Recall Alert!

Recall Alert! Recall Alert!  Recall Alert!  Of course, this is never a good thing, especially with a new car like the Chevy Volt.  Recalls are unfortunate for both the manufacturer and the consumer, and especially for a great product like the Volt.  This recall centers around the coolant.  They believe the coolant is the likely cause of raging fires that have broken out in Chevy’s all-new, all-cool(ish) car.  The coolant does not catch fire, but rather crystallizes and creates an electrical short that sparks the fires.

On November 25, 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an official investigation with a “little” (that’s a very BIG little) help from the FBI.     GM, an attempt to minimize bad publicity, GM has made offers to Volt owners.  They are offering Volt owners who will have their Volts (what is the plural of Volts?  Volti?) repaired, can get a free loaner car from Chevy. Any car you want.  Repeat, any car you want! – So if you want a Silverado 3500HD with the Duramax Diesel, or a Corvette ZR1 with all the performance options.

“The problem occurs when electricity is left stored in the batteries for some time after a crash,” said Mary Barra, GM’s senior vice president of global product development.  She also said that Volt owners should have a Chevy dealer drain the batteries if a Volt has been in a crash.  Even if a Volt owner “only” dented the bumper, that owner should still take their Volt to the local Chevy dealer.

GM has also offered to buy back Volti from disgruntled owners.  But, don’t look for a ton of auto-paparazzi articles about Chevy buying back 6,000 Volti.  The people who own Volts are much less likely to complain and sell their Volts back, as they’re the people who’ve waited a long time for this technology.

Since the Volt’s introduction in September 2011, GM has only sold about 6,000 Volts.  They’ve made about 12,000, many of which have waited since mid-November (when GM found out about the recall) for a new owner.  Out of those 6,000 Volt owners, only a handful (about 35) have taken up the loaner car offer.  When GM finishes a repurchase plan, not very many owners are expected to use it.  If they’ve waited a few years for technology like this, they get this technology, and then there’s a recall on it, don’t expect them to start complaining yet. . .

Auto analyst, Jessica Caldwell, of edmunds.com said “GM is only dealing with a few thousand cars.”  Caldwell also said,  “It’s much more manageable than a widespread car, like a [Toyota] Camry or Honda Accord, which would be logistically very tough and financially very complicated to do something like a repurchase.”   Even so, if you’re a Volt owner, you should still take your Volt to the dealer and have them check it out – even if its never been in an accident.

If you are a Volt owner and are worried about GM not honoring your warranty, rest assured, as you can call Chevy at 1-800-222-1020 from 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.  If you would like to email Chevy, I have attached the link.  http://www.chevrolet.com/pages/mds/helpcenter/contactUs/contactUsPopUp.do

I hope that you all had a Happy New Year!  Welcome to 2012!