It was America's second most popular electric
vehicle, but Chevy
Bolt owners have been plagued with battery problems -- and many are having to
wait to get them replaced.
“I wanted to do an electric
car for a long time, and the Bolt really fit the bill,” says Ari
Schneiderman.
Schneiderman was thrilled
with his Chevy Bolt. Until last year, when – like every other Bolt owner
in the country -- he got a recall notice. It said the batteries could pose a risk of fire, but
parts to repair the vehicle were not currently available.
“They told you ‘OK, don't park the car indoors, don't charge the car
indoors, which is a problem because my charger's in the garage. I tried to
reach out to GM. And they were flooded,” says Schneiderman.
So, Schneiderman put a call into
consumer attorney Bob Silverman.
“Clients with 19s, 20s
and 21s aren't getting battery packs replaced, and they're not getting
loaners to use,” says Silverman. “So, they're stuck with a car that gets no
range because they can't charge it properly.”
Silverman filed a complaint
with GM under the New Jersey Lemon Law, and the carmaker agreed to buy
back the car.
“General Motors really
impressed me with the way they handled everything. They really did try,”
says Schneiderman
A GM spokesperson says, “We
have replacement (batteries) available to execute the recall." He
says the company “prioritize(s)
recall repairs based on vehicle build dates. For example, customers who have
20-22 (vehicles) are still waiting for notification their vehicle(s) can be
repaired."
If you have a problem with a
Chevy Bolt or any other new car, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut
all have lemon laws, which kick in if the car has repeated problems that can't
be fixed.
For New York, cars are
covered for the first two years or 18,000 miles. In New Jersey and Connecticut,
protection lasts even longer: for two years or 24,000 miles.
Even if your car is out of
warranty, there could still be hope. A federal law called the Magnusson Moss
Warranty Act covers you if the problem began under warranty, even if the
warranty is now expired.
If you have a consumer story that needs to be investigated, you
can get Kane in Your Corner by calling
732-738-KANE, or emailing
KaneInYourCorner@news12.com.