The Chevy Volt made a lot of headlines following its release in 2010, most of them just happened to be negative. The car's safety was immediately brought into question following a crash test where the battery caught fire at a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) facility.

Improved Battery Safety, Now with 100% Less Fire

GM's engineering team developed a solution to prevent future fires by strengthening the car's safety structure with a "steel tunnel" around the battery. They also installed a sensor inside the battery pack that alerts the driver if the battery is currently oozing coolant and turning into a powder keg.

All new Chevy Volt's will be fitted with the please-prevent-my-battery-from-blowing-up safety enhancements, and repair parts should be out to dealers by February of 2012. In the meantime, you might logically assume they've issued a "stop sale" on unsold Volts until they can be repaired. But you'd be wrong.

You might also assume GM would issue a recall on the 8,000 Volts already sold, but you'd be wrong again (boy, you're bad at this).

The "Don't Call it a Recall" Recall

Instead of a recall, Mark Ruess, president of GM North America, is calling it a "voluntary customer satisfaction issue." If I owned a Volt, I'd be quite satisfied with a mandatory recall that prevents fire in my vehicle. Apparently I'm not alone, since over 250 Volt owners have requested a loaner vehicle until theirs can get fixed.

The good news is Volt customers will be individually notified when the modifications are available for their vehicles. Hopefully everyone will make the right choice and get it fixed.

Let Your Voice Be Heard

This step is crucial. Don't just complain on forums; The sites below actually manage your complaint in ways that allow useful statistics and they report dangerous trends to the authorities. Law firms often contact these sites for help with Class Action lawsuits. Make sure to file your complaint on all three sites, we can't stress that enough.

1. Step 1: File Your Complaint at CarComplaints.com

   CarComplaints.com is a free resource dedicated to uncovering car problem trends and informing the consumer. File Your Complaint

2. Step 2: Notify the Center for Auto Safety

   The Center for Auto Safety is an organization that informs consumers about auto safety issues. Notify the CAS

3. Step 3: Report a Safety Concern to the NHTSA

   The NHTSA directs highway safety and has the authority to force recalls to be issued following investigations. Report Your Concern

Have Your Say

Let us know if you've experienced this problem, know of a potential fix or just want to voice how frustrated you are: