[Jreberu]

Hello all, my name is Justin.

I have decided to purchase a used volt, and have a few questions. Two nights ago I test drove a volt and I really liked it. However, during the extended test drive I noticed the EVSE that came with the vehicle showed signs of scorching and misuse. This was never mentioned to me during the pre-negotiation phase. I returned the vehicle and mentioned to the salesperson what I discovered. He said that the EVSE is covered under warranty and would be replaced. Which is fine, my concern, however, is that the damage was never mentioned to me previously. This leads me to believe that either the dealer knew about it and said nothing or they did not even discover it during their inspection. Either way I won't be purchasing from that dealer, no biggie.

This leads to my concern and questions... This will be my first car purchase (hand me down cars until this point). It is my understanding that when purchasing a used car it is a really good idea to hire a third party mechanic to do a thorough inspection of the car. However, the volt is an odd case. With the voltec/electrical system being what it is only certified volt mechanics should be handling volts....? It seems that only GM dealers have volt certified mechanics. Is this accurate? So, it seems short of purchasing a CPO vehicle I am at the behest of the dealership I purchase from regarding the integrity and condition of the car I buy.

Is this all accurate? Did I overlook something? I am aware there are certain things I can/should be looking for. My concern is with the deep mechanics/electronics of the vehicle. Like I mentioned I am new to the used car process and still new to Volt technology, so there may be something(s) I completely overlooked. And advice or insight regarding this matter would be extremely helpful and appreciated!

Thanks,
Justin

P.S. Sorry if this has been addressed in a previous thread, I was unable to find the information I sought.

 

[mpmoore1979]

The EVSE is only covered if there is a internal failure, not excessive use or abuse. Most sales people have no idea what the charge cord is and would have no idea to look at it during a inspection. If you have not bought the car yet you can have them replace it before buying, just get it in writing.
Not all Chevy dealerships have Volt techs, call around to find one. I would recommend having the car inspected by a Volt tech, may cost you 1 labor hour for the inspection. You can also ask the dealership to check the warranty to make sure the car still has some left and what parts/systems are covered and any warranty repairs made in the past.

 

[Aseras]

Make friends with a service writer and have them get you the GMVIS report for the car.

 

[Jreberu]

The EVSE is only covered if there is a internal failure, not excessive use or abuse. Most sales people have no idea what the charge cord is and would have no idea to look at it during a inspection. .

I wasn't aware that it would not be covered. Thanks for the clarification.


I guess the issue is how to find an unbiased third party mechanic to inspect the volt when all the certified volt mechanics are employed at GM dealerships.....? If I was buying third party it wouldn't be an issue, but as of writing this most of the used volts in my area are being offered through dealerships. So, if I am to purchase a used volt from a dealership the question remains how to get a qualified third party to inspect it. The only place to find certified volt mechanics is at various GM/Chevy dealerships, correct? I don't mind paying for the inspection as it could potentially save more money in the long run.

My concern is with the integrity and intentions of the dealerships and their mechanics. I would assume that all cars going through a dealership would have been inspected thoroughly but after my previous experience I am highly doubtful. And with Volt being a more sophisticated piece of technology than the average car I want to be certain what I am purchasing.

 

[Jreberu]

Make friends with a service writer and have them get you the GMVIS report for the car.

This is good advice, thank you!

 

[16513]

Just find a CPO car from a dealer and presumably it was inspected already in order to be CPO. It is good to have a strong warranty on a used Volt--just in case.... To check the dealer rep post their name on this forum and see if any members can comment.

 

[Jreberu]

Just find a CPO car from a dealer and presumably it was inspected already in order to be CPO. It is good to have a strong warranty on a used Volt--just in case.... To check the dealer rep post their name on this forum and see if any members can comment.

More great advice, thank you!

 

[freshcut]

CPO is great if you can find what your looking for at the right price. As for inspections on non-CPO/private sale, when I had mine inspected I was quoted about $130 from a dealership to have it done. Final cost due to some miscommunication (have it ready by noon, not START at noon) ended up being gratis. If there are multiple dealerships around that have Volt techs, perhaps taking to a competing dealership would be a better option than having it done in house. Aside from the B2B warranty, most everything else is covered quite well, and does transfer to new owners. Just also make sure there is no accident history or salvage title involved since that will void any remaining warranty (carfax helps here).

 

[mpmoore1979]

As far as having a dealership look the car over, the service department does not care where the car came from. They make no money from the sales department and tech's are not bias toward cars sold at there dealership rather then a third party. Most dealership service departments would be happy to look over your car, they may make a customer by doing this.

 

[Jreberu]

CPO is great if you can find what your looking for at the right price. As for inspections on non-CPO/private sale, when I had mine inspected I was quoted about $130 from a dealership to have it done. Final cost due to some miscommunication (have it ready by noon, not START at noon) ended up being gratis. If there are multiple dealerships around that have Volt techs, perhaps taking to a competing dealership would be a better option than having it done in house. Aside from the B2B warranty, most everything else is covered quite well, and does transfer to new owners. Just also make sure there is no accident history or salvage title involved since that will void any remaining warranty (carfax helps here).

This is great information, I appreciate it! I wasn't aware an accident would void the warranty tho it seems like common sense. Good to know.

 

[Jreberu]

As far as having a dealership look the car over, the service department does not care where the car came from. They make no money from the sales department and tech's are not bias toward cars sold at there dealership rather then a third party. Most dealership service departments would be happy to look over your car, they may make a customer by doing this.

This makes sense. I suppose it is my suspicious nature to distrust anyone offering a service that I know very little about. Thank you for sharing your perspective, it is valuable to me!

 

[freshcut]

A minor accident won't void, but one that has deemed the car as totaled will. So make sure that any inspection with a dealership also includes an inquiry into warranty status. I didn't have to worry about having that checked as when mine was in for an inspection they actually had to run a warranty claim to replace a non-working key. The owner had a GMPP which covered that and would have been void if the car had a salvage title.

 

[turboguy327]

Aside from the B2B warranty, most everything else is covered quite well

Not true, once the B2B is over nothing is covered unless it directly relates to the voltec system or federal emissions. And in typical GM fashion, it's a fight to get anything covered. Make sure the heat works as it's a major fail in the G1 volts.

 

[freshcut]

Not true, once the B2B is over nothing is covered unless it directly relates to the voltec system or federal emissions. And in typical GM fashion, it's a fight to get anything covered. Make sure the heat works as it's a major fail in the G1 volts.

Powertrain has a 5 year warranty too. So that should cover anything engine related. Agree though that a lot of the technology that isn't Voltec will no longer be covered. This is where an extended warranty (if available) or CPO warranty would come in handy if you need the added peace of mind.

 

[WopOnTour]

Make friends with a service writer and have them get you the GMVIS report for the car.

GMVIS has been gone for a while (replaced by Global Warranty Investigate Vehicle History- IVH)

But owners can now get that data themselves off the My Chevy site
https://my.chevrolet.com/home/

WOT

 

[Jreberu]

GMVIS has been gone for a while (replaced by Global Warranty Investigate Vehicle History- IVH)

But owners can now get that data themselves off the My Chevy site
https://my.chevrolet.com/home/

WOT

Thanks for the clarification

 

[Jreberu]

Thank you!