NHTSA Complaint #10619228 — 2013 CHEVROLET VOLT

CHEVY VOLT IS AN EXTENDED RANGE ELECTRIC VEHICLE, IT USES A GAS POWERED GENERATOR TO PROVIDE ELECTRIC POWER FOR DRIVING IF THE BATTERY HAS DROPPED BELOW A CERTAIN VOLTAGE. I PARKED MY VEHICLE IN MY GARAGE AT HOME AND NEGLECTED TO POWER DOWN THE ELECTRIC SYSTEMS IN THE VEHICLE. THERE IS A BLUE POWER BUTTON ON THE CENTER CONSOLE, IF YOU DO NOT PRESS THIS BUTTON VERY DELIBERATELY THE SYSTEM DOES NOT POWER DOWN. THIS IS NOT READILY APPARENT SINCE THE CENTER CONSOLE STAYS LIT EVEN WHEN POWERED DOWN. I OPENED THE CHARGE PORT AND PLUGGED THE VEHICLE IN. IF THE VEHICLE IS POWERED DOWN THE CAR WILL GIVE AN AUDIBLE BEEP AND THE CHARGE LIGHT WILL GO FROM ORANGE TO GREEN AFTER A PERIOD OF ABOUT 4-5 SECONDS. IF THE VEHICLE IS NOT POWERED DOWN THE LIGHT STAYS ORANGE AND NO WARNING IS GIVEN TO THE OPERATOR. I LEFT THE VEHICLE, I HAD THE REMOTE WITH ME. THE FOLLOWING MORNING MY WIFE DISCOVERED THE CAR IN THE GARAGE WITH THE GENERATOR RUNNING AT VERY HIGH RPM'S THE TEMPERATURE IN THE GARAGE WAS VERY HOT, THE DOOR HANDLE TO THE GARAGE WAS HOT TO THE TOUCH. THE CAR USED ALMOST ALL OF IT'S GASOLINE SUPPLY, ABOUT 10 GALLONS, THAT EQUATES TO ABOUT 190 POUNDS OF CO2 PRODUCED IN MY HOME. I BACKED THE CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE, THE CONCRETE UNDERNEATH THE CAR WAS TOO HOT TO TOUCH AND STILL WARM 10 HOURS LATER. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO MY LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER, THEY REPAIRED THE HEAT DAMAGE AND RETURNED THE CAR TO ME. I HAVE SINCE TESTED THIS SAME SCENARIO AND THE VEHICLE WILL START ITS GAS POWERED GENERATOR IF LEFT POWERED ON. NO GAS MOTOR IS RUNNING WHEN VEHICLE IS PARKED, IT IS OPERATING ON ITS BATTERY SYSTEM. ONCE THE BATTERY IS DEPLETED IT WILL SELF START ITS GENERATOR EVEN IF: 1 THE CAR IS IN PARK 2 THE CHARGE DOOR IS OPEN 3 THE CAR IS PLUGGED IN TO IT'S CHARGER 4 THERE IS NO DRIVER IN THE DRIVERS SEAT 5 THE VEHICLE IS NOT MOVING 6 THE REMOTE NOT IN THE VEHICLE. FAILURE TO WARN VEHICLE IS ON. *TR