GM Exchanging Chevy Volt Charger Cables

General Motors announced in 2012 that a complimentary exchange program would take place for Volt owners of the 120-volt charging cable for a new unit. Owners of 2011 models and the few 2012 units with the previous version of the cable were eligible for the exchange.

There was no defect in the old Chevy Volt charger cables according to GM. They stated that they were simply acknowledging customer complaints that the old cords would get too hot to touch, and so they were offering a complimentary exchange program to keep customers satisfied. Vehicle safety being taken seriously means listening to customer feedback, and it seemed pretty overwhelming that a new cord was needed in order to prevent injuries from occurring.

Why did GM decide to replace the charger cables?

GM spokesperson Randy Fox said they had begun production of a new design of the cable, one that provided “a more consistent charge.” The new Chevy Volt’s charger is thicker, and Fox said GM made “enhancements to the design to add some durability and reliability.”

Hopefully, this would mean fewer trips to the charging station, increased miles of range, and less reliance on the Volt’s backup gas engine. Fox indicated Volt owners would be getting notices of the exchange via mail. The old charging cable would then be swapped for the updated design the next time they had their Volt serviced at a dealership.

The plug-in hybrid electric vehicle has been a bit of a lightning rod for General Motors. The company has consistently missed lofty sales targets, and the factory where the Volt is built currently sits idle on a five-week shutdown because of unsold stock sitting on dealer lots.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a safety defect investigation on the Volt after a number of models that underwent crash testing caught fire, the first weeks after it had been crashed.

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

 Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

What’s the final word on the safety of the Chevy Volt?

The NHTSA ultimately declared the car safe, saying it was no more prone to after-collision fires than any other car on the market, and GM redesigned the battery housing that eliminates the potential for such fires. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the 2019 Chevy Volt strong ratings based on side and roof strength, crash avoidance characteristics, and more.

Do the tax credits available act as an incentive which outweighs the potential headaches you might face with a Chevy Volt? Unfortunately, the federal tax credit for purchasing the Volt or the Chevy Bolt is no longer available as of March 2020.

Are cheap auto insurance rates offered to owners of electric vehicles? Compared to the average vehicle that relies wholly on a gas engine, electric vehicles usually cost more to insure because they are newer and feature more complex mechanisms. However, electric vehicle owners should still be mindful of having proper coverage on their car.

If you need to compare insurance companies, we offer a free online comparison tool that can help you.