GM is responding to increased concern amongst Chevy Volt owners that their cars will burst into flames by mostly dismissing the threat of random explosions and then offering Volt owners free loaner cars while GM tries to resolve the issue.
The concerns emerged after a series of Volt fires that occurred in the electric-hybrid cars days and weeks after crashes, including a vehicle in the possession of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Unless you have a car that's been in a massive accident there appears to be little risk, but GM wants its customers to know it isn't going to let them think they're being allowed to burn to a crisp in their cars by lending them other vehicles.
So, how's that work exactly? Do you call up GM and say "Uhh… yeah, I'm afraid my Volt is going to burst into flames and isn't safe. Can I get a Camaro SS please? Or maybe a Corvette ZR1?"
If that's the modus operandi then there's a silver lining to owning Volt, but if it's just a Malibu or a Cruze then you're probably be better off just keeping the car GM's execs call "safer than an internal combustion-engined car," i.e. safer than the car they'll swap it for.