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GM Hit With Class Action Lawsuit Over Chevy Volt BECM Failures

10031 Views 48 Replies 23 Participants Last post by  hellsop
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Neither here nor there, but I've always been happy I kept my Gen 1 and did not trade up to Gen 2...
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WOW I think that's my 2018 in the picture. Have not yet had the dreaded BECM issue but looks like there may be hope if I do. Fingers and toes crossed.
No car is perfect.
It does appears then gen1 was more reliable
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The suit was filed by a forum member.

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It's not clear what exactly they want from GM... Issue the recall on BECM?
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I'd be interested in knowing if my 2018 Premier which had the BECM replaced is still subject to the same problem? Has Chevy made any changes when they repair the car to ensure it doesn't reoccur???
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Has Chevy made any changes when they repair the car to ensure it doesn't reoccur???
BECM change to the last revision?
It's not clear what exactly they want from GM... Issue the recall on BECM?
reimbursment for repairs/replacements and issue recall it would seem.

General Motors has allegedly known about the Chevy Volt battery energy control module problems but has failed to warn consumers of the issues. The automaker has also allegedly refused to offer reimbursements for repairs or replacements, and the lawsuit alleges GM has never issued a recall.

The plaintiff claims once the module has problems, the only fix is to replace and reprogram the Volt battery energy control module.
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No car is perfect.
It does appears then gen1 was more reliable
Have you seen how many have had the drive motor bearing issue? Battery section replacements? I wouldn't say the Gen1 was more reliable.
Have you seen how many have had the drive motor bearing issue? Battery section replacements? I wouldn't say the Gen1 was more reliable.
Not many, and the battery is simply age related, Gen 2's will eventually experience the same thing unfortunately
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GM knew about this issue since June 24, 2018, which is when the technical service bulletin was filed: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2022/MC-10209256-0001.pdf It was updated March 2022. I don't agree with GM that a Volt with a bad BECM is safe to operate for extended periods of time. The acceleration is extremely inconsistent and some of us live in areas where it's important to have a predictable level of acceleration -- it doesn't have to go 0-60 in 8 seconds but when we hit the gas, we need it to respond reliably. For example, if I'm waiting to make an unprotected left turn at a light, I can't possibly judge whether it's safe for me to initiate the turn if the gas responds in unpredictable ways. Also, I'm required to park in a very hilly area on a regular basis. It's scary when the car starts rolling backwards towards traffic and hitting the gas does nothing. I've learned to park facing downhill now but my point still stands. Your average driver cannot be expected to make these adjustments based on perfect foresight.

I mean, do we need blood to spill for this case to hold water? I have 3 dash cams running in my car just in case something happens. The longer I drive this car, the more likely it is that I get in an accident. Also, I need to transport 2 young children to and from daycare on a daily basis. My other car doesn't have enough space for two kids car seats.
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It's not clear what exactly they want from GM... Issue the recall on BECM?
I read the filing. They want GM to fix the underlying problem and replace all the BECMs as well as reimburse owners for their rental expenses while their Volts were out of service.
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This is the first year I've owned a 2012 Volt and living in Vermont with cold winters. We are experiencing the car switching to gas and not switching back to battery even when the temp is in the 50's. Does anyone have experience with their gen1 volt in cold weather?
dvb,

I wonder if GM addressed the failure and redesigned the replacement BECMs or just keeps pumping out the same crappy one? Does anybody know on this forum?

Stephen

It's not clear what exactly they want from GM... Issue the recall on BECM?
That is the question I want to find the answer on too. If I manage to get a new BECM, I will compare both layouts. I think they added some bypass wires or leads to make a good connection to some component(s). Some auxilary power or comm lines.
A new BECM design would have a new part number.
Greetings, evidently I’m not alone. Came across the BECM Class Action. Maybe something will get done let’s hope. My 2017 Volt is at the dealer now for 3 months waiting for the module. I was given a loaner vehicle at least. (Now buying lots of gas) GM customer support has given me a case number. No ETA when the module will arrive. They have emailed me that their International “source“ is slowly filling orders, no mention who is the source.
The number I used for GM customer support 866-790-5600
I have to believe the BECM is not a Manufacturing priority.
anyone know how we become part of this class action suit? The waiting is exhausting.
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The waiting is exhausting.
Court cases can take many years, and then appeals.
I had my 2018 failed BECM replaced recently at around 36,000 miles. It took about 3 months to get the part. GM provided a rental car during that time and covered the repair cost per their warranty. I verified that the replacement BECM was indeed the new part number 24296900 per their latest Technical Service Bulletin on this issue.

I, and most Volt owners I expect, would prefer that they issue a recall and/or expand the warranty coverage for this well known problem. That said, given the current 3-4 month delivery lead time, it may be that the only way GM could accomplish a blanket recall in the near term is if they are choosing to produce replacement BECMs at a trickle pace. I suspect that is not the case, if for no other reason, because the cost for 3+ months of rental car fees far exceeds the cost of a BECM warranty repair. What GM has been doing for over a year now is simply more expensive (to GM) than ramping up production to have a high demand warrantied part readily available.

I think a voluntary recall or warranty extension is reasonable in this case, and the lawsuit may eventually accomplish that. But for the time being it appears that GM is still working to manage an ongoing messy situation. How much of it is due to lingering COVID supply chain issues and/or parts inventory mismanagement is a matter of opinion, and beside the point. I do hope that GM does more to resolve this issue, but I don't see myself joining the class action.
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I had my 2018 failed BECM replaced recently at around 36,000 miles. It took about 3 months to get the part. GM provided a rental car during that time and covered the repair cost per their warranty. I verified that the replacement BECM was indeed the new part number 24296900 per their latest Technical Service Bulletin on this issue.

I, and most Volt owners I expect, would prefer that they issue a recall and/or expand the warranty coverage for this well known problem. That said, given the current 3-4 month delivery lead time, it may be that the only way GM could accomplish a blanket recall in the near term is if they are choosing to produce replacement BECMs at a trickle pace. I suspect that is not the case, if for no other reason, because the cost for 3+ months of rental car fees far exceeds the cost of a BECM warranty repair. What GM has been doing for over a year now is simply more expensive (to GM) than ramping up production to have a high demand warrantied part readily available.

I think a voluntary recall or warranty extension is reasonable in this case, and the lawsuit may eventually accomplish that. But for the time being it appears that GM is still working to manage an ongoing messy situation. How much of it is due to lingering COVID supply chain issues and/or parts inventory mismanagement is a matter of opinion, and beside the point. I do hope that GM does more to resolve this issue, but I don't see myself joining the class action.
Based on your post you won't be part of the class since GM replaced your BECM and paid for your rental. Likewise I won't be in the class as GM replaced mine under warranty and I had no out of pocket costs.
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