Table 1 shows one common service brakes related problems of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Service Brakes problems |
I was stopped at a red light with my foot on the brake. When the light turned green, I released the brake and the car suddenly accelerated forward on its own, without me touching the accelerator. As soon as the car surged forward, I immediately pressed the brake pedal hard to stop it but instead of slowing down, the car continued to accelerate. It felt like pressing the brake was making it worse. The car was totally out of my control. The vehicle collided with tow truck and even after the impact, the engine was still revving as if it was trying to keep going. I had to shut the car off to stop it completely. There were no warning lights or error messages before or during the malfunction. The front end of my car was damaged in the crash. No one was injured, but the malfunction could have easily caused serious harm or death. This was not user error it was a terrifying mechanical and electronic failure. The car accelerated on its own and the brakes failed or possibly triggered more acceleration. I have never experienced anything like this. After looking online, I found other Volt owners reporting similar problems involving brake assist failure, unintended acceleration, and stuck revving. This looks like a serious pattern that deserves urgent attention. I’m asking the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) and general motors to immediately investigate this issue. I want to know if there are any recalls, technical service bulletins (tsbs), or known defects related to brake failure or unintended acceleration in the 2011 chevy Volt. Please contact me with next steps. This is a major safety risk that could easily result in fatalities if not addressed.
Several times over the 2 years I have owned this vehicle while driving an almost complete loss of braking occurs with a service notice for the abs system. If you turn off the ignition and restart it the braking works fine. I am in the process of having the electronic brake control module - gm (84070136) and the brake pressure modulator valve - gm (23283683) replaced. I believe that there is a design flaw in this system in that a problem of the abs should not eliminating the ability to stop the vehicle. This is costing me $3500, but the point is that loss of braking is a serious safety issue and should be addressed by the manufacturer. Thank you.
The car has proceeded to have multiple issues, with the most predominant and life threatening issue being an airbag failure. . . Twice. Other issues: radio, door locks, and park assist engage/disengage on their own. Brakes not catching causing car to roll. Power failure and won't start. April 2013, the vehicle was t-boned at a rate of speed over 45mph. The airbags failed to deploy; caused personal injury. Gm sent out an inspector, and pulled the data. Response back was “no event recorded” and was dismissed. Obviously something happened, especially considering the car was in the body shop for 6 months being repaired. January 2014 while driving down the highway the car loses power, and won't accelerate over 19mph, the check engine light engaged and “reduced propulsion” message flashing. Onstar diagnosed the vehicle instantly, and said the vehicle may be unsafe to drive due to the transmission and engine fault. We reached out to classic Chevrolet grapevine, and they would not assist us, even though the vehicle is under warranty. January 2014, a second collision, a truck clipped the front of the car speed was over 35mph, the tire blew, and sudden deceleration, resulting in $14,000+ in damages airbags failed to deploy, and causing re-injury. Gm sent out it's third party company to inspect, and an event was recorded this time, however was a “non-event” event. Gm states a event was recorded, but could not explain why the air bags did not deploy. In February 2014 we reached out to gm directly, asking for clarification, and assistance regarding our flawed 2011 Chevrolet Volt, and were told they “researched and evaluated our concern, and fulfilled its obligation” to us. However, they did nothing. Answered no questions, offered no resolution or fix. Gm has a history of not investigating fatal flaws, and covering up its negligence.