NHTSA complaint: 2018 CHEVROLET VOLT — SERVICE BRAKES
I RAN INTO A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME DURING NORMAL TRAFFIC ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK, TWO MONTHS TO THE DAY OF PICKING UP MY 2018 VOLT. THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME MAY HAVE STOPPED QUICKLY, BUT IT WAS NOT A STOP THE VOLT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HANDLE. I WAS ON A STREET IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD I DRIVE EVERY DAY IN TRAFFIC. I HAD MENTIONED TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT THE VOLT'S BRAKES JUST DID NOT FEEL ON PAR WITH THE REST OF THE CAR AND WOULD BE THE ONLY ASPECT OF THIS EV EXPERIENCE I FOUND LACKING. I HAVE THE DATED TEXT MESSAGES TO PROVE THIS. NOW I HAVE A VOLT AT THE BODY SHOP FOR THE 5TH WEEK (LACKING AN AC LINE FOR REASSEMBLY), AN OVER 55% INCREASE IN MY INSURANCE PREMIUMS (PER THE RENEWAL NOTICE I JUST RECEIVED) AND WHAT REALLY HASN'T BEEN A GOOD EXPERIENCE. WHILE I'M WAITING FOR THE RETURN OF MY VOLT I HAVE RECEIVED THE IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL INDICATING THE BRAKING PERFORMANCE MAY BE REDUCED. IF THE CAR HAD BEEN ABLE TO STOP TWO FEET SHORTER I'D HAVE AN UNDAMAGED THREE MONTH OLD VOLT AND MY INSURANCE STANDINGS UNTARNISHED. THAT TWO FEET ENDED UP COSTING OVER $17,500 TO THE CAR. TURNS OUT VOLTS ARE ALSO EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. I'M A 55 YEAR OLD MALE, NO WILD KID. STILL STUNS ME THAT IN 2018 GM CAN'T GET BRAKES RIGHT...THE MOST IMPORTANT OF SAFETY SYSTEMS.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation