A RESTRICTED ZONE SO THEY COULD NOT SEND ANYONE, THEY WERE HELPFUL AND GOT IN TOUCH WITH THE TURNPIKE AUTHORITY WHICH SENT A TOW TRUCK. WHILE I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH ON STAR MY PARTNER CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE GOT THE CAR. THEY WERE HELPFUL AND CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CAR WOULD BE TOWED?MALOUF CHEVROLET. AFTER WAITING OVER 30 MIN FOR A TOW TRUCK TO ARRIVE, ALL THE WHILE FEARING I WAS GOING TO BE MOWED DOWN BY A SEMI-TRUCK ON THE SHOULDER, THE BRAND NEW VOLT, MY PARTNER AND I WERE OFF THE TURNPIKE. UPON ARRIVAL TO MALOUF WE WERE GREETED BY A MEMBER OF THEIR SERVICE TEAM, HE ASKED ME HOW MANY MILES WERE ON THE CAR. I SAID?66?, HE ASKED ?6600?, I RESPONDED ?NO! 66, THE CAR ONLY RAN FOR A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR AFTER DELIVERY!? WE NOW HAVE A LOANER FROM MALOUF AND HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT CAUSED THIS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE BRAND NEW CHEVROLET VOLT. *TR