Chevy Bolt EV Forum banner
  • Hey Guest, welcome to ChevyBolt.org. We encourage you to register to engage in conversations about your Bolt.
  • Battery replacement master thread - please do not create a new thread.

Repurchase or Replacement Offer from GM - Due to Battery Recall Issue

32K views 72 replies 40 participants last post by  sebzips  
#1 · (Edited)
I've been in conversation with GM regarding the recent battery recall and they have offered to replace or repurchase my leased 2019 Chevy Bolt with 12,xxx miles. I haven't received details yet of what exactly they are planning to offer, but I'm wondering if anyone else is also considering this option. What were you offered? Have you decided what to do? What are the factors to consider?

I'm hesitant partly because I will probably not be eligible for another HOV sticker in California since there is a limit of two per person. Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

CORRECTION: (thank you to cwerdna!): CA CVRP has a limit of two per person, but not the HOV sticker.
 
#4 ·
This follows many conversations with GM customer service. I originally requested a discount on my lease payment, which they said they were unable to do, then they offered a reimbursement of two lease of my payments. I suggested they should reimburse my lease payments until the problem was fixed at which point they offered a repurchase or replacement. I now need to submit info to see what exactly they will offer as a repurchase or replacement.
 
#3 ·
I have an early 2019 with almost 20.000 miles. The car has been trouble free and I really do not want to get rid of it. That said, I will be getting the recall done in about a week just so I do not have any insurance issues. After that is done, I was going to consider replacing it. With what I'm not sure. The Tesla Y still has so many delivery complaints, the latest being that the heaters are iffy. The new Mustang sound intriguing but i would consider the coming Bolt SUV if there was a good buyback replacement offer. Please keep us all posted on the offer.
 
#17 ·
What does this entail for those of us who bought our vehicle outright? replace the battery or replace the entire vehicle?
Any literature on the subject?
Well, I am not sure.
I like the car. I put a lot into it (labor and money) - hitch, wiring, floor mats, winter wheels...
Overall it is a trouble free car with 11k miles now.

Would I change it for 2020? Maybe... Do I see any need for it? Not really...

Definitely I would be seeking a depreciation reimbursement.
My car's value dropped drastically the moment recall resurfaced. It was a quite few grands.
My 2017 Bolt dropped from 19,000 for the record before the recall to 6000 after the recall as evaluated by Tesla ... only two months and 500 miles between the two evaluations ... that's more than 10 grand ... that's what I plan to ask GM for...
 
#6 ·
Well, I am not sure.
I like the car. I put a lot into it (labor and money) - hitch, wiring, floor mats, winter wheels...
Overall it is a trouble free car with 11k miles now.

Would I change it for 2020? Maybe... Do I see any need for it? Not really...

Definitely I would be seeking a depreciation reimbursement.
My car's value dropped drastically the moment recall resurfaced. It was a quite few grands.
 
  • Like
Reactions: davioh2001
#7 ·
That's what I am concerned about. I'm sitting on quite a bit of investment in a 2" hitch, trailer wiring and tires capable of 60psi. The value loss isn't an issue for me though, I'd like a new battery one that I can trust to tow my house up spanish fork canyon without blowing out a cell. I can't have a battery go up on me when I am in the sticks causing a wildfire.
 
#10 ·
Those with technical forensic experience will explain in more detail just how difficult it is to find the cause of a tiny number (five out of seventy thousand) of random failures over a four-year time span.

How continually calling GM would hasten that process doesn't seem likely.

That GM can't tell us how they'll act on what they don't yet know would seem obvious to everyone.

jack vines
 
#15 ·
I'm hesitant partly because I will probably not be eligible for another HOV sticker in California since there is a limit of two per person.
What limit? Source?

Are you confusing that with CVRP limits?
 
#16 ·
What limit? Source?

Are you confusing that with CVRP limits?
Good point Thank you! I think maybe I misread this: Current Clean Air Vehicle Decal | California Air Resources Board

It says "Blue CAV decals are for first-time applications only" so I thought that meant first time applicants, but it looks like you're correct, it's tied to the vehicle rather than the individual. Appreciate the tip.
 
#20 ·
Reinstate the tax credit and it looks even worse. gm will of course pocket a chunk of that in lessened incentives but it will still hurt.
I bought my Bolt knowing the depreciation would be massive. I had to accept that it's a 7+ year commitment of ownership to extract value out of the deal. Which works out about right since EV pickups should be commonly available by 2024.
 
#22 ·
I was able to speak with them and make it happen. I successfully returned my 2019 Bolt to them last week for repurchase. Feel free to ping me with any questions. They refunded all of my payments and down payment, less a fair "usage fee" for the miles that I put on the car over the past two years. I'm impressed with how they handled this and they made it very easy. I had put around 36k out of my allotted 45k on the car. The usage fee was roughly 32 or 33 cents per mile. I believe this was a standard California Lemon Law buyback - I had used one of the online lemon law calculators and the estimate was about spot on with what they offered.
 
#33 ·
So, as I understand this from a lemon-law calculator, if I do this, GM will be paying me for having owned the car. Once rebates are accounted for, I will have paid less than nothing to own it.

My price was $34,990 for a 2017 purchased in very early 2018. I paid $5000 down and financed the rest. I received a $7500 federal tax credit, a $2,500 state rebate and a $500 utility rebate. My payments to date are $21,623 and the car only has 16,460 miles. The lemon-law calculator says my mileage offset is $4799 ($0.30/mile?) and that GM will pay off the roughly $14,800 remaining due on my loan and return to me everything I've paid less the offset (Including tax and interest? That's crazy.), or a bit over $21,800.

All in, I've paid a bit more than $26,600. If you subtract the $10,500 I've gotten back in credits and rebates and the money GM will repay me, I'll be getting back (in credits, rebates and from GM) $5,700 more than I've paid. That should cover all maintenance (roughly $0) and electricity for the car, with enough left over to maybe cover what I've paid in insurance. Looked at another way, if the EV credit comes back, $7000 federal plus $2000 state, plus $21,800 from GM could buy another Bolt LT with some left over after sales tax. Or, I could switch from a 2017 LT with 16,000miles and a $15,000 loan to a 2020 Premier with zero miles for about $1,500 plus a few thousand in sales tax.

Even if the calculator is off by a few thousand, I don't know how I can not take that deal. I can return the Bolt to GM now and live with one car (another EV naturally) until the federal tax credit comes back and then buy another Bolt or a Tesla, or a Kona and eliminate my car payment.

Sweet!
 
#23 ·
I have initiated a buy back on my 2017. They asked for a picture of the title and the original buyer's order, which I got from the dealer. If they offer me more than I could get selling private party I will probably take the deal and upgrade to another EV. So far everything has been very professional.
 
#26 ·
The battery issue is making me want to jump ship from EV to gasoline. At first I was fine with this, but with such a massive component failing that is nearly impossible for any of us to fix ourselves. Paired with little to no clear communication from GM I don't trust my car as much as I used to. I don't want imbalanced cells to go up in flames when I start pulling 70kW going up a canyon- worse in someone's driveway! The Toyota Tacoma is looking like a great alternative right now and they don't explode in your driveway or on the road and have even better towing capabilities.
 
#28 ·
Yeah... each powered vehicle or equipment can catch on fire.

Shift to a bicycle. This is the safest one. :D


Statistically it is irrelevant.
It is like you'd be wandering if you should or should not drive today, because there are so many car accidents and about 36'000 people die each year.
 
#32 ·
This is a perfect example of why this forum needs to block all caps useless posts such as the quoted post. No caps please as it is considered VERY rude online.

Back on topic:

Have any Canadians got Chevy to rebuy their Bolts? Or an even trade for a 2020 model instead?
 
#37 ·
so, anyone who is selling their Botls back... is interested in selling their false cargo floor?
 
#46 ·
In Utah and they are working to buy back my 2017 Bolt EV. I want to see the final fix before I sell a car that's seen a lot of money and time sunk into modding it. They offered to give me a Equinox as a long term loaner until either they buy my car back or fix it. Problem is I'm a hair over twenty so no the loaner is probably a no-go. The other issue is that it didn't have a hitch and I've got a 400 something mile trip this weekend that requires me haul a trailer or hitch rack.
 
#48 · (Edited)
Any fellow Canadian Bolt owners exploring this buyback thing? What would be your thoughts regarding the rebates? I'm in BC and made use of the federal, provincial and scrap-it programs. A glimmer of memory suggests that there was a time condition of them. I'd have to dig out any possible paperwork but conditions may have changed since May of 2019 too.

Edit: ok so I looked things up.

So I'm good other than the replacement car would need to be in the spouses name if we wanted to get the BC rebate on another EV. But we're a single car household so no scrap-it on a replacement EV unless we get something and insure it before a buyback.

Federal rebate:
-one per calendar year per person

BC rebate:
-must be plated, registered and insured in the recipients name for 12 months
-only one rebate for each person as long as the program exists. So get another car in a spouses name :)

Scrap-it:
-scrapped car road-worthy and insured for 6 months before purchase
-also must be plated, registered and insured in the recipients name for 12 months if owned outright
-if leased then it's to be on a 3 year lease