Consumer Report is scaring me.
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I have a 2012 and a 2017 - NO PROBLEMS!
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The concerns are valid (but in a really weird way). The Volt is not a large seller, so the sampling is always much smaller which expands any potential problem. This happens with all cars, don't let anyone fool you. All cars have problems to some degree. Having said that, I had a 2012 Volt that I drove for years. I now drive a 2016 Volt that I purchased back in April. The Volt is an extremely reliable car. Don't let CR fool you into thinking it is not. I am a fan of CR as it is a great starting place, but not all knowing 
For example, had I used CR to purchase my 2008 Saturn Outlook, I would have run to any other brand, but our Saturn Outlook has been an amazing vehicle with no mechanical problems to date other than a very minor issue. Take all this for what it is worth. Any new car can have potential problems, some more than others. But in the end practically any new car will provide many years of reliable service unless you get a lemon, which does happen to all auto makers from time to time. Buy the Volt and enjoy.
For example, had I used CR to purchase my 2008 Saturn Outlook, I would have run to any other brand, but our Saturn Outlook has been an amazing vehicle with no mechanical problems to date other than a very minor issue. Take all this for what it is worth. Any new car can have potential problems, some more than others. But in the end practically any new car will provide many years of reliable service unless you get a lemon, which does happen to all auto makers from time to time. Buy the Volt and enjoy.http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/chevrolet/volt-4-door-hatchback
Love ours. I drive it both on public roads and closed course competition events. Zero issues other than destroying the OEM tires pretty quick. Not the tires fault, they were never intended to be driven aggressively.
My 2011 has 102,000 on the odometer and has not cost me a dime other than 3 oil changes and tires. The brakes are barely showing any wear. At this age and mileage my BMW and Volvo had cost thousands in brake work etc. about 10 oil changes and other out of warranty repair. My Volvo timing belt service done at 110,000 was $850. On the other hand my Volt will go most likely another 4 years and 60,000 before any substantial repair. Volt is the most economical car ever built. Pass the gas station, pass the brake and muffler shop, pass the quick lube. Save thousands.
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Below is a link to the TrueDelta score on the Volt. Overall the Volt has a little better than average reliability.
Unlike the subjective user scores from Consumer Reports, TrueDelta uses actual reported data from owners.
https://www.truedelta.com/Chevrolet-Volt/repair-frequencies-1048
Unlike the subjective user scores from Consumer Reports, TrueDelta uses actual reported data from owners.
https://www.truedelta.com/Chevrolet-Volt/repair-frequencies-1048
Have you seen:
http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?282465
http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?286193
http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?255850 (especially post# 23)
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https://www.theatlantic.com/busines...ports-in-the-age-of-the-amazon-review/477108/
<In recent decades, however, Consumer Reports’s influence has declined. To an extent this is expected, given how the organization hasn’t quite adapted to the new media landscape. But it’s still more than a little surprising that the rigorous, systematic method of reviewing products practiced by Consumer Reports has lost ground to mostly anonymous online product writeups—not just in terms of popularity, but also, one survey has found, public trust. Why are online shoppers settling for taking the word of unidentified, and potentially biased, reviewers? Put another way, why isn’t Consumer Reports reaching new heights in an era when its evenhanded information should in theory be most in-demand?
Consumer Reports reached its peak number of subscribers in 2008, when it had nearly 8 million (print and digital combined), according to Kelli Halyard, a spokesperson. At present, it has roughly 7 million—3.8 million of them print subscribers and 3.2 million of them digital. This is, by magazine standards, a huge subscription base, but the worrisome news for Consumer Reports is that their demographics skew older: The average print subscriber is 65 years old, and the average digital subscriber is 56. Tax records show that for the fiscal year ending in May 2011, the magazine’s parent organization lost $3.5 million dollars, then $2 million the following year. An internal memo sent to top managers in early 2012, and subsequently leaked by the media blogger Jim Romenesko, put the organization’s plight in no uncertain terms: “CR is not growing revenues or subscribers, and we are losing money. We must right the ship.” The missive blamed this downward slope on “new competitors who are doing interesting things.”>
<In recent decades, however, Consumer Reports’s influence has declined. To an extent this is expected, given how the organization hasn’t quite adapted to the new media landscape. But it’s still more than a little surprising that the rigorous, systematic method of reviewing products practiced by Consumer Reports has lost ground to mostly anonymous online product writeups—not just in terms of popularity, but also, one survey has found, public trust. Why are online shoppers settling for taking the word of unidentified, and potentially biased, reviewers? Put another way, why isn’t Consumer Reports reaching new heights in an era when its evenhanded information should in theory be most in-demand?
Consumer Reports reached its peak number of subscribers in 2008, when it had nearly 8 million (print and digital combined), according to Kelli Halyard, a spokesperson. At present, it has roughly 7 million—3.8 million of them print subscribers and 3.2 million of them digital. This is, by magazine standards, a huge subscription base, but the worrisome news for Consumer Reports is that their demographics skew older: The average print subscriber is 65 years old, and the average digital subscriber is 56. Tax records show that for the fiscal year ending in May 2011, the magazine’s parent organization lost $3.5 million dollars, then $2 million the following year. An internal memo sent to top managers in early 2012, and subsequently leaked by the media blogger Jim Romenesko, put the organization’s plight in no uncertain terms: “CR is not growing revenues or subscribers, and we are losing money. We must right the ship.” The missive blamed this downward slope on “new competitors who are doing interesting things.”>
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My 2017 Volt has been flawless so far. Purchased in May and 9,500 miles on it. CR lumps everything together, so someone who has a flat tire and reports it to CR will add to a "negative" reliability at CR. They reviewed the 2016 Volt and will probably not update until the 2019 model year.
Bottom line, never use CR for advise on cars.
Bottom line, never use CR for advise on cars.
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Unlike many other cars, you get a community of supportive Volt owners who will help you out with your car. Also, how many cars offer an 8 year/100K (or 10 year/150K in a CARB state) warranty on a very critical (and expensive) component of the powertrain (the battery!).
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CR is a rag
It USED to be a great magazine, but not anymore.....................
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I cancelled my CR subscription in 2010 when one of the editors in an interview stated the Volt would be uneconomical using electricity, lol. Idiot.
My 2011 Volt has almost 94k miles. I've spent money on two oil changes, a new passenger seat heater, and the recommended flush of the engine and battery coolant at 5 years. Best car I have ever owned. So much so I just bought a Bolt EV to be it's companion.
My 2011 Volt has almost 94k miles. I've spent money on two oil changes, a new passenger seat heater, and the recommended flush of the engine and battery coolant at 5 years. Best car I have ever owned. So much so I just bought a Bolt EV to be it's companion.
We are CR subscribers and I used to rely on their auto reliability reports. I'm much more skeptical now since I've received and participated in their reliability surveys. They seem to rely mostly on owner's recollections and opinions about reliability rather than hard data on repair rates. We keep the service and repair receipts for our cars but I wasn't going to bother looking through those to complete the survey and I suspect that's true for other CR survey responders. FWIW I've had a '13 Volt for about two years and it now has 60K miles with absolutely no repairs and only an oil change and tire rotations for maintenance. Wish my Subaru Impreza had been that reliable.
my only issue with my Volt has been its inability to properly use a cord connected iPod. Most days it works, other times it will stop after each track until I pause/play, or it locks at end of a play list, or skips... how in the hell does a mp3 skip?
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With the way CR does their reliability surveys this would count the same against the Volt as if the ICE engine blew and had to be replaced. This, in a nutshell, is the underlying problem with CR's methodology.
This is where you should look for Volt reliability info. It's where I got informed before I bought mine, which has been highly reliable.
Far and away, the best car I've ever owned. Instead of listening to dear old dad and a magazine that has lost its relevancy, direct him here. Believe me, these forum members don't pull any punches when it comes to reliability or other issues pertaining to the Volt.
Far and away, the best car I've ever owned. Instead of listening to dear old dad and a magazine that has lost its relevancy, direct him here. Believe me, these forum members don't pull any punches when it comes to reliability or other issues pertaining to the Volt.
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Interesting how many here completely misunderstand how CR does vehicle reliability... Yes, they do use actual data from owners (their subscribers) to calculate reliability; no, they don't group all reported data together but, rather, categorize it (a flat tire will not count, for example); yes, they do use algorithms to take in to account vehicles with a low sample size.
My Gen 2 has never failed me but it has been in for a number of recalls and nagging TSBs... Some may or may not say that that points to reliability...
My Gen 2 has never failed me but it has been in for a number of recalls and nagging TSBs... Some may or may not say that that points to reliability...
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