Battery Module Failure
First a little background –
I drive a 2013 Chevy Volt that I purchased that was certified preowned about 22 months ago. Up until the beginning of January, it has been the most reliable automobile I’ve ever owned, and it has been a lot of fun to drive! I use it primarily as a commuter car, and my commute is 38 miles round trip – however I routinely only use 8 kWh for this trip. The car has just under 75,000 miles.
The problem –
I was driving on my last stretch of my commute back home when I received a message on my dashboard “Propulsion reduced”, however, what it should have read was “propulsion unavailable”. While traveling at speed I lost all propulsion and power steering, but the 12v system continued to operate normally. I managed to coast into my neighborhood, and pushed it the rest of the way unto my property. I attempted to restart the car several times and force the generator to start by putting it in “mountain mode” to no avail. The car was towed to my local dealership. They have dropped the main battery out of the car and determined that one of the battery modules needs to be replaced. Today I was told that there is still not ETA on when the part will be shipped. I have contacted GM support and the dealer and they will not give me a reason how there can be no ETA on the part. I also inquired about replacing the vehicle with another used Volt, and they will only offer credit towards a new vehicle (which I cannot afford at this time since I am still paying off my existing vehicle).
I am appreciative that GM has provided a loaner vehicle, but I want to be back in my Volt or a replacement Volt. I have an infant that I am uncomfortable putting in the back seat of the loaner because I don’t want to damage the seat or carpet with various projectiles and/or fluids. I am troubled that there is no ETA on these parts required for the repair, and that GM is not willing to work out a replacement vehicle (I even offered to pay the difference in value). I just want this to be resolved. Has anyone else had a similar experience? Does GM not carry a stock of replacement parts for the first generation Volt?