[Loboc]

Unless and until someone actually gets one replaced and we have an actual invoice, this is all speculation. Since ALL Volts are less than 8 years old, it's a moot point right now. (Yeah, yeah, there are a few over 100k miles.)

 

[Fulgerite]

That's why you've posted basically the same information on four different threads in the last few hours? To not stir controversy?

Interesting approach...

The fact that there are two articles stating battery replacement can be astronomically expensive for road damage and a recent Forum post showing a $23,000 figure does indeed concern me as a Volt owner. So yes... I am responding to posts that are specific to the topic of battery replacement costs & warranty with links. I also posed this thread with relevant links. Not to stir controversy. To GET A REAL ANSWER TO THE QUESTION.

I can't help noticing how QUIET WOT is on this subject. Crickets. Nothing. Please educate us. Please say these astronomic numbers are ridiculous OK? Where is WOT when we need him?

Where are the GM Volt representatives that always pipe up when a customer has a concern? CRICKETS... Hmmm.... Very quiet out there?

Nobody from GM is saying that the battery replacement is NOT $34,000.

Interesting approach to quieting the $34K figure.

I would be much happier to to change the title of this thread to "Ridiculous Articles claim Volt battery is $34K to replace?" and direct my attention to the overwhelming response from GM stating it's NOT $34K!... and customers can expect numbers under $3,000 in the even of a total replacement. But nobody from GM seems willing to say it.

 

[flankspeed8]

Unless and until someone actually gets one replaced and we have an actual invoice, this is all speculation. Since ALL Volts are less than 8 years old, it's a moot point right now. (Yeah, yeah, there are a few over 100k miles.)

there are 5 on Volt Stats that have over 100k (all 2012 except for 1 2011) with the highest being 171,395. There are only about 1800 Volts registered with Volt Stats which equates to about one month of Volt sales so there are tens of thousands of additional cars out there that I am guessing many may have just as high mileage if not more. Amazing that there have really been zero reports of degradation.

Clearly this battery has been well engineered and proven itself. It can only get better from here.

 

[Fulgerite]

Unless and until someone actually gets one replaced and we have an actual invoice, this is all speculation. Since ALL Volts are less than 8 years old, it's a moot point right now. (Yeah, yeah, there are a few over 100k miles.)

Not a moot point for road damage or collision damage. (Which can happen to anyone at any time.)

 

[Fulgerite]

there are 5 on Volt Stats that have over 100k (all 2012 except for 1 2011) with the highest being 171,395. There are only about 1800 Volts registered with Volt Stats which equates to about one month of Volt sales so there are tens of thousands of additional cars out there that I am guessing many may have just as high mileage if not more. Amazing that there have really been zero reports of degradation.

Clearly this battery has been well engineered and proven itself. It can only get better from here.

I have no doubts about the fantastic engineering that has gone into the Volt's battery. And I agree that very few customers are experiencing any battery degradation. (Although I do recall reading about one or two customers on this forum reporting having the battery replaced under warranty for battery degradation issues. Difficult to search for those on this forum search engine...) However I am not concerned over battery degradation. I am concerned about road damage or collision damage that is NOT covered under warranty. I am concerned with getting a $23,000 BILL for accidentally running over some object that falls out of a landscaping truck in front of me on the freeway...

I love my Volt. I firmly believe in it's engineering. However... Accidents can happen. How much does it cost to replace a ripped open battery? $3,000 or $30,000? Can someone from GM please just confirm it's NOT $30,000?

 

[baragona]

A damaged battery from a rock is an "insurance" situation. It may be out of warranty, but it would still be covered under insurance if damaged from a rock flying or from an accident.

So now you have to try to find a scenario where the battery is damaged, is out of warranty and is damaged in such a way that it is not covered by insurance... That would be a stretch....

You have to factor insurance into the "so called" quote as well...

Anyone that has replaced a windshield knows that there are two different prices for the same windshield depending on whether the vehicle has glass coverage. The insurance company could end up paying 3 times what an owner without glass coverage would pay...

 

[Henry_FL]

The 23K battery is a single dealer sticking it to an insurance company, that for whatever reason used the estimate to total the car. The battery was never bought or replaced at the dealership price.

Make for good press for the hordes of car sites, that's about it

 

[Fulgerite]

All I am looking for is a confirmation from someone credible (WOT?) that the dealer cost is nowhere near $34K. Still nothing. Crickets.

 

[ckl]

Hmmm... new GM marketing tactic....

Buy a battery, get a car for free!

LOL.

 

[Rons2013]

I certainly hope you are right. What source told you the "shop" cost exactly?

I have several friends in the auto repair business, others in the "dismantling" or Junkyard side of the house. As a former mechanic myself (and now an engineer) I know where to go when I need or want a "big ticket" item, which this would certainly be.

I've checked with My usual "back door" GM source, and have had another friend (shop owner, who regularly buys GM parts, from GM sources, for customer repairs) do the same, and the answer has been consistent - $1900 is the quote for a complete propulsion battery assembly. No core, no return. That is Not the "over the counter" price for someone who walks in off the street. That is the resale price to a licensed dealer, with a tax exempt (for resale) account at the GM source(s) in question.

Try it yourself - find a reliable local auto repair shop, one that works regularly on reasonably new vehicles. Have the manager There call His GM parts source and see what they tell him. His cost, not what he's going to mark it up and then sell it to you for..

I expect that the price is Heavily subsidized, and that GM would/does lose a Lot on each sale. Doesn't change the price though.

 

[Henry_FL]

All I am looking for is a confirmation from someone credible (WOT?) that the dealer cost is nowhere near $34K. Still nothing. Crickets.

GM price list is your evidence. GM must offer parts for sale for 10 years from manufacture. It's federal law

http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/541.6

 

[Fulgerite]

I've checked with My usual "back door" GM source, and have had another friend (shop owner, who regularly buys GM parts, from GM sources, for customer repairs) do the same, and the answer has been consistent - $1900 is the quote for a complete propulsion battery assembly. No core, no return. That is Not the "over the counter" price for someone who walks in off the street. That is the resale price to a licensed dealer, with a tax exempt (for resale) account at the GM source(s) in question.

Try it yourself - find a reliable local auto repair shop, one that works regularly on reasonably new vehicles. Have the manager There call His GM parts source and see what they tell him. His cost, not what he's going to mark it up and then sell it to you for..

I expect that the price is Heavily subsidized, and that GM would/does lose a Lot on each sale. Doesn't change the price though.

That's pretty reassuring news.

 

[Fulgerite]

GM price list is your evidence. GM must offer parts for sale for 10 years from manufacture. It's federal law

http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/541.6

Well... I did ask the parts counter one day at my Chevy Dealer while the car was being serviced. They said it was about $2900. These articles imply that that this requires a trade in of the old battery. The articles imply that if your battery is mechanically damaged the "trade in" might not be accepted and the replacement price will be higher.

On the other hand... the legal reference does imply the parts counter can't quote a "variable" price. I would still like to hear someone from GM (Or WOT) say the $34K price is NOT true.

 

[Steverino]

All I am looking for is a confirmation from someone credible (WOT?) that the dealer cost is nowhere near $34K. Still nothing. Crickets.

WOT has already answered this. See http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread...d.php?45777-Resale-and-possible-battery-replacement-8-years&p=597937#post597937

Volt batteries can be purchased now for under $3k. I saved more than that in gas over the last two years.

http://www.newgmparts.com/parts/2011/CHEVROLET/VOLT/?siteid=213815&vehicleid=1447713&section=HYBRID%20COMPONENTS&group=HYBRID%20COMPONENTS&subgroup=BATTERY&component=BATTERY

.

This is true but keep in mind, this would be an "exhange only" price. You cannot buy the Volt battery "across the counter" at that price.
WOT

 

[Fulgerite]

WOT has already answered this. See http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread...d.php?45777-Resale-and-possible-battery-replacement-8-years&p=597937#post597937

All WOT says is that you can get one for $3K if your existing battery is available for trade in. Nobody seems to be willing to say what the CONDITION of that trade in is acceptable. Is a badly crushed or split open battery still considered a valid trade in for the $3K replacement price? Or is it $34K if your battery is badly damaged? WOT did not exactly answer that question.

Again... I don't doubt that GM will accept a "trade in" battery in relatively good condition that may have failed under normal use. But what about a battery that's road damaged? Is that still a valid trade in?

 

[Henry_FL]

The core requirement is strictly to prevent people from ordering the battery packs for other use, there is no requirements on the cores condition.

This stupid story of 34K for the damaged battery replacement is at worst a single dealer screwing an insurance company, but that doesn't light the hit counter on paid for click visit websites by advertisers.

 

[Fulgerite]

The core requirement is strictly to prevent people from ordering the battery packs for other use, there is no requirements on the cores condition.

This stupid story of 34K for the damaged battery replacement is at worst a single dealer screwing an insurance company, but that doesn't light the hit counter on paid for click visit websites by advertisers.

While I agree that may be the case. (Or just a dealer trying to help out a customer get the car declared a "total" for insurance purposes...) We have no proof. We have no proof that when the dealer tried to order the part from Chevrolet they did not in fact quote the astronomically high price. We just don't know. And even the article says it's "unknown".

Sure would be nice if someone from GM would speak up and say how ridiculous the $34,000 quote is. But so far nothing...

 

[Henry_FL]

We have no proof that when the dealer tried to order the part from Chevrolet they did not in fact quote the astronomically high price.

This is federal law, GM ( any car manufacture ) is required to publish prices and support for 10 years, GM can't charge more ... there is no proof needed or another story going on, but that's not sexy and doesn't draw eyeballs

 

[bnseaside]

I owned a couple of Prius over the years prior to buying the Volt. They guaranteed the battery for any reason for 8 years the same as the Volt. The stories early on were the same to try to scare people for all kinds of reasons how EXPENSIVE the new battery would be. I gave the car to my son when I got the Volt and he had an accident and the Main battery in the Prius was wrecked. The insurance covered the repairs and the cost of a brand new battery from Toyota Factory was $1800. The Volt replacement battery is about the same cost so relax and enjoy this wonderful car!

 

[2Muchmark]

Yeah, this is BS - don't get fooled. Replacement batteries are much cheaper than they used to be and the prices are FALLING, just like they do on every other kind of technology. And even if GM batteries are pricey, there will probably be after-market or OEM replacements available in the near future.

Enjoy your Volt - they are awesome cars. I've been driving mine for about 2 months now and I'm still gushing about it.