Chevrolet Bolt EV

Where it stands out against its peers

• Electrical system: more complaints than 96% of 2019 cars — 49% of its 175 complaints, where an ordinary 2019 car has 20%.
• Steering: more complaints than 96% of 2019 cars — 26% of its 175 complaints, where an ordinary 2019 car has 6%.
• Fuel/propulsion system: more complaints than 95% of 2019 cars — 25% of its 175 complaints, where an ordinary 2019 car has 7%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 49 owners reported this, 6 involving a fire
• STEERING — 42 owners reported this
• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 16 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 14 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
• POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 5 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 3 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

18% of 2022 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 18V576000

  A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.

• 20V184000

  If the rear door opens while driving, or the door handle fails to open the rear door, there is an increased risk of injury to the rear passengers.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear inside door-handle cables, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is A202298320.

• 20V701000

  A battery fire increases the risk of injury.

  This recall has been superseded by recall number 21V-560. Vehicles previously repaired under 20V-701 will still need to have the new remedy under recall 21V-560. GM will notify owners, and as an interim repair, beginning on November 17, 2020, dealers will reprogram the hybrid propulsion control module 2 (HPCM2) to limit the full charge to 90%, free of charge. Owners are advised to activate either the Hill Top Reserve (2017 and 2018 models) or Target Charge Level (2019 models) feature in their vehicle to limit the charge level to 90%, or park outside, until the software update is completed. Owners were notified of the interim repair beginning November 17, 2020. The second notice was mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's number for this recall is N202311730.

• 20V808000

  If a brake caliper fractures and brake fluid is lost, the vehicle may experience reduced brake performance, increasing the risk of a crash.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the casting lot number on the front left brake caliper and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202321400.

• 20V811000

  If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202322230.

• 21V517000

  An improperly installed air bag may not deploy properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

  Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary, the driver-side air bag fasteners. If the fasteners cannot be tightened properly, the air bag assembly will be replaced. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 29, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212340860.

• 21V560000

  A battery fire increases the risk of injury.

  Owners are advised to take the following interim steps: Activate either the Hill Top Reserve (2017 and 2018 models) or Target Charge Level (2019 models) feature in their vehicle to limit the charge level to 90%, charge their vehicle more frequently, avoid depleting the battery to 70 miles range remaining, park outside after charging, and do not charge the vehicle indoors overnight. Defective battery modules will be replaced by GM, free of charge. Interim notification letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on August 13, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 13, 2021. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's number for this recall is N212343880.

• 21V650000

  A battery fire increases the risk of injury.

  Owners are advised to take the following interim steps: Set the Target Charge Level feature in their vehicle to limit the charge level to 90%, charge their vehicle more frequently, avoid depleting the battery to 70 miles range remaining, park outside after charging, and do not charge the vehicle indoors overnight. Defective battery modules will be replaced by GM, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 1, 2021 and June 23, 2023. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall 21V-560. GM's number for this recall is N212345940.

5 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Electrical arcing and thermal events, potentially leading to fires, while utilizing Enel X Way USA, LLC's JuiceBox residential charger.

  Preliminary evaluation, opened October 2024, closed June 2025.

• Pedestrian alert sounds

  Defect petition, opened January 2023, closed August 2023.

• Electric Vehicle Battery Fires

  Preliminary evaluation, opened October 2020, closed February 2022.

  Became recall 20V701000.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Chevrolet filed 362 bulletins about the 2023 Bolt EV.

• Electrical system: 108
• Equipment: 51
• Fuel/propulsion system: 25
• Wheels: 15
• Engine and engine cooling: 12
• Forward collision avoidance: 11
• Power train: 11
• Back over prevention: 10
• Structure: 9
• Exterior lighting: 4
• Other: 106

• This Preliminary information communicates to dealer to perform a MEC reset for wireless projection issues · August 2026
• Certain vehicles may have a condition where a false diagnostic trouble code (DTC) is set. Dealers are to reprogram the Hybrid Powertrain Control Module 2. · August 2026
• PI to help diagnose A/C concern · July 2026
• This Preliminary information communicates an issue with an OTA pending message still displayed after an OTA event and how to reset/clear the message. · July 2026
• This preliminary information is to inform technicians and customers that the voice command will be inoperative when trying to open applications. Engineering is investigating and this PI will be… · June 2026
• This Preliminary information communicates to dealers a procedure to reset the radio. · May 2026
• This Preliminary information communicates to dealers a procedure to reset the radio. · May 2026
• Pi created to provide GM dealers with information on gathering information for projection issue · May 2026

354 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.