[49er]

I have a Gen 1 Volt, and it has been great. I'm considering Volt Gen 2 for my next car. Normally I'd lease as I did with Gen 1, but the lease deals are bad right now, so I'm now evaluating the purchase route.

For purchase, the biggest concern I have with Gen 2 is reliability. Consumer Reports aggregates owner reliability data (surveys) and the Gen 2 Volt scored very poorly. What is the consensus on this board regarding Gen 2 Volt reliability?

 

[linkim]

I have a Gen 1 Volt, and it has been great. I'm considering Volt Gen 2 for my next car. Normally I'd lease as I did with Gen 1, but the lease deals are bad right now, so I'm now evaluating the purchase route.

For purchase, the biggest concern I have with Gen 2 is reliability. Consumer Reports aggregates owner reliability data (surveys) and the Gen 2 Volt scored very poorly. What is the consensus on this board regarding Gen 2 Volt reliability?

I didn't read the CR article about the Gen2, but so far after 22 months, I have had no problem that required a special trip to the dealer.

 

[Tomt]

While I have been back for a number of TSBs and recalls, the only real failure I have had is of the display screen going blank and having to be replaced. It was also back early on for a small oil leak from the left half shaft transmission seal.

I didn't read the CR article about the Gen2, but so far after 22 months, I have had no problem that required a special trip to the dealer.

 

[accelerus]

took delivery of a 2017 in mid 2016, blown high voltage fuse @ 4000 miles (spent almost a month in the shop waiting on parts) Stuck me with a Cruz loaner that whole time and they didn't feel the need to re-reimburse me for all the gas I wasted driving (75+ miles a day for work)

@ 8000 miles it totally died and left me on the side of the road due to the 12V system failing, towed to dealership. Currently @ 26,000 miles without a problem since then.

Of course your mileage may vary. Personally I'm excited for 2019 when I plan on selling it and buying a Model 3. The volt itself is a pretty good car when it works. GM as a company, customer service, is an absolute nightmare.

 

[BAZINGA]

I've owned three Volt's since March 2012 - a 2012, a 2013 and now a 2017 driving close to 60K miles and averaging over 94% electric. I bought my 2017 in Aug 2016 and have ZERO issues with it. Haven't been back to the dealer since the day I bought it. First oil change and tire rotation due later this month.

For my money my 2017 is the best Volt yet.

 

[Insight Refugee]

Anecdotal reports here (or on any enthusiast site) are probably not the best way to judge a car. One the one hand, you'll have people who love the car and will defend it vigorously. On the other, people who have had problems will search out sites like this to seek guidance or complain and appear in greater percentages than the general population.

You'll also have people in the middle like me, but take it from someone who has been visiting sites like this since the mid-90s, the two ends of the bell curve will be fatter here.

All that said, my thoughts about the car are as follows: it's the best (and only) drivetrain to fit my needs and I like the car's design and styling, but fit and finish are not what I'd expect on a $40,000 car.

If you are looking at the Volt, then I don't need to sell you on drivetrain. Full electric is not close to being ready for primetime in my area and with my occasional need to drive long distances. I like the styling to the extent the car does not scream "look at me" and I think that I'll enjoy driving it for a long time (I keep cars much longer than average).

I've been disappointed with the little rattles and misalignments of panels (inside and out) and even with the anecdotal bias noted above, I've been alarmed with issues some have had; "shift to park" being the worst. To be sure, I have not experienced any operational failures aside from two instances of "remote not detected" in 12,000 miles of daily driving.

As for GM customer service (both at corporate level and at the dealership), I can't really give an opinion. I have not needed to deal with GM corporate and aside from the expected general cluelessness re: the Volt at the dealer service center for a couple of TSB campaign visits, I have not had a problem there either. Except for warranty work, I almost never go to dealer service centers so that is not a factor for me.

The bottom line for me is that even with the fit and finish issues and the "shift to park" issues some others have had, one year in I would definitely purchase the Volt again. It's the only car that fits my needs and I think the warranty coverage is good enough that any serious problems will be dealt with should they arise.

YMMV

 

[TheBlueFlash]

My gen 1 has 52k miles and no problems except for a burned out turn signal bulb. My gen 2 has 25k miles and no issues whatsoever.

It seems you'll find experiences on both sides of the spectrum and everything in between. Some have experienced catastrophic failures of the gen 2, others like me haven't had any problems yet. Remember, the factory warranty is fairly generous, and as far as I'm aware, all gen 2 issues have been fully covered by the warranty. If I'm wrong about that I'm sure someone will chime in, but I've been lurking on here for over a year now and haven't heard of gen 2 issues not fully resolved by warranty work.

 

[Ralph7]

For the 2017 Volt, the oil pan seal needed to be fixed to stop occasional dripping of oil. Otherwise, no trouble for 19,500 miles with around 60% electric.

 

[OoPEZoO]

I've had my '16 for 1 year and 11 days. I will hit 30k miles on it by the end of the week. Sitting at about 73% all electric driving. Besides the occasional Apple Carplay glitch, it has been flawless. Haven't even changed the oil yet.....the computer says its still around 25%. I still have an open recall I need to take care of, but that will be the only time it was back to the dealership since I bought it. So far, it has exceeded my expectations.

 

[obermd]

I wouldn't trust CR's ratings. Every car I've purchased that was highly CR rated was a nightmare and every car I've purchased that was panned by CR was a good car.

Also, remember that 2016 was basically a first model year for the Volt. New body, new suspension, new drivetrain, etc. Many of the issues people had with 2016s were manufacturing and assembly line issues that have been worked out for the 2017s.

 

[JRRF]

I am NOT a CR fan. And I think their analyses are useless because they know nothing about cars. Having said that, if they take a poll of a lot of "Joe" owners of a car, it's hard to argue with the raw results. This is a great car for many reasons (which is why you are interested), but for reliability, it's no Toyota.

Part of the reason lease deals are poor right now is residuals. They are down across the automotive landscape, and more so for the Volt. That should figure into your plan to buy one because it is indicative of what your resale value will be.

 

[snic]

Part of the reason lease deals are poor right now is residuals. They are down across the automotive landscape, and more so for the Volt. That should figure into your plan to buy one because it is indicative of what your resale value will be.

Right, resale value for electric cars has been pretty poor. And if you plan to keep the car for 10-15 years (and so don't care about resale value), you also run the risk of technology changing so much in that time frame that you'll be driving something very obsolete within 5 years. That said - even if 5 years from now everyone is buying 2022 Volts with 200 mile electric range and 8 gallon gas tanks, I think I'll still be happy with my '16 Volt for a few years beyond that.

 

[MrEnergyCzar]

Other than my 16' coming to a dead stop while driving and needing the transmission replaced, its been great.

 

[JoeReal]

2017 Siren Red Volt 31,534 miles 95.6% Electric Miles... No problems so far!
Have pushed it to 350 miles EV only driving in one day, and 186 EV miles on one charge (with downhill of course), averaging 68 miles per full charge this summer with air con set to eco mode, 50% freeway and 50% city driving. The ACC is indispensable!

 

[deeks]

Appears 2016 MY concerns mostly overcome as my 2017 LT (delivered11/02/16),now about 11.5K miles with first Dealer visit for software update/oil change/tire rotation,has been reliable & comfortable.Would certainly recommend it,obviously subject to your specific needs!Only 240v home recharging used-Big Island,HI.location,moderate speed driving allows full recharge display of 86 electric miles.

 

[NickHark]

For my money my 2017 is the best Volt yet.

Agreed. +1

 

[49er]

2017 Siren Red Volt 31,534 miles 95.6% Electric Miles... No problems so far!
Have pushed it to 350 miles EV only driving in one day, and 186 EV miles on one charge (with downhill of course), averaging 68 miles per full charge this summer with air con set to eco mode, 50% freeway and 50% city driving. The ACC is indispensable!

Would love to understand more about "ACC is indispensable". If I go with the 2017 Volt I'll have to decide whether to spend the $4k extra the version with ACC (plus confidence pkgs I & II), or save the $4k and get a base Volt with leather.

 

[JRRF]

Would love to understand more about "ACC is indispensable". If I go with the 2017 Volt I'll have to decide whether to spend the $4k extra the version with ACC (plus confidence pkgs I & II), or save the $4k and get a base Volt with leather.

Once you get used to using it you will never want to drive without it. It takes the edge off of driving because you have a copilot monitoring traffic in front of you should your attention drift, or if you just don't recognize something quick enough. With ACC you also get more advanced, higher speed auto-braking that will help mitigate (or possibly) prevent collisions. It will take you some time to get used to it, but you will learn quickly to appreciate it.

 

[hellsop]

Would love to understand more about "ACC is indispensable". If I go with the 2017 Volt I'll have to decide whether to spend the $4k extra the version with ACC (plus confidence pkgs I & II), or save the $4k and get a base Volt with leather.

If you go the latter route, promise me that every time you're on a freeway below 50 MPH, you'll think "$4000" every time your foot touches the brake.

 

[JRRF]

If you go the latter route, promise me that every time you're on a freeway below 50 MPH, you'll think "$4000" every time your foot touches the brake.

This is hysterical

But to 49er, let me assure you. I've been driving cars with ACC exclusively for the last 10 years, and when looking at the Volt, it wouldn't even have been a consideration if ACC was not an option. I even contemplated a Mazda, but their ACC system is first generation and just not good enough. The Chevy system is not the best, but it is acceptable. And after all, I was ultimately wanting an EV.