BOLT DEAD - REPLACING BATTERY...They should REPLACE THE CAR!

[jdamour]

I was very happy with my new Chevy Bolt until a week ago when I received a cryptic text from my car telling me an error had occurred. OnStar then sent a diagnostic email that a critical error had occurred. When I got into the vehicle to drive to work that morning the indicator gauge showed almost full charge but range said 10 miles (I had driven just fine the day before with about 150 miles of range left when parked in drive way). The service vehicle light was on so figured I would see if I could drive to dealer...NO GO. Attempting to shift the transmission into anything other than Neutral or Park resulted in a beep and a error in the cluster saying roughly "Incorrect conditions to shift". I had the vehicle towed to the dealer and was given a loaner (gas Malibu). It has been there all week and I have just received notice that GM has indicated that the battery needs to be replaced...they are sending a battery....will take a couple days to install once it arrives could be another 2 weeks. All of this is being covered under warrantee. I have contacted Chevrolet asking for replacement. I paid for a brand new car NOT a car that within a month would require major repair by the dealer. So far they claim that nothing else can be done...UNACCEPTABLE!
Has anyone else seen similar issues?

 

[DucRider]

You will not get (nor are you entitled to) a replacement vehicle when something fails under warranty.

Many new model cars (EV's and otherwise) have "teething problems". GM will replace defective components, but will not replace the entire car.

If the car continues to have problems and is in the shop repeatedly, you may be able to get it replaced under your States "Lemon Law".

In California, if the vehicle is out of service for repairs for a total of 30 days (not necessarily at one time), you may be eligible for a replacement vehicle.
Or if they have made 4 or more attempts to repair a specific defect.
Or 2 or more attempts to repair a "life threatening" defect.

Google "lemon law in XX" (your State) for specific info.

If a manufacturer was required to replace every new car that had a component fail, the cost would be HUGE (Tesla would have been out of business a loooong time ago). Give them a chance to fix it. Sorry you got one with a bad battery

 

[jdamour]

Thanks for the reply @DucRider...however after paying the premium for an electric vehicle and having THE major component of the vehicle fail within a month and then having to have the dealer replace it ... doesnt seem like much of a new vehicle anymore. As far as the lemon law is concerned the estimate for this repair could be 21 days of shop time...diagnosis...shipping battery....repair time so it may end up in the lemon law bucket anyway (30 days). As far as what I am "entitled" to is what I paid for...a new car that would'nt need major repair before the new car smell was gone from it. I do appreciate the input...just not a happy camper now :-(

 

[michael]

Haven't seen anything this bad. I agree, they should replace it, but if they can fix it well and soon, probably not gonna happen. California Lemon Law seems to require 30 days out of service, hopefully nothing like that happens to you.

 

[boltage]

Perhaps you could get another Bolt or at least a Volt as a loaner?

 

[ScooterCT]

What I'm about to say is total conjecture, fair enough?

There's a thread on this forum tracking how many members are actual Bolt owners. I think we've reached something like 30 or 40. And I think we have two owners who have reported dead Bolts. Let's call it 2 of 50. That's 4% of Bolts dying in the first three months.

Why do I get the feeling the Bolt won't get very good grades from JD Power or Consumer Reports?

 

[DucRider]

I understand your frustration, but the battery pack is not the only "major component". A failure of the drive motor, any part of the charging circuit, the inverter, or any one of the myriad computers common in all vehicles today would render the vehicle just as useless. If it was the drive motor that went out, would you be okay with the wait? Is it really that the battery failed? Or that you are without your new car so soon after purchase?

It sucks, but sometimes stuff breaks. Electronics that crap out tend to do it early - or last a very long time. There are exceptions, but that that's the nature of the beast.

 

[jdamour]

@DucRider...it is not that I am without my car, although that does exacerbate the situation. My concern is that a dealer technician who is probably going to be doing their first battery replacement, which will require removing significant components to get the battery out, will be doing the work. So what was a car put together by trained line technician is now getting a major replacement by a novice...within the first month of life. I will assume that the battery does not impact other things such as structure of the vehicle (some weight saving strategies may rely on the battery pack for part of the stability of the frame...probably not...anybody?) . In the end there will be any number of bolts (no pun intended...50 was quoted to get the just battery out not to mention the various components) that need to be removed to get them out of the way.). I dont know I believe the quality control at the dealership is the same as the assembly line...So the clarification of the frustration in short is not about the time without the vehicle but more about significant work done by inexperienced techs. During troubleshooting I did try to find the "CTL-ALT DEL" sequence to reboot

 

[dandrewk]

I can't say how easy/hard it is to replace the battery in the Bolt. But if it's anything like the Leaf or Tesla, it's really not a whole lot different from swapping a battery in any electronic device. Yes, I know it's not a "snap", but I wouldn't worry about an inexperienced repairman bombing the whole job. Heck, the Model S was designed for future, automatic battery swaps at Tesla charge sites.

True, the battery is a huge component in any EV. But it's not a critical cog in an elaborate drive train, e.g. a transmission in an ICE car. In fact, EVs are MUCH simpler devices than ICE cars. It's one of the great advantages they have.

 

[DucRider]

@DucRider...it is not that I am without my car, although that does exacerbate the situation. My concern is that a dealer technician who is probably going to be doing their first battery replacement, which will require removing significant components to get the battery out, will be doing the work. So what was a car put together by trained line technician is now getting a major replacement by a novice...within the first month of life. I will assume that the battery does not impact other things such as structure of the vehicle (some weight saving strategies may rely on the battery pack for part of the stability of the frame...probably not...anybody?) . In the end there will be any number of bolts (no pun intended...50 was quoted to get the just battery out not to mention the various components) that need to be removed to get them out of the way.). I dont know I believe the quality control at the dealership is the same as the assembly line...So the clarification of the frustration in short is not about the time without the vehicle but more about significant work done by inexperienced techs. During troubleshooting I did try to find the "CTL-ALT DEL" sequence to reboot

It wouldn't surprise me if some factory techs were sent out on this one. I'm sure they want to get the failed pack for testing/analysis.

And yes, the battery pack adds significant stiffness to the frame/body. It is essentially a structural member - which is one reason for so many fasteners. It would likely be at least as difficult to do a motor swap (probably more so.)

 

[user 387]

Yes, it is sad that the battery failed, but I see no reason to ask for a new car. You bought an early model of an early technology and a component failed. And you are surprised? You should have had your eyes open wider when you bought.

GM will make it right and very likely after replacing the battery your experience will be like most of the rest of us - just fine.

 

[devbolt]

I'll be curious to see if they list the price for a replacement battery pack on your repair order, or how much time it takes to do the repair. Both things would be useful to know for future owners.

It sucks that you are a victim of statistics right now. GM will make things right. There's little chance that a major failure like this wouldn't get very specific attention from the factory. They'll be sending out engineers to assist the master mechanic in the shop with the replacement. No way something like this gets given to a mechanic with no training.

While I get while you want a replacement vehicle, it's just not realistic to expect it to happen unless you trigger the lemon laws in your state.

Please keep us updated on what happens with the repair. And if you can, post the final paperwork showing the diagnostic error codes, what they replaced & the cost, plus how long it took.

 

[SeanNelson]

Thanks for the reply @DucRider...however after paying the premium for an electric vehicle and having THE major component of the vehicle fail within a month and then having to have the dealer replace it ... doesnt seem like much of a new vehicle anymore.

I'm not sure why you think that. The battery will of course be brand new. And the rest of the car won't be any different than you had before the failure. I can understand why you'd be upset to be without the use of the car, but I don't really get why you feel that the car would be "damaged goods".

 

[jdamour]

@DucRider...again thanks for the input and the pics. To all on the thread I appreciate all feedback...thanks. I still believe a replacement is the right solution and will pursue that course. I will update on what happens.

 

[jdamour]

Yes, it is sad that the battery failed, but I see no reason to ask for a new car. You bought an early model of an early technology and a component failed. And you are surprised? You should have had your eyes open wider when you bought.

GM will make it right and very likely after replacing the battery your experience will be like most of the rest of us - just fine.

Patronus, you imply that I am naive in my expectations. I am not surprised that such a thing could happen. But at what point to we give large multibillion dollar corporations a pass and say it is OK to promise a "new car" and instead get a car that will be disassembled and reassembled within the 1st month by novice technicians. As DucRider's post said "some line technicians may be sent out for this". There has been no indication from the dealer that anything like that is going to happen. A replacement car for GM is a drop in the bucket. If this had been 8 months or a year down the road then I get it, that is what a warrantee is for. Someone on the thread mentions that I am victim of the "Stats", why should I incur the downside of this situation...I didnt promise a someone a $40000 car with top notch quality...GM/Chevy did...to me. Why should I be the one to compromise? In any other situation if a major malfunction happened with a product right off the bat a reputable vendor would just replace it and demostrate that they are committed to the quality, to getting it right, to delivering a product with integrity.

 

[jdamour]

Thanks for the reply @DucRider...however after paying the premium for an electric vehicle and having THE major component of the vehicle fail within a month and then having to have the dealer replace it ... doesnt seem like much of a new vehicle anymore.

I'm not sure why you think that. The battery will of course be brand new. And the rest of the car won't be any different than you had before the failure. I can understand why you'd be upset to be without the use of the car, but I don't really get why you feel that the car would be "damaged goods".

As always I appreciate people taking time to weigh in on my situation. Sean, please read the rest of the thread. I have made my argument clear as to why the vehicle will not be the same. Look at the pictures uploaded by DucRider. That is an assembly line where specialized techs focus on their respective tasks (thank you Henry Ford). The disassemble and replacement of my battery will not look like that. This will be done by one or 2 dealer techs who may or may not have been trained and are now doing their first Bolt battery replacement. If the dealer or GM want to prove to me that experienced techs will do the work then that would be great. But it doesn't change the fact, Chevy gave me a defective car right out of the gate. There is a simple way to set this right. If they want the car to study and make sure it doesnt happen to anybody else then have at it...I simply want what was promised.

 

[phil0909]

But at what point to we give large multibillion dollar corporations a pass and say it is OK to promise a "new car" and instead get a car that will be disassembled and reassembled within the 1st month by novice technicians.

You are confusing "new" with "perfect". What you got was both a new car AND a car that requires major service.

I too got the cryptic Onstar text, and the 'conditions incorrect for shifting' message. Had to get a tow to the dealer. It took a week and a lot of follow up to finally get a diagnosis. In my case, they said it was a bad 'heater control unit', not a bad battery. I do not have great confidence that they actually diagnose these things correctly - large numbers of supposedly Bolt-trained service 'professionals' seem to know next to nothing about the Bolt, based on what they've been able to tell me. Nonetheless, I did get the car back after two full weeks, and it has worked properly since then.

I did not expect the car to be replaced, and I wouldn't really have any greater confidence or expectations with a new car than my 'refurbished' one. It's basically a crapshoot either way.

Good luck.

 

[boltage]

Look at the pictures uploaded by DucRider. That is an assembly line where specialized techs focus on their respective tasks (thank you Henry Ford). The disassemble and replacement of my battery will not look like that. This will be done by one or 2 dealer techs who may or may not have been trained and are now doing their first Bolt battery replacement.

This is probably a good argument for risk-averse people to avoid buying any newly designed or redesigned car* at the beginning of its model run. It is well known that the problem rate is higher at the beginning of the model run; if you are concerned about your car being the first one that a given mechanic has worked on for a given problem, then that risk is higher early in the model run.

*This can also apply to significant new or redesigned features (e.g. drivetrain, infotainment systems) on an existing car.

 

[EldRick]

Have a look under the car. Safety precautions aside, replacing the Bolt battery does not look like a big deal, and I'll bet the factory flies out a special jig to support it just as they do at the factory.

That said, if you bought a flashlight and the batteries failed, would you be upset if they replaced the batteries for you?

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

Bottom line here is that unless you can invoke a lemon law, you're not getting a new vehicle. So document everything and research lawyers if you think you meet your lemon law criteria. Your warranty only requires GM to repair defects.
How you feel about the situation and what you think GM should do are irrelevant under the law.