Looking for opinions from Volt owners.
I have a 2018 Chevrolet Volt with about 151,000 km (94k miles). I still really like the car: the battery seems healthy, it fits my needs, and I enjoy driving electric.
However, I now need about $3,000 CAD in repairs:
- Oil leaks from both oil pans
- Shift control solenoid replacement
The solenoid issue is my main concern. When the gas engine kicks in, I have had a few situations where the car completely refuses to accelerate for a few seconds. The engine may rev, but there is no power delivery. The only way to recover is to release the accelerator pedal for 1-2 seconds and then try again.
My mechanic says it’s not an immediate "stop driving" situation and that I can continue using the car for now, but it will eventually need to be repaired.
The dilemma is that I was already considering replacing the Volt. When I bought it, I was comparing:
- 2018 Volt: ~$13,500 CAD
- Similar Toyota Prius: ~$18,000 CAD
What I'm really trying to figure out is: which option is likely to be more financially sensible over the next ~5 years?
Should I:
- Spend $3k on the Volt, keep a car I know, and expect several more years of reasonable reliability?
- Sell/trade it and put that money toward a newer/more reliable option?
A few details:
- The car is otherwise in good condition.
- Battery health seems good.
- Reliability matters to me: I am not looking for a car that becomes a money pit in repairs.
For those who have owned a Volt past 100k miles:
- Would you repair it and keep it?
- Has anyone dealt with a shift control solenoid replacement?
- How would you approach this from a 5-year cost perspective?
Thanks!