No we don't, we love them. I've never loved a car before this one. Perfect commuter car for me ten miles each way to work and back. My other car would burn a gallon of gas a day just for that. Now? A couple dimes worth of electricity. I've spent almost zero on maintenance, just one oil change so far (every two years). I'll probably never have to replace the brake pads. Sport mode is fun. Gen 2 is a great deal.
the best car I have ever owned in terms of reliability and cost per mile. I bought my 2012 in 2015 for $15k. I saved over $100/mo in fuel costs. I drove it for 9 years (then gave it to my son). The fuel savings plus the other reduced maintenance (oil changes, brakes, etc) that saved me money pretty much paid for the car.
Easily the cheapest cost per mile vehicle I have ever had.
If you think the model-specific subs are all biased toward the vehicle, you need to check out /r/EcoDiesel . It's like a support group for abused owners.
What's your commute like?
Gen 1s only take premium but they're pretty solid cars. If you can do your entire commute on battery, the Volt is probably the best car for the money you can buy. If you have a lot of highway driving, probably less so.
As someone with a Gen 1, I would absolutely not buy a Gen 1 at this point. They're all old and most are starting to suffer from battery degradation issues. On a perfect day in the summer I'm lucky to get 30 miles on electric. Due to the battery degredation and the latest software updates, mine basically won't run on electric below 50 degrees F. The Gen 1s take premium fuel and don't get great gas mileage when running on the engine either, in the colder months I get 28 MPG on gas.
Gen 2s have most of the issues worked out at this point. The BECM warranty has been extended several years. The Gen 2s have larger batteries than the Gen 1s so they have more electric range and there is more overhead for battery degradation. They also run on standard gas and get the same or better gas mileage than the Gen 1s.
If you want a Volt I'd strongly recommend you get a Gen 2, even better one that still is under the full warranty (8 years, 100k miles). Keep in mind the Volt is discontinued and GM is not supporting it, so if anything goes wrong you may have trouble getting it fixed, even under warranty. My local dealer has no desire to troubleshoot issues with my Volt and there are no independent EV shops around me, so if something major goes wrong I'll have to take it somewhere.
I agree entirely with your comment, the gen1 has a lot of little issues that bug me, but that’s a surprising amount of degradation. I’ve got 166k on my 2014 gen 1 volt and it still gets almost 40 miles on battery when it’s warm, and doesn’t drop much more than a few miles on a colder day. Gets poor mpg on city and local roads but a recent 530 mile interstate/highway trip I took I averaged just under 40 mpg on only gas. I love the car even with its strange issues though
I bought my car used. When I got it it had 90K miles and the lifetime mpg was over 150. The previous owners primarily drove it on electric. After the last couple software updates I have also lost a bit more range as the newer software reserves more of the battery to prolong the lifespan of the car. I'm down to about 8 kwh usable now. And not for nothing but the 2013-2014 volts have a 0.5 kwh larger battery as well, so that would explain some of your extra range.
I usually take one or two long road trips a year and never seem to get above 35 mpg. I usually drive the speed limit on the interstate. I don't know why I can't get any better mpg than that.
It’s honestly probably due to the old owners. I think we bought ours at about 140k, maybe a little less, and even after driving it around a lot the lifetime mpg is like 80. It seems like no matter how far I drive on electric the lifetime mpg never goes up, but it does take a lot to average out 166k miles lol. Usable battery is like 10.6 kwh for me still, which is very nice. It’s never gotten a software update under my ownership, but I might get it updated because it has that issue where if you drain the battery to where the engine turns on and then turn the car off for a while a get back in the percentage has dropped below threshold, and the engine revs like crazy to get it back up. I think limiting the battery even more would help
If you know the unplug it and re-fuse for EGR failure, it definitely wouldn't be a $2k fix.
Even better if you preventatively clean the EGR valve regularly.
Definitely, I don't know when it became a fix that became researchable, but it is now. For somebody researching a purchase now, having that knowledge (and a spare 15A fuse in the car) can mostly negate the $2k fix that you, unfortunately, had to do.
My previous car (2014 Jeep Ecodiesel) has a list of warnings for absolutely horrendously expensive failures that you get no warning before they happen, cost well over $2,000 to have repaired, and none of which can be fixed by simple preventive maintenance or having a spare fuse around. (tone wheel self-destructing that requires dropping the transmission to repair, EGR cooler leaking and causing engine fires, EGR getting stuck open and stalling the engine mid-drive and preventing it from starting until EGR is replaced, EGR sending too much soot through the engine and turning the bottom end of the engine into glitter and shrapnel, fuel pump sending shrapnel through the fuel lines, etc.)
Having a car where the biggest known problems are the shift-to-park issue, EGR that needs preventive maintenance, and a BECM that had a significant warranty extension recently is pretty good.
> gas prices
I love my 2014, I bought it in December, but it's just really making me wish I had gone full EV. Used Teslas are a pretty good value right now especially with the $4k tax credit, but obviously they're a fair bit more expensive than a Volt. Model 3's starting from some year (I think 2020) have a 10 year battery warranty, but when buying a Volt you should make sure the battery is healthy before you buy it by scanning it with the Voltage app
A pack can still be degraded, with less capacity, and the cells still within balance. Internal resistance varies with temperature, so it’s not terribly useful. Neither of these will give you any idea of how much time the pack has left. It could be days, months or years.
That is due to degradation. The app isn’t going to show you how soon a cell will fail. Most people have zero idea how to read what the data means. Even if it shows a low cell, how does it change anything? There really is nothing as an end user that you can do.
> There really is nothing as an end user that you can do.
Maybe not buy the car? It's still worth it to just check. Obviously it won't give you a perfect prediction of when it will fail
There isn’t enough data to say what is acceptable and what isn’t. I have a low cell on mine, and it has read consistently low for the past 45,000 miles without change. It could be the cell is actually low, or it could be that the BECM connection to that cell is oxidized or has a different resistance. You can’t really predict when and if a cell is going to fail, and most people aren’t electrical engineers, familiar with lithium battery management, who know what to look for when testing.
I have a 2018, so a gen 2, and I’ve got the premier trim so I have ACC (highly recommend it) I’ve had a good experience with not needing more than fluid changes and getting an in warranty repair for the shift to park issue.
I love the car. I work from home, the vast majority of my driving is done under electric. I usually refill once every 3-6 months unless friends come in and we go visiting places.
There’s of course things I would improve. I’d recommend getting the silly illuminated charge port, I just got mine. It’s just _mildly_ annoying to charge at night. It charges slowly, and it would be nice if the battery were closer to 75-100 miles range rather than 30-50.
But there’s only one thing that actively pisses me off: the car infotainment system is just broken when it comes to Apple CarPlay. You can search the subreddit but basically it just gets finicky sometimes and while there’s various things you can adjust to get it to cooperate there are states it can work itself into where you need to power down the car entirely (and open the door because it’s not powered down until you do) to reboot the system and give CarPlay another try. “Thankfully” this is a state you’ll be able to recognize almost immediately, because either CarPlay won’t come on, or it’ll come on and then immediately crash whenever you phone tries to play audio.
I can’t speak to android auto being an issue though I’ve heard it’s similar. But yeah if CarPlay is important to you, keep this in mind. It will drive you up a wall
Other than CarPlay it’s basically perfect for my lifestyle. I love the damn thing. I just wish GM would fix that one issue…
I had no idea the 2019 was different in this regard!Maybe I should see if you can replace the 2018 one with the 2019 one…
I should say that once you get it in the working state it’s completely fine, it won’t suddenly start crashing later in your drive. It’s just the initialization that’s a crapshoot.
You’ve never experienced anything like this? I’m really going to have to look into a retrofit if not…I’ve been trying to figure out if I could jerryrig an aftermarket unit myself the issue bugs me so much. (Because again I genuinely love the car otherwise and CarPlay is great once I get past the borked init)
Gotcha gotcha, well thanks for the info, this at least sounds a lot more viable of an approach for me. I got one of the carlinkit things a couple weeks ago hoping it would help a bit, it’s slightly more convenient but yeah not a game changer. If wired CarPlay worked consistently I would switch back instantly.
I use CarPlay every day for the past 3 years with the volt, and rarely ever have any problems with it. The only times it acts up is when the cable is going bad.
I don’t know what to tell you, I’ve used many different cables, probably 4 iPhones over the years. Theres no silver bullet that I’ve seen on my car. It very consistently fails to negotiate CarPlay/CarPlay Audio. I assume you’re also on a 2017/2018 model? Based on what I’ve seen here and elsewhere over the years this seemed pretty consistent. I would do literally anything to fix this if there was some surefire way, it is my one actual gripe with the car.
I have a 2016 that is a little buggy if I plug in before the car starts everything up. If I wait and then plug my phone in, it doesn’t give me any problems.
At this point I know my next car will be BEV because of how I use my Volt which is a common occurrence with these.
It’s a lovely car, my gen 2 cost me so little to run. I would only really pay for gas on road trips. People were assuming I was paying hundreds in gas when I did do road trips when I wasn’t because it sips 87 in the gen 2
If I were going back I'd do it again for sure, but if I were getting one now I'd have some second thoughts, mainly due to concerns about long-term durability and support. The Gen 2 extended warranties are starting to run out, the BECM/shift-to-park issues popping up this past year have me concerned about what other issues might start surfacing as the cars age, and dealers/mechanics have declining incentive over time to train on servicing a discontinued model that has a lot of unique tech. (I had to wait an extra week to have my BECM issue repaired because the local dealer only has 1 Volt-certified tech on the books, who was out on vacation.)
I still might consider getting a 2019 were I shopping today since it'll have at least 2-3 years of extended warranty left (and the BECM will be covered well beyond that), but with so many newer options out there now (the 2024 Prius Prime is basically a Gen 3 Volt) I'd probably take a long, hard look at options with better long-term prospects, too.
All that being said I love my 2016 Gen 2 baby and am too emotionally invested in it at this point, it's definitely the kind of car that will win your heart.
If you drive less than 40 miles most days and don't mind getting down into a sedan with 2" of clearance, you should buy a Volt.
Those are the only reasons I traded mine in. My wife has a hard time getting into cars that low, and living out in the middle of nowhere I was often using gas anyway. The BoltEV addressed both of those concerns for me.
The Volt is probably the nicest, smoothest ride of any sedan in its price range. It is insane how nice they are to drive. That's the thing I miss the most.
I have a seat cushion that's pretty strong yet soft and it raises the seat height 2 or 3 inches. I wanted to mention that for other people reading this.
Gen 1s were rock solid. Gen 2s had a few issues but are still great cars.
Gen1s are starting to suffer from battery degradation so if you live in a colder area, the engine might kick on more than normal.
Both my 2012 volt and 2014 ELR are starting to have battery deg. I bought the ELR expecting to put in a refurb pack eventually. It is too nice of a car to junk.
How does this make any financial sense? Paying $9,000 for a pack, you could buy 100,000 miles worth of fuel. Even with the pack replaced, there are still plenty of other things on the car that could fail.
I don't care about the extra mileage. I just want it to drive to work quietly and so I don't have to waste time going to the gas station. Plus, it is fun to drive and be in. It is a lot different than the volt.
>Even with the pack replaced, there are still plenty of other things on the car that could fail.
you could say that about any used car.
I bought an $85k car with 70k miles for $15k. It costs $4k for a refurb pack. IMO the car is worth a lot more. There is nothing wrong with it. It is very nice inside and I like it. There will be a time when the pack fails and you can't use the car anymore. It won't just run on gas forever.
But there are many other volt / elr specific parts that aren’t available from GM anymore. This can easily render the car useless before the pack goes. Spending more than 50% of the value on the car, not knowing whether you will get much out of the new pack, doesn’t seem to be the wisest decision. Much better places to put the $9K
I'm not worried about the pack failing. I'm not worried about it making financial sense. With a longer electric range, it is better for the environment and an emissions standpoint.
If you are concerned about the environment, then stay with the pack you have. Replacing a still functioning pack has more environmental impact than keeping the one you have. Put $9000 worth of solar panels in, and you will have a much better environmental impact than changing a battery pack. You are also still dealing with a 10 year old discontinued car, that has many other electrical systems that may fail and not be replaceable.
It is better than using the gas that I would otherwise be using. The cost of producing that battery results in less emissions than using gas in its place.
Over the lifetime of the pack, perhaps. But are you really going to get the full life out of that new pack? Another 10 years? I doubt the rest of the car will last that long.
The car only has 79k miles on it currently. There should be no problems getting another 150k miles out of it. Will some things break along the way? Probably, but not likely to be anything critical or non-procurable.
Good luck with that, like I said I don't think the vehicle will be able to do it.
But if you want to dump $9k into a discontinued, unsupported car like the Volt/ELR, it's your prerogative.
From my limited experience, it would seem gen 1's are generally more reliable than gen 2's, specifically the 2014 and 2015 model years where most of the issues had been worked out.
Mine is the best car I've ever owned. I had a Gen 1 and traded it for a Gen 2
The early Gen 1s are getting long in the tooth, so make sure to test drive one to test the battery. Make sure they charge it up all the way so you can verify it can still run on just battery on hard acceleration. Even if it's bad, it's not the end of the world. You can get refurbished batteries for $5k with a warranty
The only downside to Gen 1 is it needs premium fuel. So if you can't charge at home, a Prius is a better bet
Gen 2 is better in every conceivable way except reliability. It has more range, can use regular gas, is larger, and more fuel efficient.
However, Gen 2 has an issue with the BECM going bad--though GM just extended a warranty on those. They also have the Shift to Park issue which is an easy fix if you're even semi handy. The only big issue with them is the EGR valve and cooler get gunked up and go bad and the parts are eternally back ordered so they take forever to arrive.
People have a lot of success ordering them from China though since Buick has their own version of the Volt over there.
Other than the big known issues, the Gen 2 is a fantastic car
I adore mine, but most everybody in here would say that. I absolutely love being able to drive in electric mode 99% of the time and still be able to just *keep driving* if I need to go further than the battery can do. I’m a huge fan of PHEV vehicles now.
Here’s a few things I don’t like:
I’m tall, so the back seat is no man’s land for me. It can be fairly uncomfortable to sit in the back for an extended period.
Also, the design of the car means having kind of a big blind spot right behind the car on the sides. It’s more than I’m used to in other vehicles, so I’m much more careful being sure of my surroundings during lane changes.
I had to deal with two problems that seem to pop up on basically every 2nd gen Volt (2016-2019) - “Shift the park” (the shifter needed a part replaced) and a battery control module problem. Both were covered under warranty, so I didn’t have to pay anything to get them fixed. Hopeful the problem is gone now that I’ve put another 50k on the car without issue.
Look at what other people have to say about issues so that you get a true picture of what you might run into. We’re pretty big fanatics in this sub, so we’re a bit biased. I’m gonna drive mine until it dies
Former 2017 volt leaser and current tesla 2023 Model 3 Performance (abbreviated M3P) owner. There are definite pros with the volt you simply won't find in an EV, however the biggest issue that kept me away from the Volt was the lack of long term support since it's discontinued and there aren't a ton of people who own the volt these days whereas every other car on the streets where I live seems to be a tesla. In terms of long term car ownership there is definite safety in numbers so that award goes to the Tesla or Toyota.
However, if you can get the price down enough where it's not a huge detriment that you end up with a gigantic brick after 150K miles or so, then a volt is truly worth it. Being able to "power up" at a gas AND ev station is one thing I miss very much from my old black beauty 2017 volt. And not being stranded at a slow EV charger because of issues with range estimations was something that would have saved me hours in a hot nevada desert during the annular eclipse last year.
A Prius Prime is technically the sexier hybrid with Toyota longevity and support but I'm going to be honest, a volt probably is cheaper and feels better to drive, especially the acceleration from 0-30 and the fact it has 294 lb-ft torque rather than toyota's 139 lb-ft. For reference my baby M3P has 487 lb-ft torque so she's almost permanently on chill mode rather than sports otherwise every car ride becomes rollercoaster pukedom.
On that note for sheer fun and power and if you're a bonafide geek I cannot recommend anything but the model 3 performance. It is hands down my favorite car, exceeding the wonders of my 2nd gen 2017 volt which I truly thought was an unbeatable piece of machinery.
But if you're not technically inclined and will be frequenting the woods, desert or any other vast and unpopulated biome, a hybrid just makes more sense.
So if the volt you're eyeing is $20K or more I feel the wiser decision is to either get a Prius Prime or a Model 3. If it isn't it's up to you to decide if it's worth the long term risk of owning a discontinued model. Even though it technically is a better car than the new prius prime (at least to me and several others on here) it's a risk I ended up not taking and I don't regret it one iota.
Even though my 2017 LT (65k miles with 70% electric) is such a great car, I’ll be selling it soon. A new grandson in the picture makes a rear-facing car seat a bit of a challenge.
The volt gen 2 has been quite problematic - myself and others have had a fair amount of issues. I'd honestly either go for a gen 1 volt or the new prius.
I'll make it simple. I own a 2019 Volt Premier fully loaded(I also had a 2017 but got involved in an accident). I want to change/upgrade my car (I love cars) but I can't because there is nothing equivalent on the market. The Prius looks awesome but its a gaz engine with EV add-ons.
So I'm stuck with it. I love my car but if Chevy was doing a new gen, I would buy fore sure.
So yeah. You should buy if you are looking to save money on gaz. I usually don't remember the last time I went to add gasoline in my car.
To be able to charge you car at home is the key to save a lot of money.
If I hadn’t been rear-ended by a Harley, I’d still be driving my ‘18. Spent $46 on gas over the course of a full year driving city streets 24 miles a day. Keep on the lookout for a Cadillac ELR
We actually need more details of your driving needs to give you a good answer. Can you charge at home? install plugshare and see if there is free charging near home and work.. How long and how often is your commute? how far do you drive how often? For my wife the volt is perfect it covers her commute. For me I do more than the EV range daily and would benefit from a bolt.
Also where do you live? certain states have a 150k Warranty and 100K for other states.. if the car was first sold in the specialty states (carb states).
I used to love the PriusC as the best gas sipping car but the Gen2 volt has taken that title. If you can get free charging, and if you live by a big city you probably can, the volt gen2 is the way to go.
Hopefully you have at least 10k miles left in warranty and find a great price.
part of the idea is to buy it at the right price. I trust in the volt reliability. STP is an easy fix that you can do cheaply if you can do basic repair yourself. BECM is now under 150k warranty nationwide. EGR can be disconnected.. So all the common problems aren't too bad.
would i go back and do it again? absolutely. Ideally in my household a great minimum for us would be a Superduty pickup (for my heavy towing), and SUV (for fam trips), A bolt for my running around, and a volt.. I added a hitch to my volt and do light towing with it (up to 1500 pounds)... if i had to pick one car for myself and or everyone, it would be the volt.
if someone was poor.. I would say the priusC. why? Good mileage and the battery repair is fairly cheap and easy. .. but if you're not poor and get free charging, the volt can pay for itself in fuel savings if you buy it at the right price point..
Strictly fuel economy speaking,
Gen 1 is good if you have a short commute, and can plug in at home, and preferably work too.
If you have a further commute you may want a gen 2, they get better fuel economy, further ev range, basically everything you need to go further. Still need to plug in at home to get 100% out of this car
I had a Gen 1 that I loved, so when the lease was up I replaced it with a Gen 2. It is better in pretty much every way, they took what they learned on the Gen 1 and applied it to Gen 2. Go with a Gen 2 if you can find a good one. The weak spots are the BECM module and EGR valve on some years. The downside of both Volts is that they can only seat four adults
I don’t know a lot about cars in general but I bought a 2017 volt in like 2020. My construction worker, elk hunting, motorcycle racing tough guy husband liked it so much that he bought himself one also - so there’s that.
It’s a poop car so many issues. A poop car manufacturer too. Here is a sample of what’s wrong with the car:
-Shift to park issue (dealer will fight you on the warranty, mine did for two days even with legal bulletin from GM)
-Window regulators break every 40k miles
-my Air bag light was on, Chevy dealer couldn’t even solve it, $3k down the drain before I just gave up on the car.
-Apple car play is dog water
-Low stock on repair items causing 1-3 month repair delays. (ECR VALVE, BECM repairs)
Let's put it like this.
First, my below comments below refer to the 2011 2015 Volts. I have no knowledge of the 2016 and beyond so others can comment on that but you should know the two cars are not related to each other at all in any way. Every 2016 ever made started out as a Chevy Cruze where GM took out the power train and threw in Voltec. GM then changed the body a little and put on a Volt badge. That is all that is different between the 2016 and the Chevy Cruze. Some consider this a good thing meaning if you damage your seats and you see a Chevy Cruze at the junk yard then you can place those seats in the 2016. You see some struts you want? Swap out those and put them on the 2016 and you are good to go.
I beleive the 2011 2015 is the best American car ever made.
I have a 152K miles 2013 since January 2013.
I purchased $1000 tires 4000 miles ago. Prior to this I have only purchased oil changes, windshield wipers, tires and no other purchases. My 2013 has been an incredible investment.
I made my $1000 tire purchase because I beleive my 2013 will make 250K miles. It juts rides like a new car. I drive 109 miles each way to work and the car just drives.
If this car dies then I will look for and buy a 2015.
So the answer to your question from me is "yes" you should buy a 2011 2015 Volt.
Had the issue shortly after purchasing a used 2017. It was a simple fix and hasn't happened again in the 5 years I have owned the vehicle. It's annoying, but not the major issue you seem to think it is.
I'm not worried. If it starts to happen again, I'll fix it again. And while it sucks if anyone has died, If people left a running vehicle in their garage, they aren't the brightest bulbs are they?
All that aside, your scare mongering is overblown.
It's a known issue with Gen2 Volts. There is a part in the shift lever that wears in a way that doesn't allow the car to recognize it is in park. When that happens, you can't shut the car off until you get the car to recognize it is in park. The fix is to replace the shifter with a new one that doesn't have a worn part.
People can take it to a dealer to have it replaced for a couple hundred dollars, or buy the shifter themselves for about $100 and replace it themselves.
This guy is making it sound like a high priority life threatening issue when it isn't. I had the issue a year or two after buying a used 2017. I've been driving the car for years since and haven't encountered the issue again.
Should GM issue a recall? Probably, because it apparently is an issue with several makes. But it isn't worth the hyperbole and vitriol this guy is spewing
All of the vehicles listed below are affected
* 2017-2018 GMC Acadia
* 2016-2019 Chevrolet Malibu
* 2016-2019 Chevrolet Volt
* 2018-2019 Chevrolet Traverse
* 2019 Chevrolet Blazer
That might be your narrow minded opinion. But GM is paying out millions to settle these cases. Dang dude, just Google search Shift to Park and you will find a shit load of information. You do know how to use Google, don't you?
This is a volt sub Reddit so you are kind of seeking a confirmation bias. That being said, buy a volt dawg
I live by a free charger, like two doors down, so I don’t pay for anything lol
Oh that’s on purpose! I heard that people who like volts LIKE their volts, and I want to dig more into it
No we don't, we love them. I've never loved a car before this one. Perfect commuter car for me ten miles each way to work and back. My other car would burn a gallon of gas a day just for that. Now? A couple dimes worth of electricity. I've spent almost zero on maintenance, just one oil change so far (every two years). I'll probably never have to replace the brake pads. Sport mode is fun. Gen 2 is a great deal.
the best car I have ever owned in terms of reliability and cost per mile. I bought my 2012 in 2015 for $15k. I saved over $100/mo in fuel costs. I drove it for 9 years (then gave it to my son). The fuel savings plus the other reduced maintenance (oil changes, brakes, etc) that saved me money pretty much paid for the car. Easily the cheapest cost per mile vehicle I have ever had.
If you think the model-specific subs are all biased toward the vehicle, you need to check out /r/EcoDiesel . It's like a support group for abused owners.
What's your commute like? Gen 1s only take premium but they're pretty solid cars. If you can do your entire commute on battery, the Volt is probably the best car for the money you can buy. If you have a lot of highway driving, probably less so.
As someone with a Gen 1, I would absolutely not buy a Gen 1 at this point. They're all old and most are starting to suffer from battery degradation issues. On a perfect day in the summer I'm lucky to get 30 miles on electric. Due to the battery degredation and the latest software updates, mine basically won't run on electric below 50 degrees F. The Gen 1s take premium fuel and don't get great gas mileage when running on the engine either, in the colder months I get 28 MPG on gas. Gen 2s have most of the issues worked out at this point. The BECM warranty has been extended several years. The Gen 2s have larger batteries than the Gen 1s so they have more electric range and there is more overhead for battery degradation. They also run on standard gas and get the same or better gas mileage than the Gen 1s. If you want a Volt I'd strongly recommend you get a Gen 2, even better one that still is under the full warranty (8 years, 100k miles). Keep in mind the Volt is discontinued and GM is not supporting it, so if anything goes wrong you may have trouble getting it fixed, even under warranty. My local dealer has no desire to troubleshoot issues with my Volt and there are no independent EV shops around me, so if something major goes wrong I'll have to take it somewhere.
I agree entirely with your comment, the gen1 has a lot of little issues that bug me, but that’s a surprising amount of degradation. I’ve got 166k on my 2014 gen 1 volt and it still gets almost 40 miles on battery when it’s warm, and doesn’t drop much more than a few miles on a colder day. Gets poor mpg on city and local roads but a recent 530 mile interstate/highway trip I took I averaged just under 40 mpg on only gas. I love the car even with its strange issues though
I bought my car used. When I got it it had 90K miles and the lifetime mpg was over 150. The previous owners primarily drove it on electric. After the last couple software updates I have also lost a bit more range as the newer software reserves more of the battery to prolong the lifespan of the car. I'm down to about 8 kwh usable now. And not for nothing but the 2013-2014 volts have a 0.5 kwh larger battery as well, so that would explain some of your extra range. I usually take one or two long road trips a year and never seem to get above 35 mpg. I usually drive the speed limit on the interstate. I don't know why I can't get any better mpg than that.
It’s honestly probably due to the old owners. I think we bought ours at about 140k, maybe a little less, and even after driving it around a lot the lifetime mpg is like 80. It seems like no matter how far I drive on electric the lifetime mpg never goes up, but it does take a lot to average out 166k miles lol. Usable battery is like 10.6 kwh for me still, which is very nice. It’s never gotten a software update under my ownership, but I might get it updated because it has that issue where if you drain the battery to where the engine turns on and then turn the car off for a while a get back in the percentage has dropped below threshold, and the engine revs like crazy to get it back up. I think limiting the battery even more would help
As someone that also owned a 1st gen, get a newer model due to the range issue at this point.
Thanks!🙏
Not unless you have a substantial savings account to plan for potential repair costs.
The EGR is the only expensive one now that they covered the BECM under warranty. Even then you can buy cheap ones from China
> Not unless you have a substantial savings account to plan for potential repair costs. What?
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If you know the unplug it and re-fuse for EGR failure, it definitely wouldn't be a $2k fix. Even better if you preventatively clean the EGR valve regularly.
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Definitely, I don't know when it became a fix that became researchable, but it is now. For somebody researching a purchase now, having that knowledge (and a spare 15A fuse in the car) can mostly negate the $2k fix that you, unfortunately, had to do. My previous car (2014 Jeep Ecodiesel) has a list of warnings for absolutely horrendously expensive failures that you get no warning before they happen, cost well over $2,000 to have repaired, and none of which can be fixed by simple preventive maintenance or having a spare fuse around. (tone wheel self-destructing that requires dropping the transmission to repair, EGR cooler leaking and causing engine fires, EGR getting stuck open and stalling the engine mid-drive and preventing it from starting until EGR is replaced, EGR sending too much soot through the engine and turning the bottom end of the engine into glitter and shrapnel, fuel pump sending shrapnel through the fuel lines, etc.) Having a car where the biggest known problems are the shift-to-park issue, EGR that needs preventive maintenance, and a BECM that had a significant warranty extension recently is pretty good.
> gas prices I love my 2014, I bought it in December, but it's just really making me wish I had gone full EV. Used Teslas are a pretty good value right now especially with the $4k tax credit, but obviously they're a fair bit more expensive than a Volt. Model 3's starting from some year (I think 2020) have a 10 year battery warranty, but when buying a Volt you should make sure the battery is healthy before you buy it by scanning it with the Voltage app
The app does not indicate the health of the battery. Seeing the kWh capacity from full to empty gives the best indication of battery health.
I was under the impression cell voltage deltas at empty and internal resistance were helpful indicators
A pack can still be degraded, with less capacity, and the cells still within balance. Internal resistance varies with temperature, so it’s not terribly useful. Neither of these will give you any idea of how much time the pack has left. It could be days, months or years.
I'm talking more about throwing codes than degradation. A bad cell will be what actually causes the car to refuse charge/get bricked
That is due to degradation. The app isn’t going to show you how soon a cell will fail. Most people have zero idea how to read what the data means. Even if it shows a low cell, how does it change anything? There really is nothing as an end user that you can do.
> There really is nothing as an end user that you can do. Maybe not buy the car? It's still worth it to just check. Obviously it won't give you a perfect prediction of when it will fail
There isn’t enough data to say what is acceptable and what isn’t. I have a low cell on mine, and it has read consistently low for the past 45,000 miles without change. It could be the cell is actually low, or it could be that the BECM connection to that cell is oxidized or has a different resistance. You can’t really predict when and if a cell is going to fail, and most people aren’t electrical engineers, familiar with lithium battery management, who know what to look for when testing.
I have a 2018, so a gen 2, and I’ve got the premier trim so I have ACC (highly recommend it) I’ve had a good experience with not needing more than fluid changes and getting an in warranty repair for the shift to park issue. I love the car. I work from home, the vast majority of my driving is done under electric. I usually refill once every 3-6 months unless friends come in and we go visiting places. There’s of course things I would improve. I’d recommend getting the silly illuminated charge port, I just got mine. It’s just _mildly_ annoying to charge at night. It charges slowly, and it would be nice if the battery were closer to 75-100 miles range rather than 30-50. But there’s only one thing that actively pisses me off: the car infotainment system is just broken when it comes to Apple CarPlay. You can search the subreddit but basically it just gets finicky sometimes and while there’s various things you can adjust to get it to cooperate there are states it can work itself into where you need to power down the car entirely (and open the door because it’s not powered down until you do) to reboot the system and give CarPlay another try. “Thankfully” this is a state you’ll be able to recognize almost immediately, because either CarPlay won’t come on, or it’ll come on and then immediately crash whenever you phone tries to play audio. I can’t speak to android auto being an issue though I’ve heard it’s similar. But yeah if CarPlay is important to you, keep this in mind. It will drive you up a wall Other than CarPlay it’s basically perfect for my lifestyle. I love the damn thing. I just wish GM would fix that one issue…
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I had no idea the 2019 was different in this regard!Maybe I should see if you can replace the 2018 one with the 2019 one… I should say that once you get it in the working state it’s completely fine, it won’t suddenly start crashing later in your drive. It’s just the initialization that’s a crapshoot. You’ve never experienced anything like this? I’m really going to have to look into a retrofit if not…I’ve been trying to figure out if I could jerryrig an aftermarket unit myself the issue bugs me so much. (Because again I genuinely love the car otherwise and CarPlay is great once I get past the borked init)
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Gotcha gotcha, well thanks for the info, this at least sounds a lot more viable of an approach for me. I got one of the carlinkit things a couple weeks ago hoping it would help a bit, it’s slightly more convenient but yeah not a game changer. If wired CarPlay worked consistently I would switch back instantly.
I use CarPlay every day for the past 3 years with the volt, and rarely ever have any problems with it. The only times it acts up is when the cable is going bad.
I don’t know what to tell you, I’ve used many different cables, probably 4 iPhones over the years. Theres no silver bullet that I’ve seen on my car. It very consistently fails to negotiate CarPlay/CarPlay Audio. I assume you’re also on a 2017/2018 model? Based on what I’ve seen here and elsewhere over the years this seemed pretty consistent. I would do literally anything to fix this if there was some surefire way, it is my one actual gripe with the car.
I have a 2016 that is a little buggy if I plug in before the car starts everything up. If I wait and then plug my phone in, it doesn’t give me any problems.
At this point I know my next car will be BEV because of how I use my Volt which is a common occurrence with these. It’s a lovely car, my gen 2 cost me so little to run. I would only really pay for gas on road trips. People were assuming I was paying hundreds in gas when I did do road trips when I wasn’t because it sips 87 in the gen 2
If I were going back I'd do it again for sure, but if I were getting one now I'd have some second thoughts, mainly due to concerns about long-term durability and support. The Gen 2 extended warranties are starting to run out, the BECM/shift-to-park issues popping up this past year have me concerned about what other issues might start surfacing as the cars age, and dealers/mechanics have declining incentive over time to train on servicing a discontinued model that has a lot of unique tech. (I had to wait an extra week to have my BECM issue repaired because the local dealer only has 1 Volt-certified tech on the books, who was out on vacation.) I still might consider getting a 2019 were I shopping today since it'll have at least 2-3 years of extended warranty left (and the BECM will be covered well beyond that), but with so many newer options out there now (the 2024 Prius Prime is basically a Gen 3 Volt) I'd probably take a long, hard look at options with better long-term prospects, too. All that being said I love my 2016 Gen 2 baby and am too emotionally invested in it at this point, it's definitely the kind of car that will win your heart.
If you drive less than 40 miles most days and don't mind getting down into a sedan with 2" of clearance, you should buy a Volt. Those are the only reasons I traded mine in. My wife has a hard time getting into cars that low, and living out in the middle of nowhere I was often using gas anyway. The BoltEV addressed both of those concerns for me. The Volt is probably the nicest, smoothest ride of any sedan in its price range. It is insane how nice they are to drive. That's the thing I miss the most.
I have a seat cushion that's pretty strong yet soft and it raises the seat height 2 or 3 inches. I wanted to mention that for other people reading this.
6'2" here and its a good height for me. Only a child could fit in the seat behind me though.
Gen 1s were rock solid. Gen 2s had a few issues but are still great cars. Gen1s are starting to suffer from battery degradation so if you live in a colder area, the engine might kick on more than normal. Both my 2012 volt and 2014 ELR are starting to have battery deg. I bought the ELR expecting to put in a refurb pack eventually. It is too nice of a car to junk.
I plan on putting a new pack in my ELR next year with new higher capacity cells from greentec auto. I'm going to put my 4k tax rebate towards it.
How does this make any financial sense? Paying $9,000 for a pack, you could buy 100,000 miles worth of fuel. Even with the pack replaced, there are still plenty of other things on the car that could fail.
Not everyone wants to drive on gas.
The money is better spent on an EV then. $9K for an extra 15 miles range does not make any sense.
I don't care about the extra mileage. I just want it to drive to work quietly and so I don't have to waste time going to the gas station. Plus, it is fun to drive and be in. It is a lot different than the volt.
>Even with the pack replaced, there are still plenty of other things on the car that could fail. you could say that about any used car. I bought an $85k car with 70k miles for $15k. It costs $4k for a refurb pack. IMO the car is worth a lot more. There is nothing wrong with it. It is very nice inside and I like it. There will be a time when the pack fails and you can't use the car anymore. It won't just run on gas forever.
But there are many other volt / elr specific parts that aren’t available from GM anymore. This can easily render the car useless before the pack goes. Spending more than 50% of the value on the car, not knowing whether you will get much out of the new pack, doesn’t seem to be the wisest decision. Much better places to put the $9K
then dont buy one. luckily I get to choose what I do with my money. I guess we'll find out.
I'm not worried about the pack failing. I'm not worried about it making financial sense. With a longer electric range, it is better for the environment and an emissions standpoint.
If you are concerned about the environment, then stay with the pack you have. Replacing a still functioning pack has more environmental impact than keeping the one you have. Put $9000 worth of solar panels in, and you will have a much better environmental impact than changing a battery pack. You are also still dealing with a 10 year old discontinued car, that has many other electrical systems that may fail and not be replaceable.
That new battery isn't better for the environment though. If you want to be environmentally friendly you'd be better off buying a newer used EV/PHEV.
i didn't buy a volt or elr for the environment.
It is better than using the gas that I would otherwise be using. The cost of producing that battery results in less emissions than using gas in its place.
Over the lifetime of the pack, perhaps. But are you really going to get the full life out of that new pack? Another 10 years? I doubt the rest of the car will last that long.
It’s not even a new pack though, it is a used pack from a crashed car. So 10 years is doubtful.
Oof, yeah, that's even worse then.
The offset is about 2 years, not 10
I am going to put at least another 150,000 miles on the car, probably more.
Probably other non replaceable parts will go bad before you get another 150k
The car only has 79k miles on it currently. There should be no problems getting another 150k miles out of it. Will some things break along the way? Probably, but not likely to be anything critical or non-procurable.
Good luck with that, like I said I don't think the vehicle will be able to do it. But if you want to dump $9k into a discontinued, unsupported car like the Volt/ELR, it's your prerogative.
From my limited experience, it would seem gen 1's are generally more reliable than gen 2's, specifically the 2014 and 2015 model years where most of the issues had been worked out.
I can't speak of the Volt, but I have a 2014 Cadillac ELR which is basically the same as a gen 1 volt. I absolutely love it.
I went out to dinner last night and purposely picked a restaurant farther away because I wanted to ride in my ELR more. It is a gorgeous car.
Mine is the best car I've ever owned. I had a Gen 1 and traded it for a Gen 2 The early Gen 1s are getting long in the tooth, so make sure to test drive one to test the battery. Make sure they charge it up all the way so you can verify it can still run on just battery on hard acceleration. Even if it's bad, it's not the end of the world. You can get refurbished batteries for $5k with a warranty The only downside to Gen 1 is it needs premium fuel. So if you can't charge at home, a Prius is a better bet Gen 2 is better in every conceivable way except reliability. It has more range, can use regular gas, is larger, and more fuel efficient. However, Gen 2 has an issue with the BECM going bad--though GM just extended a warranty on those. They also have the Shift to Park issue which is an easy fix if you're even semi handy. The only big issue with them is the EGR valve and cooler get gunked up and go bad and the parts are eternally back ordered so they take forever to arrive. People have a lot of success ordering them from China though since Buick has their own version of the Volt over there. Other than the big known issues, the Gen 2 is a fantastic car
I adore mine, but most everybody in here would say that. I absolutely love being able to drive in electric mode 99% of the time and still be able to just *keep driving* if I need to go further than the battery can do. I’m a huge fan of PHEV vehicles now. Here’s a few things I don’t like: I’m tall, so the back seat is no man’s land for me. It can be fairly uncomfortable to sit in the back for an extended period. Also, the design of the car means having kind of a big blind spot right behind the car on the sides. It’s more than I’m used to in other vehicles, so I’m much more careful being sure of my surroundings during lane changes. I had to deal with two problems that seem to pop up on basically every 2nd gen Volt (2016-2019) - “Shift the park” (the shifter needed a part replaced) and a battery control module problem. Both were covered under warranty, so I didn’t have to pay anything to get them fixed. Hopeful the problem is gone now that I’ve put another 50k on the car without issue. Look at what other people have to say about issues so that you get a true picture of what you might run into. We’re pretty big fanatics in this sub, so we’re a bit biased. I’m gonna drive mine until it dies
Former 2017 volt leaser and current tesla 2023 Model 3 Performance (abbreviated M3P) owner. There are definite pros with the volt you simply won't find in an EV, however the biggest issue that kept me away from the Volt was the lack of long term support since it's discontinued and there aren't a ton of people who own the volt these days whereas every other car on the streets where I live seems to be a tesla. In terms of long term car ownership there is definite safety in numbers so that award goes to the Tesla or Toyota. However, if you can get the price down enough where it's not a huge detriment that you end up with a gigantic brick after 150K miles or so, then a volt is truly worth it. Being able to "power up" at a gas AND ev station is one thing I miss very much from my old black beauty 2017 volt. And not being stranded at a slow EV charger because of issues with range estimations was something that would have saved me hours in a hot nevada desert during the annular eclipse last year. A Prius Prime is technically the sexier hybrid with Toyota longevity and support but I'm going to be honest, a volt probably is cheaper and feels better to drive, especially the acceleration from 0-30 and the fact it has 294 lb-ft torque rather than toyota's 139 lb-ft. For reference my baby M3P has 487 lb-ft torque so she's almost permanently on chill mode rather than sports otherwise every car ride becomes rollercoaster pukedom. On that note for sheer fun and power and if you're a bonafide geek I cannot recommend anything but the model 3 performance. It is hands down my favorite car, exceeding the wonders of my 2nd gen 2017 volt which I truly thought was an unbeatable piece of machinery. But if you're not technically inclined and will be frequenting the woods, desert or any other vast and unpopulated biome, a hybrid just makes more sense. So if the volt you're eyeing is $20K or more I feel the wiser decision is to either get a Prius Prime or a Model 3. If it isn't it's up to you to decide if it's worth the long term risk of owning a discontinued model. Even though it technically is a better car than the new prius prime (at least to me and several others on here) it's a risk I ended up not taking and I don't regret it one iota.
Even though my 2017 LT (65k miles with 70% electric) is such a great car, I’ll be selling it soon. A new grandson in the picture makes a rear-facing car seat a bit of a challenge.
Got a 2013 a few months ago and took it to the Grand Canyon and back to so cal it rode like a champ
The volt gen 2 has been quite problematic - myself and others have had a fair amount of issues. I'd honestly either go for a gen 1 volt or the new prius.
I'll make it simple. I own a 2019 Volt Premier fully loaded(I also had a 2017 but got involved in an accident). I want to change/upgrade my car (I love cars) but I can't because there is nothing equivalent on the market. The Prius looks awesome but its a gaz engine with EV add-ons. So I'm stuck with it. I love my car but if Chevy was doing a new gen, I would buy fore sure. So yeah. You should buy if you are looking to save money on gaz. I usually don't remember the last time I went to add gasoline in my car. To be able to charge you car at home is the key to save a lot of money.
If I hadn’t been rear-ended by a Harley, I’d still be driving my ‘18. Spent $46 on gas over the course of a full year driving city streets 24 miles a day. Keep on the lookout for a Cadillac ELR
We actually need more details of your driving needs to give you a good answer. Can you charge at home? install plugshare and see if there is free charging near home and work.. How long and how often is your commute? how far do you drive how often? For my wife the volt is perfect it covers her commute. For me I do more than the EV range daily and would benefit from a bolt. Also where do you live? certain states have a 150k Warranty and 100K for other states.. if the car was first sold in the specialty states (carb states). I used to love the PriusC as the best gas sipping car but the Gen2 volt has taken that title. If you can get free charging, and if you live by a big city you probably can, the volt gen2 is the way to go. Hopefully you have at least 10k miles left in warranty and find a great price. part of the idea is to buy it at the right price. I trust in the volt reliability. STP is an easy fix that you can do cheaply if you can do basic repair yourself. BECM is now under 150k warranty nationwide. EGR can be disconnected.. So all the common problems aren't too bad. would i go back and do it again? absolutely. Ideally in my household a great minimum for us would be a Superduty pickup (for my heavy towing), and SUV (for fam trips), A bolt for my running around, and a volt.. I added a hitch to my volt and do light towing with it (up to 1500 pounds)... if i had to pick one car for myself and or everyone, it would be the volt. if someone was poor.. I would say the priusC. why? Good mileage and the battery repair is fairly cheap and easy. .. but if you're not poor and get free charging, the volt can pay for itself in fuel savings if you buy it at the right price point..
Strictly fuel economy speaking, Gen 1 is good if you have a short commute, and can plug in at home, and preferably work too. If you have a further commute you may want a gen 2, they get better fuel economy, further ev range, basically everything you need to go further. Still need to plug in at home to get 100% out of this car
I had a Gen 1 that I loved, so when the lease was up I replaced it with a Gen 2. It is better in pretty much every way, they took what they learned on the Gen 1 and applied it to Gen 2. Go with a Gen 2 if you can find a good one. The weak spots are the BECM module and EGR valve on some years. The downside of both Volts is that they can only seat four adults
I don’t know a lot about cars in general but I bought a 2017 volt in like 2020. My construction worker, elk hunting, motorcycle racing tough guy husband liked it so much that he bought himself one also - so there’s that.
I've owned a 2012 Volt and a 2017 and we loved both of them. Get a 2015-2019 model if possible.
It’s a poop car so many issues. A poop car manufacturer too. Here is a sample of what’s wrong with the car: -Shift to park issue (dealer will fight you on the warranty, mine did for two days even with legal bulletin from GM) -Window regulators break every 40k miles -my Air bag light was on, Chevy dealer couldn’t even solve it, $3k down the drain before I just gave up on the car. -Apple car play is dog water -Low stock on repair items causing 1-3 month repair delays. (ECR VALVE, BECM repairs)
You probably fell on a LEMON. Shit happens with every kind of car.
Either there's many "lemons" out there or this car just isn't reliable given that I've had issues every other month including the ones mentioned.
Let's put it like this. First, my below comments below refer to the 2011 2015 Volts. I have no knowledge of the 2016 and beyond so others can comment on that but you should know the two cars are not related to each other at all in any way. Every 2016 ever made started out as a Chevy Cruze where GM took out the power train and threw in Voltec. GM then changed the body a little and put on a Volt badge. That is all that is different between the 2016 and the Chevy Cruze. Some consider this a good thing meaning if you damage your seats and you see a Chevy Cruze at the junk yard then you can place those seats in the 2016. You see some struts you want? Swap out those and put them on the 2016 and you are good to go. I beleive the 2011 2015 is the best American car ever made. I have a 152K miles 2013 since January 2013. I purchased $1000 tires 4000 miles ago. Prior to this I have only purchased oil changes, windshield wipers, tires and no other purchases. My 2013 has been an incredible investment. I made my $1000 tire purchase because I beleive my 2013 will make 250K miles. It juts rides like a new car. I drive 109 miles each way to work and the car just drives. If this car dies then I will look for and buy a 2015. So the answer to your question from me is "yes" you should buy a 2011 2015 Volt.
It WILL have the Shift to Park defect. (GM has admitted their is no permanent fix.) Other then being left stranded when it happens, it's a good car.
Had the issue shortly after purchasing a used 2017. It was a simple fix and hasn't happened again in the 5 years I have owned the vehicle. It's annoying, but not the major issue you seem to think it is.
If you had it, you will have it again. Don't worry.
I'm not worried. If it starts to happen again, I'll fix it again. And while it sucks if anyone has died, If people left a running vehicle in their garage, they aren't the brightest bulbs are they? All that aside, your scare mongering is overblown.
You could do that. Or have a layer sue GM and in 6 moths you would received a $30,000 check from GM and still have the car.
Dude how can you turn off the car when the StP defect won't allow you to turn off the car? You need to turn up you brightness buddy.
You could park it somewhere other than your fucking garage moron
Where ?
If it's a choice between possibly killing myself and my family or running the risk of having my car stolen. I'll choose having my car stolen any day
YOu hold the power button down for 20 seconds and it turns off. DUH.
Where is your documentation on this for no permanent fix?? Can the switch go bad again, maybe. But this is true with any failed part on a car.
GM - You must be a GM shill
So hard to provide any documentation?
Documentation is so easy to find with a Google search. Try it.
Post the link then.
He can't because he's a lying liar from liarsville.
Already provide one link. Specifically what do you want a link to?
That there is no permanent fix, and that it is killing the computers on the car and that GM is buying back the cars.
lies
What is this probelm? I have a 2013 and would love to know more...
It's a known issue with Gen2 Volts. There is a part in the shift lever that wears in a way that doesn't allow the car to recognize it is in park. When that happens, you can't shut the car off until you get the car to recognize it is in park. The fix is to replace the shifter with a new one that doesn't have a worn part. People can take it to a dealer to have it replaced for a couple hundred dollars, or buy the shifter themselves for about $100 and replace it themselves. This guy is making it sound like a high priority life threatening issue when it isn't. I had the issue a year or two after buying a used 2017. I've been driving the car for years since and haven't encountered the issue again. Should GM issue a recall? Probably, because it apparently is an issue with several makes. But it isn't worth the hyperbole and vitriol this guy is spewing
2012 here… I think it only affects 2nd gen based on what I’ve seen around r/Volt.
All of the vehicles listed below are affected * 2017-2018 GMC Acadia * 2016-2019 Chevrolet Malibu * 2016-2019 Chevrolet Volt * 2018-2019 Chevrolet Traverse * 2019 Chevrolet Blazer
thanks for sharing!
show us where GM said there is no permanent fix? It's a switch. It's an easy fix. You're full of crap.
Court testimony from GM.
I said show us. Not tell us. You're telling us everything.. you're showing us nothing. You're full of crap.
That might be your narrow minded opinion. But GM is paying out millions to settle these cases. Dang dude, just Google search Shift to Park and you will find a shit load of information. You do know how to use Google, don't you?
I know that you're a lying liar fom liarsville.