I own a 2013 Volt and was thinking of getting my daughter a used one when her Cruze lease expires in March. Are there any years that seem to have more issues than others? I've been happy with mine and hope to keep it for a long time to come. Or maybe I will give her mine and get a couple year newer one.
Any years to avoid?
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The early model year 2016 Volt was criticized for having lower reliability but it was the first year of the Gen 2 Volt. By now most of the bugs have been worked out. With a 2016 you have the benefit of a larger battery (14kWh usable out of 18.4kWh), a more powerful gas engine for when you need it that uses regular gas and gets better mileage than the Gen 1 ~42MPG average or higher. Also, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are supported on the Gen 2. The 2016 mode year Volt was only sold for the latter part of 2015 and the first part/half of 2016, then the 2017 Volt was released. The 2016 Volt was only sold in 5 to 7 CARB compliant states. The typical 36 month leases of the 2016 Volt from 2015/2016 are coming to an end, there should be a good availability of 3-year old 2016 Volts with ~36k miles available this winter.
I would go with a nice 2014 or 2015 with the safety packages and parking sensors.
Personally I would discard the 2011 / 2012 models because they don't have "hold mode", ERDTT selectable at lower temperatures and some other enhancements, but that don't mean they are not good. Since it's for your daughter those little things are maybe less important than having a good deal.
If you have a lot of confidence in the one you are driving, I would give that one to your daughter. You want her in something reliable. You can deal with any unexpected issues of a new-to-you used car better than she. Some of these cars have their share of quirks. After driving it for a year, trade with her then if you want her to have the other one.
If you like your 13, get another 13 or later. Earlier ones have slightly less battery capacity and are missing some features. Gen 2 is a considerable upgrade, but if you rarely drive past your AER now, you may not benefit much.
If you like your 13, get another 13 or later. Earlier ones have slightly less battery capacity and are missing some features. Gen 2 is a considerable upgrade, but if you rarely drive past your AER now, you may not benefit much.
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I actually had a 2016 for 36 months and let me say the stupid gas ice engine generator was WEAK!.. it sounded like someone farting or growling it could not be powerful unless you mean electrically yes.. I would say the visibility of the car is annoying. I like the all electric but I disliked ICE mode for sure.. I would say avoid 16 if you could and maybe aim for a 19 since the L2 charging is vastly improved over 16-18.. the older cars have less range and the looks compared to a 2nd gen are really dated.
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Something wasn't right with your 2016. My 2017's ICE engine has enough power to haul my Volt over the highest paved passes in the US (Independence on CO 82, Vail and Eisenhower tunnel on I-70) at the posted speed limit. This is without using Mountain Mode.
I suspect the 7.2 Kw charging will only be a plus for a small number of owners - Unless you regularly recharge away from home where you pay by the hour it probably won't be an advantage very often. I wouldn't overlook a good deal on a car which doesn't have it unless you're one of the few who would regularly benefit from owning a car equipped with it
Don
I have one of the first G2 units that came off the line in 2015. Quite a few software updates which required dealer visits, but most serious problem was a tranny change ( sensor failure ) and power inverter failure ( was one of the first Shift to Park failures, again solved by firmware update). I expected some teething issues since it was a new design but GM has fixed all the major issues in the design, the last major one being the annoying backfire issue when starting off in hold mode the was solved last June.
If you are buying any G2 model then make sure it has the latest firmware updates in them ( not all owners are keeping things current).
If you are buying any G2 model then make sure it has the latest firmware updates in them ( not all owners are keeping things current).
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I agree it had its moments.. weirdest thing is when on the freeway and i had a good momentum you could barely i mean barely even tell ICE was running. But then when traffic or some stupid slow down oh man the thing wouold do its growl struggle... i would curse and say damnit everything was going good now the car is struggling!!. well funny thing was in Tj the noisy ice did well. i mean it got the car but you really had to mash the pedal. Now the car had been returned 11/21. Officially without a car.
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oh crap that happened to mine too!. it had to have the entire shifter front column removed in order to fix that.. (shift to park)
They had to take the entire engine assembly out of the car to change the tranny. Saw the warranty invoice to GM, $10k.
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