A Complicated Affair: Chevy Volt Tops Owner Satisfaction Survey
If you’re familiar with the romantically getting-to-know-you scene (formally “dating”), then you know what it’s like to meet someone who’s just amazing and hot and makes you feel like the emails you’re writing about them don’t need periods or commas or even adhere to the general rules of grammar. Then, out of nowhere and inexplicably, the flame eases after three weeks and you don’t feel like seeing them. This new nonchalance typically manifests itself in overly sarcastic and mean digital communication, because the ‘relationship’ hasn’t yet reached the unofficial one-month threshold that requires a ‘talk’ (this sounds petty and mean, but it’s rational; three weeks ain’t that long). And those heady Kerouac emails littered with stomach-turning adjectives become normal again.
Well, the Chevrolet Volt is just like this! Except the fire is real and occurs three weeks after you’ve been in a side-impact collision (during crash testing this actually happened to a Volt, causing all those recalls a few weeks back). You’re telling yourself this analogy doesn’t make any sense…but…in the recent annual satisfaction rankings survey by Consumer Reports, 93% of Volt owners said they would buy a Volt again. Still confused? The survey was conducted well before the crash testing and subsequent recalls, or in what would be analogous to the three-week fire-dating period from above.
So…the analogy:
Romantic flame = Chevy Volt
Knock your socks off honeymoon period = Volt drivers piping around in blissful crash test ignorance
Kerouac-like emails = Consumer Reports survey
Boredom and nonchalance = Volt engine fires (also known as “there may be a problem…”)
Big sweeping generalization? = Don’t believe the hype of the Consumer Reports survey.
And…if you are in the 7% contingent of Volt owners who were not satisfied with your purchase prior to this little engine snafu, GM has stated its intention to buy back the cars from unhappy owners.
Like so many love affairs, this Volt thing is oh so complicated.
