[jostafew]

I expected a few software glitches, maybe some accessory issues into year 2 or 3, but I'm sending my car into service later this week with a laundry list of problems. I'm wondering if I just got a car built on Friday afternoon, or has anyone else run into these?

- Padding behind the 3 oclock spoke on the (leather) steering wheel is funny, doubled up in one place? Also some wrinkling in the top section
- Driver's seat back has some pretty good creaks and squeaks (sounds like the passenger seat is starting to do the same)
- Center armrest, creaky
- Twice now when starting out I've asked for rear wiper, and nothing. Had to turn car off and back on to get it going again
- Noticable drivetrain slop when transitioning from acceleration to deceleration to acceleration etc. (or when using regen to come to a stop on level ground or slight decline, then starting again)
- 4 times now, and happening more frequently lately, I park on a bit of an incline and I get a nice grinding sound when engaging park (foot still on the brake to hold the car). Sounds like the drivetrain is still loaded up (from climbing the hill), and the parking pin isn't quite seated properly so it skips a few teeth while the drivetrain unwinds.
- This isn't on the list for the dealership on this visit but I noticed the spoiler makes a pretty good creaking sound when putting a bit of pressure up or down. Don't care about that sound but my concern would be plastic rubbing on paint and eventually bare metal, then premature corrosion on the hatch.

Anyone else having these particular issues?

 

[CWB126]

nope, just creeping at stop signs or traffic lights when I take my foot off the accelerator when it gets hot from freeway jaunts 140 miles or so long.

 

[Jeff N]

- 4 times now, and happening more frequently lately, I park on a bit of an incline and I get a nice grinding sound when engaging park (foot still on the brake to hold the car). Sounds like the drivetrain is still loaded up (from climbing the hill), and the parking pin isn't quite seated properly so it skips a few teeth while the drivetrain unwinds.

I'm going to guess that you are hearing the electric parking brake automatically engaging. Try manually engaging using the button to the left of the shifter in order to compare the sound.

The Bolt will automatically engage the electric parking brake when you shift to park in certain circumstances (such as when the car is on an incline, I think).

The owner manual suggests that people should manually engage the electric parking brake before shifting to park.

 

[Boltar]

My p-brake grinds obnoxiously most of the time I put it on, worse on inclines. It's a crunching grind, way more than just the sound of the electric brake engaging (as it might on flat ground). I'm sure the dealer (flatlanders) won't be able to replicate it when I eventually bring it in lol.

 

[NY-Rob]

...I'm wondering if I just got a car built on Friday afternoon, or has anyone else run into these?

According to the B pillar sticker on the driver side door... what is the build date of your Bolt?

I have none of the issues mentioned above, my build date is 3/2017.

I have only one minor issue- a minor radio preset station tuning bug in the infotainment system.

 

[DaV8or]

None of those issues, but my spoiler does creak if I torque on it. No concern for me. I just don't touch it much. Your rear wiper issue is most likely software related. Everything, and I mean everything on a modern car is controlled by a CPU somewhere.

 

[DaV8or]

The owner manual suggests that people should manually engage the electric parking brake before shifting to park.

I did not know that. I've been doing the other way around all my driving life. I will try to change my ways.

 

[jostafew]

I'm going to guess that you are hearing the electric parking brake automatically engaging. Try manually engaging using the button to the left of the shifter in order to compare the sound.

The Bolt will automatically engage the electric parking brake when you shift to park in certain circumstances (such as when the car is on an incline, I think).

The owner manual suggests that people should manually engage the electric parking brake before shifting to park.

Nope, I'm quite familiar with the e-parking brake (PITA, I'm still trying to find the rhyme or reason when it does or does not deploy automatically).

This is an unmistakable grinding sound, like if you botched a gear change in a manual trans car.

Also, I don't recall reading the instructions regarding the park / parking brake engagement order, but who engages the parking brake while the car is still in drive / reverse? That's counter intuitive.... I will however give it a try to notice if that will unload the drivetrain and allow the parking pin to engage more easily. I don't think this is so much a mechanical issue as it is a programming problem. If they simply opened the drive circuit to the motor when the park procedure is initiated it would relax and the pin could be engaged without issue, but it seems as though the motor is being electrically held in place creating tension in the drivetrain, so that after the pin is set the motor is released, if the pin isn't set quite right it skips.

 

[jostafew]

None of those issues, but my spoiler does creak if I torque on it. No concern for me. I just don't touch it much. Your rear wiper issue is most likely software related. Everything, and I mean everything on a modern car is controlled by a CPU somewhere.

I'm also sure it is a software issue. There is a lot of automation in pretty much all of the mechanical systems, programming bugs will influence a pile of things.

BTW, has anyone noticed that if you engage reverse and then tap down on the wiper stock for a single wipe of the windshield, you'll get a single wipe of the rear window as well? Nice little touch they did there.

 

[Jeff N]

I did not know that. I've been doing the other way around all my driving life. I will try to change my ways.

I don't think the order is all that critical but setting the parking brake first may help take stress off of the parking pawl inside the gearbox. The owner manual actually suggests both orderings depending upon what page you read.

 

[jostafew]

According to the B pillar sticker on the driver side door... what is the build date of your Bolt?

I have none of the issues mentioned above, my build date is 3/2017.

I have only one minor issue- a minor radio preset station tuning bug in the infotainment system.

Build date on my bolt is 01/17

Aside from some annoyances with Apple CarPlay and occasionally starting Spotify instead of returning to the radio after a phone call, the infotainment's been good, no blacked out screen like some people have experienced.

 

[devbolt]

Build date on my bolt is 01/17

Aside from some annoyances with Apple CarPlay and occasionally starting Spotify instead of returning to the radio after a phone call, the infotainment's been good, no blacked out screen like some people have experienced.

Get the Infotainment update done to the car when you take it in. The TSB is 17-NA-071.

 

[DaV8or]

BTW, has anyone noticed that if you engage reverse and then tap down on the wiper stock for a single wipe of the windshield, you'll get a single wipe of the rear window as well? Nice little touch they did there.

Apparently it also squirts the back up camera lens with washer fluid as well.

 

[Blake Anghilante]

BTW, has anyone noticed that if you engage reverse and then tap down on the wiper stock for a single wipe of the windshield, you'll get a single wipe of the rear window as well? Nice little touch they did there.

I did notice this and wondered if it was a common feature on newer cars. I though it was a nice touch also!

 

[Jeff N]

I don't think the order is all that critical but setting the parking brake first may help take stress off of the parking pawl inside the gearbox. The owner manual actually suggests both orderings depending upon what page you read.

After having written this, I noticed during subsequent driving that I personally prefer to put the car in Park followed by manually engaging the parking brake before taking my foot off the brake pedal. This seems to work well. Given that the manual describes both orderings of Park vs electric parking brake I think people should do whatever feels like it results in the least stress on the car.

 

[leocal11]

any further info on this parking brake thing?
on an incline, i have heard a slight grinding sound twice.

its when my foot is on the brake, and not moving, and not in Park. its almost like, if the car thinks it needs to apply the brake automatically because its on the incline and try to do so, but your foot is already pushing down on it.

anyways, i'll give it one more chance, but if it does it again, then i will call to bring it in:-(

 

[jostafew]

any further info on this parking brake thing?

No not yet. I've been making an effort to set the parking brake and then engage Park, and I haven't heard the issue since. However my appointment with the service dept. last week got bunged up so I'm heading back this Thursday to leave the car with them for a while. We'll see what happens after that.

 

[Roth33d]

No not yet. I've been making an effort to set the parking brake and then engage Park, and I haven't heard the issue since. However my appointment with the service dept. last week got bunged up so I'm heading back this Thursday to leave the car with them for a while. We'll see what happens after that.

Maybe they'll give you a Volt loaner car and you can see how those run in comparison to our Bolts

Would be an interesting experience, but hopefully not so much that you start to consider it and leave the Bolt and this forum.

Keep us posted.

 

[jostafew]

Maybe they'll give you a Volt loaner car and you can see how those run in comparison to our Bolts

Would be an interesting experience, but hopefully not so much that you start to consider it and leave the Bolt and this forum.

Keep us posted.

Actually I've driven a 2nd gen Volt recently. My brother has a Fit EV and a Volt which I drove most recently back in March. Actually it was those two cars that cemented my desire for an EV!

After driving my Bolt for a few weeks and then hopping in the VOlt, it felt the same and yet not. The interface on the Volt's displays are cluttered and not as modern looking as the Bolt, and the power up and power down sounds seem dated. All the same stuff is there, but the interface could really benefit from a cleanup to match the Bolt. The steering wheel is the same and the drive experience in Low is similar except the Bolt is quicker and will bring you to a complete stop. Road feel and steering felt similarish. Seating position is much different obviously. And speaking seating the Volt's seats don't feel like they were made for a child sized person! Not much in terms of lateral support, but comfortable for a 6'1 200lb adult.

What I do hope they give me is a late model Cruze. If they do I'll be measuring up those seats in great detail as a possible seat swap candidate for the ones in my Bolt. They're not ideal (lacking lateral support like the Volt), but I'll put up with that in exchange for something more comfortable with a close mechanical fit and hopefully plug-and-play airbag and seat sensor electronics.

 

[Bazinga]

Maybe you can request a cruze specifically as your loaner car? And wouldn't you lose the heated seats if you swap them out?