Considering buying a used Volt - which year/s should I keep away from?

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Yanni

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Wondering how the different years (2013 - 2016) stack up re: battery keeping charge, maintenance issues, actual problems with the design/build year.

I know that 2016 is a different model year/different battery but I am throwing it in there in case an inexpensive one pops up, but at this point they're so much more $$ it's not a serious contender.

Thanks!
 
I purchased a used 2014 a year ago and have put 5300 miles on it in that year. It's rated for 38 miles of battery and sometimes I get more than that and other times in cold weather it gets as low as 30 miles per charge. For the 5300 miles I've driven so far my mpg average is sitting at 113mpg and the total miles on the car 131mpg. Included in those 5300 miles are 5-250 mile round trips, which meant my engine would be running most of the time. I averaged 46.5 miles to the gallon on those 5 trips. My regular daily driving doesn't usually take me beyond battery range and when I return home, it has a good reserve left over.
I've been an avid watcher of the Volt story since early and it looks to me like in the used market, the 3 year old models are the best value. They also qualify for that Certified GM stuff and better financing. That would put you in a 2015. I think they did a little battery upgrade in the '15 over the '14, so it might get you a couple of more miles in electric mode, in the bargain. I really really really would like to have a '19 Volt but if I could afford that, I'd probably go for a Bolt instead. ;)
If you're looking for cheap cheap I see '11s and '12s for under $11k and would probably make great little daily drivers. Or maybe a good first car for a teenager...hmmm.
 
Oh yeah, maintenance issues...haven't had a single issue in the year I've had my '14 and am just getting ready to take it in for it's warranty service (oil change etc...) The computer tells me my oil still has 47% life, but it has been a year and still under warranty. You do want to run your tires at or above the 38psi recommended for best performance. And be forewarned, that you can't just throw any tire on there when it comes time to change them. Keep them rotated and change them as a full set.
 
Yanni said:
Wondering how the different years (2013 - 2016) stack up re: battery keeping charge, maintenance issues, actual problems with the design/build year.

I know that 2016 is a different model year/different battery but I am throwing it in there in case an inexpensive one pops up, but at this point they're so much more $$ it's not a serious contender.

Thanks!
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Any of those years except for a 2016. 2016 was a short model year and the first year of the refreshed styling. 2016s have had far more frequent issues. Overall the Volt is a very reliable vehicle, but the 2016 is the least reliable of those years.

We have a gen 1 Volt (pre-2016) and it's a great plug-in. No major issues in our 2013 yet!
 
Any of those years except for a 2016. 2016 was a short model year and the first year of the refreshed styling. 2016s have had far more frequent issues. Overall the Volt is a very reliable vehicle, but the 2016 is the least reliable of those years.



Could you be specific as to the problems the '16 model Volt has that older models don't? I'm a used market guy that is always looking at the next upgraded model as a future used purchase. I had already decided to skip '16 but not because of any complaints I've heard.
My experience yesterday didn't make me feel any better about any issues I might encounter as a Volt or Bolt owner in the future...
I purchased my '14 Volt from a dealership 110 miles away. Yesterday I took it to that dealership for warranty maintenance service, after owning it for a couple of weeks shy of a year. It was time for the oil change even though I hadn't run the engine enough over the year to get below 44% of the oil life. I wasn't at all happy with the way the service dept rep tried to b.s. me as to the dangerously high voltage that lurks under the hood due to the crazy high voltage used in the battery...meaning only a 100% certified Volt mechanic can touch that car. I have little to no patience with service people who lie and scare customers. He was claiming those batteries are running over 20,000 volts! The charge station they advertise at that dealership is as a practical matter not accessible to the public. I was studying the Volt technology when he was still in middle school and retired from the IBEW after 30 years 10 years back. Before I became a wireman that worked everything from millivolts to lightning, I was a certified line mechanic at a dealership. Automotive tech has always interested me and I'm not the right guy to try and b.s. in that regard.
So... I got my scheduled warranty maintenance done and left after reaming the service managers butt for her service writer's ignorant arrogance and disrespectful attitude. On the way home I stopped at the Chevy dealer that is only 30 miles from my house. Since they advertise they have a charging station there, it occurred to me I could just have my services done there. Their charge station is also not accessible and they wasted no time telling me they wouldn't even change the oil on a Volt because they didn't have a 100% certified Volt mechanic. I don't see this as a positive sign for Volt owners. With the fact that GM is likely going to discontinue the Volt line in the not too distant future I see little incentive for dealers to spend money getting their mechanics Volt certified in the future. What you see now is what you will have in the future. Possibly much less, if the 1 mechanic they do have that is certified, gets pissed off and quits.
I also learned that there won't be a Bolt dealer within 300 miles of where I live. :(
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Lots of little things were wrong with the 2016. The most serious that I recall was loss of power steering being a (somewhat) common problem. Still rare, but more common than it should have been. In general, it's a good idea to avoid the first year of a new model generation.

It's too bad that you had a bad experience! What state do you live in? If you're 300 miles from a Bolt dealer you've gotta either be in a mid-western or southern state I'm assuming?
 
It's true....I live in the Arkansas Ozarks. I did find a dealer in Little Rock. It's 135 miles away, so my 300 mile comment was exaggerated. It just feels like 300 miles...
I do think I'm the only Volt owner in my county though. I see a few Prius around, but in the past year have not seen 1 other Volt. We are rare birds in these parts.
I found this article on Volt steering problems, but the lawsuit was against the 2011-2014 Gen1 models. Mine is a '14 and I haven't experienced anything like this. http://gmauthority.com/blog/2014/12...-over-alleged-chevrolet-volt-steering-defect/ Here's a link to Volt recalls, the 2014-2015 models appear to have a recall for steering issues. My 2014 doesn't have any outstanding recall issues, but it was a Dealer lease car...the wife of the general manager had it on a lease, so I assume it was done long before I purchased it from that dealer. https://www.cars.com/recalls/chevrolet-volt/
 
Are you discounting the 2011 and 2012's simply because they're outside your desired age range?

We own one of each. FWIW my 2011 has actually been more reliable than the 2012. The first gen cars, indeed even the first model year, were well designed and built. We did have the bearing cage failure on the 2012 out of warranty, but other than that...both cars have been excellent.

So if you want to save some $$ and you can find one in the lower mileage range (if that's a concern for you), don't discount them. Heck, even the original 8 year Voltec warranty is still valid on many of the originals depending on mileage, my 2011 included. For a few more months, anyways. ;)
 
That's an excellent point! I've been saying for awhile now that a 2011 or '12 would make a great 2nd car or teenager's first car. I see them for sale all the time for under $10k and with less than 50k miles on the 2012s.
PrivatePilot said:
Are you discounting the 2011 and 2012's simply because they're outside your desired age range?

We own one of each. FWIW my 2011 has actually been more reliable than the 2012. The first gen cars, indeed even the first model year, were well designed and built. We did have the bearing cage failure on the 2012 out of warranty, but other than that...both cars have been excellent.

So if you want to save some $$ and you can find one in the lower mileage range (if that's a concern for you), don't discount them. Heck, even the original 8 year Voltec warranty is still valid on many of the originals depending on mileage, my 2011 included. For a few more months, anyways. ;)
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