2013 Help needed: EVSE/Charge Cable no longer covered under Voltec warranty?

12915 Views 37 Replies 18 Participants Last post by RodSlinger, Jul 21, 2018

freakdog

Discussion Starter · Jan 17, 2018

So my 110V charge cable/evse got the dreaded "won't disconnect from the charge port" problem and broke when I wrenched it out. This is a Gen1 2013. Apparently this part "used to be covered under the Voltec warranty," but now they have decided as of Jan 1, 2018, that it is covered under the bumper-to-bumper 3/36 instead. Can they do that? Change after the vehicle is in service what is covered under the warranty? Is the service manager/part manager at Weseloh Chevrolet in Carlsbad, CA misinformed? Should this only apply to new vehicles?

Any help would be appreciated as I'm trying to figure this out in real time...

Larry

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freakdog

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 18, 2018

So i had them check under
"5040230 Drive Motor Battery Charger Cable Replacement "
and they confirmed that this now states it is covered only under the bumper to bumper warranty and not under the Voltec as others have stated. They also state that it "used to be covered" under the Voltec warranty but not as of 1/1/2018. Can they actually change the warranty coverage on an in-service vehicle?

Any help from someone who knows would be great!

Larry

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freakdog

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jan 18, 2018

Steverino said:
No need to break it, a small screw driver would have release the latch.

I don't think that you can change a warranty after the fact. Then again, you broke the thing...

They aren't questioning the cover-ability of the item, only the miles/time period under which the warranty covers it.

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freakdog

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 18, 2018

Steverino said:
Warranty's don't cover abuse. That's the challenge you face.

Once again, the question is not whether it is covered. The fact that you know that you 'just' stick in pin into a plug connected to a high voltage charge port and you won't get shocked, and instead be stranded without a vehicle is immaterial to the fact that the EVSE locking into the charge port is the defect, not the broken off part.

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freakdog

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 18, 2018

Just to summarize. The 2013 is still under the Voltec warranty. The dealer analysis states that the part failure is a warranty issue, but is not covered under warranty because, "The charge cord under "5040230 Drive Motor Battery Charger Cable Replacement", as of Jan 1, 2018, is NO LONGER covered under the Voltec warranty, but now only the B2B warranty."

So my understanding is that they unilaterally, after-the-fact, changed what is covered on an in-service vehicle.

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freakdog

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jan 18, 2018

mpmoore1979 said:
I just looked it up and yes, it only shows that it's covered under the base warranty.

5040230 Drive Motor Battery Charger Cable Replacement

LABOR CODE: 5040230
Base

You may want to ask the dealership for a "good will" repair, Gm may pay for half of the repair but not all of it.

Yes, they confirmed that. They also confirmed that prior to 1/1/2018 it WAS covered under the Voltec warranty. Can you confirm that?

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freakdog

Discussion Starter · #13 · Jan 18, 2018

flyingsherpa said:
I'd argue that applies to cars sold after 1/1/18, not before. You can't retroactively change warranty coverage.

But how broken is this thing? Pics? Sounds fixable...

The release button to remove from the latch in the charge port is not working so it gets stuck and has to be removed with a pin or something. Trying to remove it caused the front plastic piece where it plugs into the charge port to come off, so all you see are bare metal tubes sticking out. Even if I repaired it, it would still get stuck in the charge port the next time, because the release button does not release the locking mechanism properly.

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freakdog

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jan 19, 2018

Chevrolet Customer Svc said:
We definitely understand your concerns, Larry. A labor code error was made for some of our electrified models and had the cord set listed under the wrong coverage. This error has since been corrected in our systems. The cord set, as outlined in the warranty booklet provided when you purchased the vehicle, is not meant to be covered outside your Bumper to Bumper warranty. We encourage you to consult your Volt's warranty booklet to see what is and is not covered under the Voltec warranty.

Rest assured that we do not plan to pursue any payment from past replacements due to GM’s error. If a customer received a cord set outside of the 3 year/36,000 mile (Bumper to Bumper) coverage, it will be to that customer’s benefit and was a mistake at our expense. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns on this. I can be reached via email at [email protected].

Amber G.
Chevrolet Customer Care

"Rest assured that we do not plan to pursue any payment from past replacements due to GM’s error."

Wow. Just, wow.

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freakdog

Discussion Starter · #18 · Jan 19, 2018 (Edited)

trm2 said:
Check your warranty paperwork that you got with the car. Looking at an archived copy of the warranty web page from back in 2013 indicated it wasn't covered. I think the confusion of calling it a Voltec part is why some dealers denied it and others covered it.

Yeah, apparently they claim it to be a 'mistake' that it was ever covered under the Voltec warranty.

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freakdog

Discussion Starter · #20 · Jan 19, 2018

Aseras said:
Yeah this is a class action lawsuit GM is going to loose.

Yeah, apparently they are pretty rock solid on this. There is nothing in the warranty paperwork to state that SHOULD have ever been covered under Voltec. The fact that they mistakenly put it there and are now taking it out is perfectly legal, apparently, since it was never required to be there in the first place. Goodwill however, and treating Volt owners in a special way... That seems to be gone forever.

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freakdog

Discussion Starter · #26 · Jan 19, 2018

It was covered under Voltec in the system. They realized this was a mistake and no longer cover it under Voltec.

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