GM recalls Volts to fix fire risk

[Rhiannon12866]

Source: CNN

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- General Motors is recalling the Chevrolet Volt to make changes that it says will help prevent fires from coolant leaks which may follow a severe side impact.

Coolant leaks days after National Highway Traffic Safety Administration side crash tests caused several fires.

The fires were sparked when the cars were being slowly rotated as part of a post-test procedure causing the coolant to come into contact with circuit boards. The cars' batteries were still charged at the time.

The recall applies to all of the approximately 8,000 Volts on the road today. Dealers will also make changes on cars on their lots awaiting delivery to customers



Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/05/autos/volt_fire_fix/index.htm?source=cnn_bin

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Volt owners will be asked to bring their cars to the dealer to have changes made that will help prevent coolant leaks after side impacts.

[Divine Discontent]

1. that should solve the prob! id love one of those cars

Go American Know How! Pro-Union!!!

[Rhiannon12866]

2. Volt owners are very loyal.

They really seem to love their cars... :shrug: :hi:

[lbrtbell]

3. GM just can't master the art of putting coolant in cars properly

Remember this class-action lawsuit?

http://www.topclassactions.com/close/14-gm-dexcool-engine-coolant

Reader's Digest version: GM put crappy DexCool antifreeze into its cars from 1996 onward. DexCool eats engine parts alive, leading to expensive repairs (manifold intake gaskets, heater core, water pump, etc.). In very little time, it turns to thick, disgusting chunks that gum up the radiator, heater core, etc. To add to the fun, GM auto manuals claim that DexCool doesn't need to be changed for 5 years/150,000 miles (whichever comes first), which caused so many cars to be damaged, that a class-action lawsuit was filed.

I love GM cars, but what GM doesn't know about antifreeze could fill a black hole in space.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. Update: Volt Battery Problems Fixed, GM Says

Changes will reduce fire danger during and after collisions, company says

General Motors says it has made "enhancements to the vehicle structure and battery coolant system in the Chevrolet Volt" that will reduce the risk of a battery fire occurring days or weeks after a severe crash.

The enhancements come in response to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) probe of a fire in a battery pack that followed a Volt test crash.

NHTSA opened its probe on Nov. 25 following a severe-impact lab test on a battery pack that resulted in an electrical fire six days later. The test was conducted to reproduce a coolant leak that occurred in a full-scale vehicle crash test last May that resulted in an electrical fire three weeks later.

“The Volt has always been safe to drive. Now, we will go the extra mile to ensure our customers’ peace of mind in the days and weeks following a severe crash,” said Mary Barra, GM senior vice president of Global Product Development.

More:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2012/01/volt-battery-problems-fixed-gm-says.html

[Lasher]

5. 'will reduce the risk'

So there's still a risk.

[Rhiannon12866]

6. And now there's this: GM has crisis ads ready if Volt fire controversy worsens

General Motors has an emergency marketing and information plan ready in case reports of fires in the Chevrolet Volt trigger a Congressional hearing or other extreme reaction.

"I have a contingency plan. It's ready to go" if concern about Volt, which seems to be receding, flares up, says Joel Ewanick, GM's marketing chief.

Ewanick wouldn't describe the plan precisely, but said it would involve ads that are "honest, straightforward, and could direct people to" a website or other resource for a deeper technical explanation of why, in GM's emphatic view, Volts are safe and won't burn.

The dilemma is to not wait until a backlash grows too big, yet avoid pulling the trigger too quickly on a campaign that, among other things, will remind people that the Volt caught fire after a government crash test.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2012/01/gm-emergency-plan-volt-fire-congressional-hearing/1