A new notification from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the United States has shaken the country, and this time the news concerns 73,000 Chevrolet Volt vehicles manufactured between 2016 and 2019. It all started after several complaints in which users reported that the vehicles suddenly lost power, including while driving at full speed, among other issues such as problems restarting the vehicle and other power control failures (BECM). As soon as the issue was taken to the NHTSA, they began investigating what is happening with these vehicles and then issued the warning.
What is happening with the Chevrolet Volt?
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, there have been 61 formal complaints from drivers who noticed their vehicles lost power while driving, in most cases without any prior warning, which could be putting many lives at risk (imagine this happening to you on a busy highway at full speed… we could be talking about a real tragedy).
Many cars become completely immobile until they regain power, and others simply restart, but not all of them. One user reported that their vehicle lost propulsion while driving and immediately afterward could not start or move the car.
Other users have reported that their cars do not even exceed 56 km/h on the road and that randomly their vehicles stop using electric power. The danger of this failure is incalculable…
The BECM problem and General Motors
The main problem lies, as mentioned, in the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM), a crucial component for electric propulsion that General Motors has had to repair in the past. In fact, GM had already issued a technical bulletin acknowledging that some cars might need a replacement of this unit or a reprogramming due to some issues. This time, they have not issued a general recall, but 61 users have noticed this problem.
Now, the NHTSA must assess whether the American automotive giant should carry out a formal recall campaign or if they can simply fix the issues without issuing an official statement. For now, General Motors remains silent after the first reports were released.
A real risk on the road
Many times, when we are behind the wheel, we are not fully aware of the danger we are in, and the speeds we drive at are incredibly high. Any malfunction can put our lives at risk. This failure, for example, could lead to high-speed rear-end collisions with fatal consequences.
What happens now?
The NHTSA is still in the preliminary phase of this investigation, which means they have to analyse all reports, data, and identify any possible patterns. If this is confirmed, General Motors could be forced to issue an official recall for all vehicles that could potentially be affected. In the meantime, Chevrolet Volt owners are advised to stay alert and pay attention to any strange behaviour they notice in their vehicles. If they detect anything unusual, they should contact their dealership immediately.
The warning to the industry is clear: we cannot put the lives of thousands of users who trust those steering wheels to take them on the road at risk!