Today, our beloved 2012 Chevrolet Volt surpassed 160 000 kilometers

After 4 and a half years of ownership, our beloved 2012 Chevrolet Volt surpassed 160 000 kilometers today. For those unfamiliar with the significance of the 160,000 km number, it is the distance in which the propulsion battery, electric drive unit and other Voltec components is covered under Voltec warranty by General Motors (8 years or 160 000 km).

We purchased our Volt on December 16^th 2011, with an average of 36 000 kilometers per year, we knew full well we were going to reach the distance limit before the time given. Although I must admit that these warranty number are unprecedented in the industry for a propulsion system compared to a gasoline vehicle.

The warranty did come in handy on a few occasions, the battery temperature sensor located inside the traction battery was replaced due to a malfunction and the electric motor cage bearing failed and was replaced. We actually ended up with a new electric motor assembly because the new bearing was not installed properly and failed again there for GM sent a new enclosed assembly to avoid any more trouble.

On all occasions we were given a rental vehicle at no cost and fuel cards to cover my fuel expenses with the rentals. We had great service from the dealership, Myers Orleans in Ottawa, aside from a few occasions where the vehicle was not charged up at pickup or the Volt technician was not available when my appointment was scheduled.

My Volt ambassador Dan Reynolds has been a phone call or e-mail away at all times, he has been great to work with on all fronts.

Other repairs which I would consider regular maintenance included;
2 headlight and 1 signal light bulb
4 new summer tires
Wiper blades
12V battery
Generator air filter
3 oil changes for the generator
Brake pads and rotors all around
Windshield washer fluid top up

The car itself is holding up quite nicely with no major defect with the fit and finish inside or out. The leather seats are holding up nicely and no fading from the interior trim and panels. It does need a new windshield (cracked), the front bumper is a little loose due to an encounter with a tree stump in a poorly maintained parking lot and a few dings and scratches here and there, otherwise it still looks great.

At 160 000 kilometers we are quite proud with the Volt, it still performs as advertised with 40-80 kilometers per charge and the generator still returns a good 5-6L/100km average. The Volt has been for the most part flawless and what is the most surprising is that it still drives and feels like a brand new car. We would get another Volt in a heartbeat.