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CHARGER RECALL - CONTACT YOUR DEALER, Repair, & 2011/2012 Comparison

17K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  insungolee 
#1 ·
I had my volt #1569 in for a repair last week. This post is not about that but I will expand on that at the end.

During the repair there was a recall made for the 120v charger that comes with the car. This repair was suppose to be included in the voluntary battery upgrade kit, but was left out, so they made it a recall to ensure everyone receives it. Letters will be going out shortly. It’s not a big deal, more of a preventative measure. Those of you who have been experiencing overheating of the charger, or just in general... a hot charger... will be very pleased. I personally have had mine replaced because of overheating.

The charger is being replaced. What changes? The plug. The 12" cord that connects the outlet to the charger has been upgraded to a more industrial looking plug and cord. The cord is now black and heavier gauge. The cord that connects the charger to the car remains the same (orange). At least... it looks the same, not sure if it is upgraded or not.

Now for the real reason I was in for repair. 11,000 miles. Driving to work in L one day I skidded across a pot hole while coasting to a stop. My dash notified me that I had low traction. At the next stop light I heard a sound coming from my front (driver’s side) wheel. The sound only occurred when I let me foot off of the peddle. It sounded like a skill saw revving up.

I called onstar to run a diagnostic. Nothing came back. The car seamed to be driving fine, so I went to work and brought it to the dealer over lunch.

After testing they determined that a gear was broken in 1 of my transition motors (there are 2 apparently). The part was on back order and took a week to get delivered. Lucky for me they let me rent a new 2012 volt for no charge while my car was in for repair. Pulled out of the lot with 77 miles on it!

While my volt was in I decided to have the battery bracket installed. This "repair" took about 3 more days to complete.

Total: I was without my Volt for about 2 weeks. My dealership (which is Lupient in Bloomington, MN) was fantastic throughout the entire process. Chevrolet was also amazing throughout the entire repair. Then entire repair was covered under warranty. Had I not had another volt to drive I might have been upset it took so long... I also figured out a few changes I do not like about the 2012 vs 2011 and made me appreciate buying a 2011 right away.

Don’t get me wrong. The 2012 is just as expected, and the Volt is an AMAZING car no matter what year you buy. Here are the changes I am intrigued by...

The increased font size. Not a big deal, but the smaller lettering in the 2011 looks better in my opinion
The lower window on the hatch back does not have defrost lines going through it anymore. Why?
The added shift indicator on the center console is nice, but takes away from the symmetry of the console.

Other than those I could care less. Passive locks, nice but I don’t care. Some software tweaks that don’t matter. Like the "ready" logo with a car on the screen, or the climate control being "grouped" into fences.

The one thing that would be REALLY NICE GM.... GM... ARE YOU LISTENING?
Make a way for 2011 Volts to turn off traction control. Build it into the climate screen; or put it as an option on the configuration screen/dial for the driver... incorporate it somehow. It should have been added in the first place, so make it accessible to us early adopters. I live in MN, and sometimes you just have to PUNCH IT to get going from a stop light in the winter.


I hope this has been helpful and informative for everyone!
 
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#2 ·
FYI, we've gotten wind of the charger recall thing, though I think you might be the first to start spelling out what changed between before and after. (Beware of being overly excited, lest you attract the part of the media ready to distort... :p ) Nice to hear that the repair seemed to go well.
 
#3 ·
Response to CHARGER RECALL - CONTACT YOUR DEALER, Repair, & 2011/2012 Comparison

We have 2011 Volt and been enjoying for the past year and a half. Overall performance of Volt is amazing and we do enjoy owning one with over 50,000 miles. Graff Chevrolet Chevrolet in Gladwin, MI is doing all they can to help us with what I consider minor repairs. During the period we owned, we had to change out the charger cord twice. I am glad GM decided to go with the replacement; we live in Michigan and during the holidays we left Volt at home with charging problem. The plug for the charger would go into the body receptacle but it wasn't charging. When we returned from our holiday visits 15 days later, Volt parked inside the parking garage was without power and upon examining the regular start-up battery. The batter was dead. After reading the manual, the battery charger/starter was used to charge the battery to get it started. The Graff determined the problem with the vehicle was the body plug receptor and they are being fixed as I write this response. Overall we are happy to own the first Volt 2011 model. We are still waiting for the Graff Chevrolet, Mount Pleasant to call us to tell us to bring Volt in to get the battery bracket recalled items installed. We called several times all they are saying is the GM parts department isn't sending the part they needed to get the bracket install. This has been going on since March or April of last year. I will have the Graff Chevrolet in Gladwin to get the job done.
 
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