Me Too...! 14 days and dead on the street!!!

4327 Views 15 Replies 11 Participants Last post by Geohec, Feb 2, 2017

asimmonds

Discussion Starter · Jan 14, 2017

I got my new 2017 Volt LT exactly two weeks ago last thursday when driving home from work it just died right on the street. It was the culmination of a sort of stressful two weeks because from the beginning the car had been doing strange things which I was struggling to figure out. But at this point i am now hearing that annoying little voice saying I had been a fool to buy an electric car. I also haven't owned an american car in 40 years. I had researched it all so carefully and felt that the Volt was a special car that I could trust to help me to better the world in many ways. It's been reassuring to find this forum and see that other people have had this problem and come out ok. When I first got the car I noticed that the front instrument displays would dim and brighten up on occasion. Also in three instances after walking away from the car I looked back to see that it appeared to still be on. I assumed that I had a senior moment and forgotten to turn it off. Now i'm not so sure. I may also have forgotten to turn it off the day it died. (My elderly aunt says to put a sticky over the power button to remind me.) Lastly the bluetooth would continuously unpair with my phone after about one day of working normally. My volt was towed to a dealer who tells me a short was found in the 12 volt batt but even with a charged up 12 volt the car won't start. That was yesterday friday. The tech went home at 4:30 and won't be back till monday. So here I am hearing voices and driving around in a rented Nissan Versa the size of a rollerskate waiting for monday. Reading the posts though has been helpful. Maybe I'll also have some luck to report next week. Maybe Chevy will pay for the rollerskate.

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Steverino

· #2 · Jan 15, 2017

The Volt is my first American car and mine has been flawless for 5+ years and over 85,000 miles. Best car I have owned.

The good news is you have a warranty that will cover getting the car back on the road. The dealership should have provided a free rental given it's a brand new car.

CurrentEvent

· #3 · Jan 15, 2017

In regard to the instrument brightness, it will automatically brighten and dim depending on the ambient light. Probably what you're seeing is normal. Anyway, good luck with the battery.

KenC

· #4 · Jan 15, 2017

Very bad luck. A bad battery can do all sorts of odd things. Perhaps, some fuses and relays were damaged as well. My Volt was the first American car I've owned in 40 years as well. I've had it just over a year and am extremely happy. I hope yours is fixed.

DonC

· #5 · Jan 15, 2017

Certainly sorry to hear this. My Volt has had fewer problems than the BMW, MB, Lexus, and Acura I had. So there is that. On the other hand I had several issues with my ELR when I first got it. All but one thing was software based, but I could have gone off like you are. Since at that point I had had the Volt for four years without a single issue I didn't freak. Best advice I can give is to stop beating yourself up, chill out, take the car back to the dealer, and have them fix it for you. Likely is a 12v battery problem and not a big deal. Unfortunately stuff like this happens.

telveer

· #6 · Jan 15, 2017

Its ironic that with all the advanced tech and space age traction battery, the humble 12V battery is the one that causes most issues with the Volt.

accelerus

· #7 · Jan 15, 2017

Very similar situation and feeling from my 2017 -- died at 4000 miles from a blown high voltage fuse was in the shop for 2 weeks, left me stranded on the side of the highway at 8000 miles from the car not being able to charge the 12V system.

I too had solid hope that the volt was something rock solid.. I realize "**** happens", but the way my entire situation was handled has me excited for a Model 3 about a year after they hit the streets simply because of the way GM as a company treats it's customers.

I love the volt -- hate the company... its a great car when it's working, good luck getting help from any of the "reps" here. The instant you ask a serious question or want help from someone higher up the chain they shut down and refer you back to the dealer. I've done about 1300 miles in a loaner total while my volt was getting worked on, it's a ****ty feeling paying so much for a car so you don't have to use gas, and then wind up having to burn a ton of it anyway out of pocket while GM just says "meh we will fix it"

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asimmonds

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jan 21, 2017

Thanks to everybody for the replies. It cheers me up to hear the remarks and gives me hope while i wait. Update on my dead 17. The dealer now says that a new transmission has been ordered and it will take another week to install. So at this point after reading some of the threads i don't know if it is a battery, fuse, inverter or transmission problem or all of the above. I see that some people had their cars swapped out and some dealers have not been able to get the cars to start after all manners of repair including a new transmission. Also this seems to be happening to alot of owners all over the country. If this goes past the month out-of-service lemon law time period i may have to decide to pull the plug on my volt. The good news is that yes Chevy will pay for the rollerskate.

quirkySquirt

· #9 · Jan 21, 2017

I'm wondering if it's just Volt tech inexperience. If they only have a single Volt tech, he/she might not have much experience working on a complicated Volt. So they're meandering through a basic troubleshooting guide, which will probably be revised based on input from infield repairs.

asimmonds

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jan 28, 2017

2nd Update on my dead 17. Well i got her back. She was 12 days in the shop. And like some others have reported she seems to be running better than before. Maybe its just my imagination but she seems to run quieter and smoother. She turns off now when i press the power button without recycling several times first. The repair receipt states that the 12 volt was tested, failed & was replaced; and also a new transmission was installed (receipt attached below). I am extremely relieved that the car is back and working well. However, it is still very concerning that others report several repeated "loss of power" incidents in their 17's and the causes are so varied. The ones on the highway at high speeds are frightening. I have to think twice about letting my wife drive this car. I noted that Consumer Reports rates the reliability of the 17 at 10 out of 100. Dismal. It's a shame because i love the car and what it can do. I haven't used gas since i got her back! And that is awesome. Oh well the adventure goes on. I feel like i've joined a great family or tribe maybe of Volt (V as in Victor-not B as in...) owners that is very supportive. The family includes all those great youtube video posters that i love watching. The next chapter for me will be getting a spare doughnut tire & jack for long trips. I wonder if that adds too much weight? If not maybe i should carry the spare all the time? Hmmm

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asimmonds

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jan 28, 2017

P.S. The blue tooth still doesn't work. It won't pair my phone at all now. But i guess that's for another thread.

quirkySquirt

· #12 · Jan 29, 2017

Thanks for the follow up and documentation! And kudos for thread etiquette!

VoltageDrop

· #13 · Jan 29, 2017

OP.....sorry to hear about this....and glad you did get your car back......I have a Gen 1 Volt and it has been absolutely rock solid (2012 with 47K miles....I hope I didn't just jinx myself).......it has been hands down the BEST commuter car I have owned to date.......love the fact that in winter weather....you could sit in your car for whatever amount of time you want and not freeze to death if you don't have the gas engine running as you would an ICE vehicle.....after driving an electric vehicle I will never drive any other type of vehicle as a commuter car.....aside from significantly reducing my use of gas and reducing my carbon footprint (I currently have to use some gas during winters in my Volt due to commute distance....and in my "recreational/summer/play" vehicle)....an electric car is a MUCH more comfortable and less stressful commuter car IMHO.....I will be going to a Model 3 next and passing the Volt onto my son in a couple of years (wish I could have gotten such a cool car as my first car...he could call himself lucky!!!)......anyway....you made a good choice moving into an electric vehicle and it just sucks that you had to have an issue.....but it happens....hopefully it is fixed and you could put this behind you and enjoy this marvel of technology for what it is.......

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VoltenRock

· #14 · Jan 29, 2017

I'm very sorry to hear of this experience. With so many people new to electric, I want every Volt coming out of the factory flawless for the all-important first impression. Unfortunately, that's not the case here.

The Volt IS a special car. American Ingenuity at its finest--there is no other plug-in (with a gas range-extender) in its class. It took Toyota almost 10 years to even attempt a "real" competitor (and it still has less electric range, performance, and--now--seats).

But it is also special for another reason--it is one of the most complicated vehicles on the planet. It was a design never attempted in a mass production vehicle. It has a DUAL propulsion system (gas and electric) and only a few short years of actual technical expertise where your local mechanic can diagnose the problem with the same ease as the 100s of ICE vehicles he's worked on. I just had a repair on my Volt that my local dealer had only seen THREE times. Now that's both good (as in it doesn't happen often) and bad--it requires the local mechanic to constantly work with GM engineers in Michigan. It's the sometimes frustrating nature of new technology.

So here's hoping that your second impression will be more favorable and that you'll look beyond this initial letdown and soon get that wide electric grin back on your face.

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asimmonds

Discussion Starter · #15 · Feb 2, 2017

Thanks to all you senior members for your comments they are taken to heart. And maybe my luck has changed because the blue tooth started working correctly again and I really like being able to text while i'm driving home. This morning however, after opening and closing the hatch to put something in the back the doors would not unlock. I had to open the car with my phone app. I then went back into the house and borrowed the second remote from my wife which worked fine. When I got out of work my own remote worked again. So there you go. Its all a miracle to me. But yes my sweet electric grin is back on my face.

Geohec

· #16 · Feb 2, 2017 (Edited)

asimmonds said:
Thanks to all you senior members for your comments they are taken to heart. And maybe my luck has changed because the blue tooth started working correctly again and I really like being able to text while i'm driving home. This morning however, after opening and closing the hatch to put something in the back the doors would not unlock. I had to open the car with my phone app. I then went back into the house and borrowed the second remote from my wife which worked fine. When I got out of work my own remote worked again. So there you go. Its all a miracle to me. But yes my sweet electric grin is back on my face.

Many here have reported that when coming back from having service done, some of the car settings have been reset. So things like bluetooth have to be paired again, location based charging, etc. Not sure if that applies to you, but thought I'd mention it. The key fob was an odd item, but if it happens again do a search on this forum as there have been a few threads about car fob issues.

Here's one that might interest you.

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?269633-RKE-oddness&p=3766153#post3766153

Congrats on getting your car back and wish you the best of luck moving forward.

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