[thejammonster]

Hi all, first post here. I got a '17 Volt on April 30th and, in addition to a laundry list of other problems with the dealership, the brakes make a loud squeaking noise when I push the pedal all the way in and then let up on it.

Video:
https://goo.gl/photos/7TdQbLgbKPGUdAfA8

After bringing the car in twice and the dealer failing to fix anything (replaced a retainer clip; did something related to a bulletin about a squeaking pedal) I brought it back on 8/11. I just got a call that I could come pick up my car and that they can't/won't fix it, it isn't a safety issue (how do they know if they don't know what the problem is?), and it is "expected normal operation" due to the electromagnetic braking system on the Gen 2 Volt. They said they drove 2 other Volts around to see if they have the same problem - and they don't. So much for "expected normal operation".

After the 3rd dropoff I opened a case with GM who hasn't really done anything aside from call me and tell me they couldn't get ahold of anyone for more answers.

My question is if anyone has had a similar issue (not related to the squeaky pedal bulletin)? At this point I've told the dealer that I'm not picking up my car and they're not getting their loaner back until it's fixed or I get a replacement Volt. Does anyone have any contact info at GM that can actually do anything other than say "I understand your frustration"? I'm considering legal action but I'd rather deal with it through GM and never have to go to this worthless dealer again. Thanks for any help!

 

[jbakerjonathan]

I don't have answers for you, but you might want to compare notes with skibler: http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?297274

Good luck and find another dealer for future repairs, maybe in Kannapolis or Salisbury.

 

[obermd]

Find another dealership. You don't have to get your car serviced at the selling dealership. Yours appears to have staffed their service department with trained monkeys.

 

[llninja]

There's a goose hiding under the dash?

 

[quirkySquirt]

thejammonster, I'm sorry but I was LOL watching your video over and over. It really sounds comical.

That said, more power to you standing up to your dealer. However, they may hold out or claim you're stealing their car or other nonsense. I think obermd's suggestion to find a better service department at a different dealership is a better next step. Don't let GM say it's normal. Keep those notes from your selling dealer about finding 2 other Volt's without the noise--you're establishing a case that "normal" means "silent". What you're experiencing is abnormal and should definitely be covered under the B2B warranty.

 

[thejammonster]

Thanks all. When I opened the case with GM they checked for other dealerships and it turns out this dealership has the only Volt techs within the Charlotte city limits. I'm sure the next step will be to bring it to Huntersville or Concord but I was trying to avoid having to drive 30+ minutes for service. I had no intention of going back to this dealership ever again but I wanted them to at least fix the car they leased to me.

I ended up picking up my car after my post since I was paying for gas in the loaner and highly doubt they'd reimburse me. I'm waiting for a call back from the GM rep and I'll be seeking some legal advice on what my options are in the morning.

 

[quirkySquirt]

Dang, that's a real shame with only one dealership with Volt techs. Hope the GM rep can help grease the interaction between GM engineers and your local Volt techs to actually solve this problem. When in doubt, start polling people in the dealership with your video recordings asking if they think it's a normal sound. Especially poll customers and GM vehicle owners. ;-)

 

[thejammonster]

Found out that GM transferred my case to a "senior adviser" without telling me while I was emailing and calling the original adviser. They haven't called me yet but I spoke to someone else in the same department who said they can't and won't do anything since the case isn't assigned to them. They also said they won't let me talk to a supervisor. All that they could tell me is that the dealership told them that they couldn't reproduce the problem, which is false. They also mentioned that they can only coordinate with the dealerships and nothing more. I would have to get an attorney to dispute the dealer and that would go through a different group at GM that deals with legal issues instead of dealer problems. Looks like this isn't going to be resolved any time soon. Hopefully my brakes don't go out while I'm driving to court

 

[barich]

My 2017 (built and purchased in June 2017) is doing this too. The noise sounds exactly the same. Mine makes the noise when I press the pedal as well as when I release it, though. It also does it when releasing the parking brake. It sounds like it's coming from the rear brakes.

 

[thejammonster]

I brought my car to a different dealership a couple weeks ago and, of course, I couldn't reproduce the issue. I had to bring it back last week for a recent recall and I WAS able to reproduce it. Thankfully, the tech was able to reproduce it was well. They sent my videos to GM TAC, who had a Volt field engineer take a look. They said the sound is brake fluid rushing to the rear brakes through a module and that changing the module won't fix the issue. GM considers it normal and the field engineer said it happens in their own Volt. So long story short I'm stuck with honking brakes for another 3 years. At least I found a decent dealer to bring it to.

 

[thejammonster]

Service manager at the new dealership called me back and said that GM TAC called him back and that another field engineer had watched the videos. They said that the noise is much worse than it usually is and said replacing it might help reduce the frequency or volume of the noise. The part is on a freeze because they use stock to build new cars so it may take a little while to get it but I'll update once it's done. For reference they called the part the Brake Pressure Modulator Valve (BPMV).

I told the service manager that I wish I had bought the car from them in the first place. I'm pissed that the first dealership got the money from the sale and ditched me when they couldn't fix the issue. I found out they opened the GM TAC case and never called them back or updated it. When I dropped my car off at the new place the first time the GM TAC said they were waiting for more information and hadn't heard anything since the case was opened.

 

[quirkySquirt]

Thanks for the update, thejammonster. Good lesson in always looking for a 2nd opinion, even if a service manager relays to you that GM says it's "normal". Good luck and here's hoping the new module reduces/shifts the noise enough so you can't hear it anymore.

 

[jbakerjonathan]

Would you share the name of the new dealer who is giving you good service? There is nothing wrong with high-lighting good service! Others may wish to take note.

 

[thejammonster]

Ben Mynatt Chevrolet in Concord, NC

 

[thejammonster]

Hopefully the last update...I brought it in last Monday once they had received the parts that were on a freeze. I found out that they weren't only replacing the BPMV as mentioned above but also the Electronic Brake Control Module (EBCM). Later that day they called and said that when they were removing the front cowl they accidentally cracked the windshield because it protrudes another 2 inches below the hood. Accidents happen, but it was a perfect end to this comedy of errors. They ordered a new windshield from GM and it was installed today. I picked it up and there is no brake noise to speak of. They even detailed the car inside and out as an apology for the windshield. The whole process has been aggravating but I learned that I went to a bad dealer in the beginning and that GM does care after all. Hopefully if anyone else has this issue they'll find this thread via search and be able to get it resolved. I'll update if any problems return.

 

[MichaelSVolt]

I have a 2017 Volt that was built in April and have had this same noise for the last two months or so. Unfortunately, I have to explain to anybody new riding in the car that it's car flatulence and not mine! I took it to a local dealer twice recently before they contacted GM and found out that GM knew about the problem. They don't have a fix yet and are calling it "Normal". This term is rather disingenuous since they also have an explanation for what causes it, and it doesn't happen on every car yet, so how's that normal? Anyway, the service invoice says "Normal as it is turbulence across pressure relief valve in the BPMV as rear brake pressure is bled". I suppose I could insist on GM replacing the module(s) that they did for "thejammonster", but if they don't have a true permanent fix for it, then it could just happen again. I suppose I'll wait a few months to see if they come up with a fix when more people report the problem, or the sound becomes unbearable! Hopefully, thejammonster will keep us updated periodically as to whether the embarrassing "noise" comes back to haunt him and his passengers or not........

 

[thejammonster]

The issue did return after a few weeks. Maybe not as bad or as frequent, but the old brake system parts were over a year old (the car was on the dealer's lot for a year before I leased it) and the replacement parts are only weeks old. I'm not going to continue to pursue the issue because I'd rather drive my car than having it constantly in the service department. Thankfully mine is a lease so I'll be able to ditch it after a few years if they don't come up with a fix. I re-shared the videos so people can hear the noise for themselves.

2017 Chevy Volt Brake Noise

 

[MichaelSVolt]

Thanks to thejammonster for the update in letting us know that the new brake parts didn't solve the brake noise (bark) problem. Since GM definitely knows about the problem now, maybe they'll eventually come up with a fix if different people keep reporting the issue. I wonder what percentage of 2016-2018 Volt owners are having this issue? Since the problem returned with thejammonster's non-revised replacement parts, then that seems to indicate it must be fairly common. But, you'd think there'd more people complaining about it on this forum.....Hmmmmm.......