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2017 making sense of various warranties on a used Volt

24K views 47 replies 10 participants last post by  wordptom 
#1 · (Edited)
I could use help making sense of the warranties on my new-to-me, used Gen2 Volt.

In February 2021, I purchased a 2017 Volt Premier with 23K miles from a Chevy dealer (but not CPO). The vehicle was previously leased, by a single owner, in California, starting in September 2017. According to my.chevrolet.com, the Voltec Component Limited Warranty, which I thought was the key one covering the battery, ICE, and related components, expires in August 2025. I thought California mandated a 10-year, 150K mile warranty? I thought in other states it was the eight years I'm seeing.

There are several additional warranties that expire in August 2032, including PZEV Emission Limited Warranty and Emission Limited Warranty. So these are 15-year warranties? But I'm not sure how much is actually covered.

And then there's a Powertrain Limited Warranty that expires in August 2022. So that's a 5-year warranty, but I'm not sure what it covers distinct from the other warranties.

Insights to help make sense of this appreciated!
 
#2 ·
There are three "major" warranties on the 2017 Volt:
  1. 3 year / 36K miles bumper to bumper warranty
  2. 5 year / 50K miles powertrain warranty
  3. 8 year / 100K mile VOLTEC warranty
I can't say what exactly the powertrain and VOLTEC warranties cover but they should cover most of the major parts in the Volt.

As for the extended CA warranty I do not believe it applies to the Volt. There is some criteria CA places on such a warranty and I read somewhere what that is and why it doesn't apply to the Volt. I would recommend performing some research on the details.
 
#3 ·
#4 ·
If you buy a PZEV Volt from a CARB state, and REGISTER it in another CARB state, the vehicle will retain the 10 year/150K mile warranty. If you register it in a NON-CARB state, the warranty reverts back to the Voltec 8 year/100K warranty.
 
#11 · (Edited)
That doesn't sound right, UNLESS the car was never a CARB certified PZEV to begin with. Not all Volts sold in California were. There is a character in the VIN that confirms this. There also may be a sticker under the hood.
Sticker under my hood says "California class/stds: PC/PZEV"

Anyone have a Gen2 California PZEV and can confirm that my.chevrolet.com specifies their Voltec Component Limited Warranty at 10 years/150K miles rather than 8 years/100K miles?
 
#13 ·
I’ve been poking around online with my VIN code and it seems to confirm that my volt is “low emissions”, aka CARB certified. The 5th letter of my vin is D. This screen shot says that means it’s a Premier Low Emissions. A, B are standard emissions, C is LT Low Emissions.

What gives with the Chevy Voltec warranty not showing the extended carb warranty??
172074
 
#17 ·
Here’s what the Volt warranty booklet says on the California warranty:

This warranty applies if your vehicle meets both of the following requirements:
. Your vehicle is registered in California or other states adopting California emission and warranty regulations.
. Your vehicle is certified for sale in California as indicated on the vehicle's emission control information label.

Note that second item. A Volt might well meet the California emissions standards, but if it has not been officially certified as meeting them, then it is not covered by the California warranty. Not all the Volts that meet the standards have necessarily been certified "for sale in California."

I note that in one forum thread on the topic, one member posted, "If the fifth character in your VIN is "G", which is likely if your car came from California, then it is deemed a AT-PZEV vehicle and the emissions warranty is mandated by CARB for the length of time and miles you listed in your post."

The question is, is California certification necessary for a vehicle to be sold in California, or does lack of certification merely mean you are not entitled to get certain California benefits (HOV lane stickers, rebates)? I ran across a couple of articles written some 10 years ago that indicated GM did not expect to get the Volt designated as meeting the PZEV standards until the 2013 models, which would suggest that no 2011/2012 Volts have been certified as meeting the standards. Is it possible that all Volts were manufactured to meet the standards, but GM obtained certification for only a designated group of vehicles intended for sale in that state?

I suggest you contact the California Air Resources Board with any questions (e.g., how can I determine if my Volt is certified for sale in California?). Their website says:
CONTACT US
(800) 242-4450 | helpline@arb.ca.gov
1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
P.O. Box 2815, Sacramento, CA 95812
 
#18 ·
Here’s what the Volt warranty booklet says on the California warranty:

This warranty applies if your vehicle meets both of the following requirements:
. Your vehicle is registered in California or other states adopting California emission and warranty regulations.
. Your vehicle is certified for sale in California as indicated on the vehicle's emission control information label.

Note that second item. A Volt might well meet the California emissions standards, but if it has not been officially certified as meeting them, then it is not covered by the California warranty. Not all the Volts that meet the standards have necessarily been certified "for sale in California."

I note that in one forum thread on the topic, one member posted, "If the fifth character in your VIN is "G", which is likely if your car came from California, then it is deemed a AT-PZEV vehicle and the emissions warranty is mandated by CARB for the length of time and miles you listed in your post."

The question is, is California certification necessary for a vehicle to be sold in California, or does lack of certification merely mean you are not entitled to get certain California benefits (HOV lane stickers, rebates)? I ran across a couple of articles written some 10 years ago that indicated GM did not expect to get the Volt designated as meeting the PZEV standards until the 2013 models, which would suggest that no 2011/2012 Volts have been certified as meeting the standards. Is it possible that all Volts were manufactured to meet the standards, but GM obtained certification for only a designated group of vehicles intended for sale in that state?

I suggest you contact the California Air Resources Board with any questions (e.g., how can I determine if my Volt is certified for sale in California?). Their website says:
CONTACT US
(800) 242-4450 | helpline@arb.ca.gov
1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
P.O. Box 2815, Sacramento, CA 95812
I've emailed them.

Here are the CARB standards: California Vehicle and Emissions Warranty Periods | California Air Resources Board

It clearly says the battery should be covered for 10 years/150K miles. The Volt warranties don't separately identify the battery, it's covered as part of the 8 year, 100K miles "Voltec Component Limited Warranty."

So either the battery should separately have its own 10 year, 150K mile warranty from GM, or the Voltec warranty, which includes the battery but also substantial other components, should be 10 year, 150K miles.
 
#19 ·
Well, there you have it, "Only covers vehicles that have been certified..." Doesn’t matter what is covered if the vehicle itself has not been certified for coverage.

Defects and Performance Warranty for PZEV: Only covers vehicles certified to the PZEV (Partial Zero Emission Vehicle) standard Reference: CCR §1962

How does a Volt owner determine if their Volt has been CERTIFIED as meeting the standards? Is that information included in the vehicle’s vin number? Does the California Air Resources Board maintain a list of the vin numbers of the Volts that have been certified to meet the PZEV standards in California? The warranty booklet for my 2012 Volt seems to indicate that because my Volt is registered and operated in Oregon, my Volt meets the appropriate emission standards to qualify for the 10 year battery warranty... but the booklet also seems to say my Volt qualifies only if it has also been certified for sale in California. I don’t think my Volt meets that certification requirement, so no 10 year battery warranty.
 
#20 · (Edited)
CARB responded to my email. Here's what they said:

"If you have a California certified vehicle the California emissions warranty periods are 3 years/ 50,000 miles for all emissions related components and 7 years/ 70,000 miles for high priced emission related parts which are determined by the manufacturer and are listed in your owner’s manual. If the product is not listed it is not covered.

California also mandates that PZEV certified vehicles be covered for 15 years/ 150k miles and batteries or energy storage devices of vehicles certified to the Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) emissions standard be covered for 10 years or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first. To determine your vehicle's emissions standard, refer to the emissions label under the hood of the vehicle to verify eligibility or contact the manufacturer directly for verification.

Also, the emission warranties that California mandates do not include vehicles that have been certified as Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEV). To confirm warranty information on a ZEV, you would need to contact the manufacturer directly and they would be able to inform you what the warranty is for the vehicle or battery. Their contact information can be found in the owner's manual or on their website.

You may also speak to the manufacturer directly if you are uncertain as to what parts are covered as CARB does not have that information. Their number can be found in your owner's manual or on their website.

View the link below to view our warranty coverage information in full:
California Vehicle and Emissions Warranty Periods | California Air Resources Board"
 
#21 ·
Great info! So Voltec is 8/100k covering battery and related components. Battery is covered up to 10/150k but not components.

Seems like it would be dicey trying to make a claim on that battery warranty though, seeing as though GM already fights current warranty issues like shift to park.
 
#22 ·
Great info! So Voltec is 8/100k covering battery and related components. Battery is covered up to 10/150k but not components.

Seems like it would be dicey trying to make a claim on that battery warranty though, seeing as though GM already fights current warranty issues like shift to park.
It's bizarre that GM does not acknowledge the CARB warranty in the official warranty information about individual vehicles (like mine), though. They have about a dozen different warranties, and there's none that fit the California requirement that PZEVs have 10 yr/150K warranties on their batteries.

Also, what is actually covered for 15 yrs? The website says "Defects and Performance Warranty for PZEV" and the email said "California also mandates that PZEV certified vehicles be covered for 15 years." The whole vehicle is covered for 15 years, but the battery only for 10? The powertrain is covered for 15 years, the battery for 10?" The components that make the vehicle a PZEV, however that might be defined, are covered for 15, the battery for 10?

All of this is insanely consumer-unfriendly. If we can't figure it out, how is anyone else supposed to?
 
#23 ·
Perhaps your local Volt service department can tell you how to know if your Volt is certified to be sold in California.

Check out this Eligible Carpool Sticker List from the California Air Resources Board that includes 2021 model year vehicles for a clue as to what character might need to be found in your Volt’s vin to be a "certified in California" vehicle.

Keep in mind, I suppose, that meeting the "eligible" category doesn’t necessarily mean "eligible AND ALSO certified." Dizle’s 2017 Volt, for example, seems to have a D in the 5th position of the VIN and a Test Group number of HGMXV01.5030 and yet is not identified on the GM website as CARB certified...


Gathered from the list:
Manufacturer / Make & Model / Exhaust Standard / Fuel Type / Engine Size (L) / Test Group Number

2019 Model Year Vehicles
Chevy
Volt (Eligible vehicles with the Low Emissions Package will have a C or a D in the 5th position of the VIN. Test Group Number must also match)

TZEV* / Plug-in Hybrid / 1.5 / KGMXV01.5030

2018 Model Year Vehicles
Chevy
Volt (Eligible vehicles with the Low Emissions Package will have a C or a D in the 5th position of the VIN. Test Group Number must also match)

TZEV* / Plug-in Hybrid / 1.5 / JGMXV01.5030

2017 Model Year Vehicles
Chevy
Volt (Eligible vehicles with the Low Emissions Package will have an C or a D in the 5th position of the VIN. Test Group Number must also match)

TZEV* / Plug-in Hybrid / 1.5 / HGMXV01.5030

2016 Model Year Vehicles
Chevy
Volt (Eligible vehicles with the Low Emissions Package will have a C or a D in the 5th position of the VIN. Test Group Number must also match)

TZEV* / Plug-in Hybrid / 1.5 / GGMXV01.5030

2015 Model Year Vehicles
Chevy
Volt (Eligible vehicles with the Low Emissions Package will have a C or a D in the 5th position of the VIN. Test Group Number must also match)

TZEV* / Plug-in Hybrid / 1.4 / FGMXV01.4088

2014 Model Year Vehicles
Chevy
Volt - Please note that eligible vehicles with the Low Emissions Package will have an E, F, G or H in the 5th position of the VIN. Test Group Number must also match.

TZEV* / Plug-in Hybrid / 1.4 / EGMXV01.4011

Chevy
Volt - Please note that eligible vehicles with the Low Emissions Package will have an E, F, G or H in the 5th position of the VIN. Test Group Number must also match.

TZEV* / Plug-in Hybrid / 1.4 / EGMXV01.4088

2013 Model Year Vehicle
Chevy
Volt - Please note that eligible vehicles with the Low Emissions Package will have an E, F, G or H in the 5th position of the VIN. Test Group Number must also match.

Enhanced ATPZEV / Plug-in Hybrid / 1.4 / DGMXV01.4011

2012 Model Year Vehicles
Chevy
Volt - Please note that eligible vehicles with the Low Emissions Package will have an E, F, G or H in the 5th position of the VIN. Test Group Number must also match.

Enhanced ATPZEV / Plug-in Hybrid / 1.4 / CGMXV01.4011

2011 Model Year Vehicles
Chevy Volt not on list
 
#24 ·
The fifth character in my VIN is a D.

My group number matches the one listed above for 2017.

My car has only ever been leased/owned in California.

Where/how on the GM website do I identify whether my car is CARB certified? I do not believe it would have been allowed to be sold as a new vehicle in California if it were not, but where do I confirm this?
 
#25 · (Edited)
Our 2018 Volt Premier is a CA PZEV vehicle. The VIN number confirms ths, starting with VIN: 1G1RD. It had an eligible carpool sticker. Yet, according to My Chevrolet, the warranties shown for the car are:
WarrantyExpiration MilesExpiration Date
PZEV emissions150,03710/6/2033
Bumper to Bumper36,03710/6/2021
Emissions Limited Warranty150,03710/6/2033
Emissions Select State Ltd Wty150,03710/6/2033
Powertrain Limited Warranty60,03710/6/2023
Corrosion Limited Warranty100,03710/6/2024
Voltec Component Limited Wty100,03710/6/2026

So is GM fudging on the Voltec warranty on these cars? If so, how does one get this corrected?
 
#26 ·
Our 2018 Volt Premier is a CA PZEV vehicle. The VIN number confirms ths, starting with VIN: 1G1RD. Yet, according to My Chevrolet, the warranties shown for the car are:
WarrantyExpiration MilesExpiration Date
PZEV emissions150,03710/6/2033
Bumper to Bumper26,03710/6/2021
Emissions Limited Warranty150,03710/6/2033
Emissions Select State Ltd Wty150,03710/6/2033
Powertrain Limited Warranty60,03710/6/2023
Corrosion Limited Warranty100,03710/6/2024
Voltec Component Limited Wty100,03710/6/2026

So is GM fudging on the Voltec warranty on these cars? If so, how does one get this corrected?
Seems like we're all noticing the same thing, so it's not just a glitch with one of our vehicles' warranties. It seems like GM is not meeting the legal requirements for these vehicles' warranties in California and other states with CARB rules. This is quite bizarre, and presumably many thousands of Volts have been sold in California and other states that follow CARB standards, over many years, so the fact that the issue hasn't previously been identified and addressed is also puzzling.
 
#27 · (Edited)
Does anyone know how to proceed with the state of California and GM in this regard? It appears that just the emissions are covered for 15 years. That may be correct, it makes sense that CARB is all about emissions. I am just seeking to verify.
 
#30 ·
If it's true that GM is not meeting California (CARB) warranty requirements on the Volt (and possibly also the Bolt?), how is that not a bigger thing? How are there not a bunch of threads about it on this forum? Why doesn't Google turn up lots of discussion of this topic elsewhere on the interwebs?

If GM has a legal requirement to provide 10 years of battery coverage in California and other states with CARB standards, and it's only providing 8 years, and quite a few people are getting quoted punishingly expensive repair costs after their 8-year warranties expire, why do I feel like I'm the first person to notice this issue?
 
#39 ·
My 2017 lacks a warranty booklet, and I haven't been able to find that either via googling or on my.chevrolet, oddly. But I did find the 2018 version, and it states, "TZEV Hybrid Batteries and Hybrid A/C compressor are covered for 10 years or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first."

It's possible the same policy applies to my 2017 vehicle, and GM simply isn't including this information in the warranty data for my vehicle on my.chevrolet. Maybe the thinking is that they don't want people to know about this warranty, but will honor it if it's brought to their attention? Or maybe their software can't accommodate different warranty information for CARB vehicles?

Anyone been able to locate the warranty booklet for 2017 Volts?
 
#40 ·
I do not know why you think GM is not including the CARB warranty coverage data for your Volt on the my.chevrolet site.

Your original post in this thread says, "In February 2021, I purchased a 2017 Volt Premier... According to my.chevrolet.com... there are several additional warranties that expire in August 2032, including PZEV Emission Limited Warranty and Emission Limited Warranty."

The my.chevrolet warranty site lists a phone number you could call to ask if the CARB mandated 10-year battery coverage for your Volt is included in those 15-year warranties shown on your Volt’s warranty listings.

I do note one change in recent years. As mentioned in the 2018 warranty booklet, the 10 year coverage is now for "Transitional Zero Emission Vehicle" hybrid batteries, and the TZEV warranty was referred to as the PZEV warranty in past model years.

Note, too, that the warranty booklet is NOT Volt-specific. It provides information on Chevrolet Volt, Bolt EV, and Malibu Hybrid coverage, as well as Chevrolet Silverado eAssist coverage.
 
#41 ·
Yes, it's possible that when Chevy lists a 15-year PZEV Emission Limited Warranty, that includes a 10-year warranty on the battery. The fact that that's how Chevy does it for the 2018 suggests the same applied to the 2017 (albeit with PZEV instead of TZEV terminology).

It's odd that Chevy wouldn't specify this on the my.chevrolet warranty information specific to my car, but maybe their software can't separately report a 10-year battery warranty that's considered part of a different 15-year warranty?

My used vehicle came without the warranty booklet, and I haven't been able to find the 2017 version of the booklet online, either on the Chevy website or elsewhere, oddly. Maybe someone on here can point me toward an online copy?

Nope, I haven't called Chevrolet yet. My dealer was under the impression the battery only had the 8-year national standard Voltec warranty, which is surprising for a big California dealer that's presumably sold lots of Volts.
 
#42 ·
Gosh, what a confusing situation.
My question is the following:

I live in Phoenix, AZ.

1. If today I purchase a 2013 or newer Volt, that CARFAX documents was first sold by a California Chevrolet dealership, should that mean there is a 10 yr battery warranty that is still in effect?

2. Would that warranty stay in effect for out-of-state Chevy dealer service departments even if I purchase this pre-owned Volt here in Arizona?

3. Similarly, if I purchase here a 2015 or newer Volt originally sold at a California Chevy dealer AND the CARB warranty only covers the battery for 8 years, does that mean I still have an active warranty?

Just trying to ask a question grounded in reality. Thanks much.
 
#45 · (Edited)
Thanks for the good explanation. To try and clarify a little more: Say I purchase a 2018 - or even a Jan/Feb 2019 - PZEV certified California Volt and take it home to here in Phoenix. Does that mean it should have the battery warranty through another approx. 6 years (2028)? Or would it be 4 more years (2026)? If there’s uncertainty about that, who or what would be the actual authority to rule definitively on that? Many thanks.
 
#46 ·
Wait - I see you said “The requirement that a PZEV-class Volt needed to be originally sold in a CARB-compliant state is likely a moot point, if all PZEV-class Volts manufactured by GM were originally distributed to, certified by, and marketed only in CARB-compliant states. If the car is currently registered and being driven in a state other than California, then the laws of the state in which the car is currently registered apply.”

Are you thinking that the warranty on a car originally sold in California can automatically cover less if the vehicle subsequently moves residence to another state? I’ve always assumed the original warranty stayed in force followed the car, not the owner.
 
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